The Importance Of Being Earnest (ebook)

The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St Jamess Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personæ to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the plays major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Contemporary reviews all praised the plays humour, though some were cautious about its explicit lack of social messages, while others foresaw the modern consensus that it was the culmination of Wildes artistic career so far. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wildes most enduringly popular play.