a trivial comedy for serious people by Oscar Wilde

1. a trivial comedy forserious people by Oscar Wilde

2. The writer Oscar Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish writer and a poet. His parents were successful Dublin intellectuals, and from an early age he was tutored at home, where he showed his intelligence, becoming fluent in French and German. He attended boarding school for six years, then matriculated to university at seventeen years old. After university, Wilde moved around trying his hand at various literary activities: he published a book of poems and toured America lecturing extensively on aestheticism. He then returned to London, where he worked prolifically as a journalist for four years. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress, and glittering conversation, Wilde was one of the most well-known personalities of his day. He next produced a series of dialogues and essays that developed his ideas about the supremacy of art. However, it was his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), that brought him more lasting recognition. He became one of the most successful playwrights of the late Victorian era in London with a series of social satires which continue to be performed, especially his masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”

3. “The Importance of Being Earnest” revolves around the mistaken iden- tities of Jack Worthing and Alger- non Moncrieff. Jack, who resides in the country, loves to visit Lon- don for some big city entertain- ment. In order to escape, he in- vents a younger brother, Ernest, whom he claims to visit in the city. In Algernon’s case, when he wants to travel to the countryside, he fab- ricates the excuse that he is visiting a sick friend, Bunbury. Both men fall in love under their false identi- ties. Jack proposes to Gwendolen Fairfax, but her mother, Lady Bracknell, does not approve of his social standing, and forbids their engagement. When he pretends to be Jack’s brother Ernest in the countryside, Algernon falls in love with Jack’s ward, Cecily Cardew. All four young people eventually cross paths in the country, where both women end up thinking they are engaged to the same man named Ernest. In a hilarious, neatly tied-up end- ing, Jack and Algernon admit (partially) to their lies, Jack dis- covers his family history and that his name really is Ernest, and all the lovers are finally united.

4. Jack Worthingwishes to marry Lady Gwendolen, but he cannot secure the approval of her mother, Lady Bracknell. When he is in the town, he goes by the name of Ernest; when he is in the country, he goes by the name of Jack, which he believes is his real name. As a baby, Jack was discovered in a hand- bag at Victoria Station. Therefore, he does not know his own history or his true family. Algernon Moncrieff is a young bachelor who lives in London. He is a good friend of Jack. Algernon is a member of the Victorian upper class, but his pri- mary pursuit in life— bunburying—has left him with considerable debts. He falls in love with Jack’s ward, Cecily, shortly after meeting her.

5. Lady Augusta Bracknell is the mother of Gwendolen and the aunt of Algernon. A member of the aristoc- racy, she has an overpow- ering, confident demeanor. She initially forbids Gwendolen to marry Jack. Gwendolen Fairfax is the young, beautiful daughter of Lady Bracknell. She is in love with Jack, but a large part of her attraction comes from her belief that his name is Ernest. Wholives in the town…

6. …andwholives in the country Cecily Cardewis Jack’s daydreaming niece and ward. Cecily falls in love with Algernon, believing him to be Jack’s brother, Ernest. She will be given access to a large sum of money when she comes of age. Miss Prism is Cecily’s tutor and a strong proponent of Victorian morality. She once wrote a three-volume novel. She is the most educated person who is known by Jack.

7. “...we should treat all the trivial things of life seriously, and all the serious things of life with studied triviality.” Oscar Wilde