The Importance of Being Earnest, by Wilde, Oscar - Akasha Classics, AkashaPublishing.Com - Among Oskar Wilde's plays, The Importance of Being Earnest is certainly the most celebrated. It still delights readers more than a century after its 1895 publication and premiere performance. Both Wells, H. G. and Shaw, George Bernard thought it one of the funniest plays ever written. Set in England during the late Victorian era, the play's humor derives in part from characters maintaining fictitious identities to allow them to escape unwelcome social obligations. The characters' plans are constantly sent topsy-turvy by unexpected turns of events. Along the way, Wilde's wit-sharpened dialogue skewers nearly everyone, throwing into high relief the strains of class pretension, social ambition, and romantic gamesmanship.
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde was an Irish playwright, novelist, and essayist known for his wit, flamboyant style, and sharp social commentary. His most famous works include the play "The Importance of Being Earnest" and the novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray," both of which explore themes of identity, morality, and societal expectations. Wilde's writing is characterized by clever wordplay, satirical humor, and a keen observation of human nature. He was a key figure in the aesthetic and decadent movements of the late 19th century and is considered one of the most important voices in British literature. Wilde's impact on literature can be seen in his subversion of conventional Victorian norms and his pioneering use of irony and paradox.
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