The Importance of Being Earnest

"The Importance of being Earnest" is a play written by Oscar Wilde. This is a trivial comedy about the importance of being "Earnest" in high social class in the Victorian era. Through this essay how Oscar Wilde makes this piece of the play such a delightfully comic moment will be analysed by using the reactions of the characters, role reversal and the language used.

In this extract we can see how Wilde uses role reversal as to make it a comic  moment. We mainly find role reversal in the play in Lady Braknell. She is everything a man is supposed to be in charge of at that era. In this part there is a role reversal between Lady Bracknell and Jack. In the first and second act we can see Jack respecting Lady B. however, in the third one Jack feels he has more power than her and interrupts her and discusses with her. When Jack replies "I decline to give my consent" to Lady B. is very well shown he is the one with power.

We can also see how Oscar Wilde makes this piece of the play comic by the reactions of the characters and the language used. One way he makes it comis is how they change the conversation subject; they were talking about Algernon's disgraceful deception and all of a sudden they were talking with and about Cecily. "Untruthfull! My nephew Algernon? Impossible! He is an oxonian" said Lady B. and after discussing about Algernon she called Cecilia "[to Cecily] Come here, sweet child [Cecily goes over] How old are you, dear?". Wilde also shows comedy when Algernon says he could wait Cecily until  she is 35, however it was absurd because no one could wait 17 years to get married.

Throughout this essay the different ways Oscar Wilde uses as to make this piece of the play such a delightfully comic moment had been explaines. How he uses hipocrecy in the play let the reader to find this play a comic piece of writing.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: Act III

Act III starts with Gwendolen and Cecily in the morning room of the Manor House, looking out the window at Jack and Algernon, waiting them to come in. If they come in, the ladies intend to be cold and heartless. Algy and Jack do come in and start explaining why they lied about their names. Cecily and Gwendolen accept their explanations but they still have a problem with the name Earnest (non of them was called Earnest). Both were planning to be rechristened and both couples embrace. Merriman coughs to signal the entrance of Lady Bracknell. She wanted an explanation of why were they hugging and Gwendolen tells her she is engaged to Jack. Aunt Augusta, says that they are not engaged. She inquires about Algy's friend, Bunbury, and Algernon explains that he killed him that afternoon, he also adds he and Cecily are engaged. Lady Bracknell interrogates Jack about Cecily's expectations.

Lady Bracknell gives her consent to Algy's engagement but Jack objects as Cecily's guardian. He says Algernon is a liar and lists all the lies he has told. Cecily does not come into her fortune (130000 pounds) and lose Jack as a guardian until she is 35 years old. Algernon says he can wait but Cecily cannot. Jack declares that he will agree to the marriage if Lady Bracknell will consent to his engagement to Gwendolen. Lady Bracknell says that is not the destiny she proposed for Gwendolen.
Dr. Chasuble arrives and announces that he is ready for the christening. Jack replies that they are useless now and Chasuble returns to church where Miss Prism is waiting. Lady Bracknell get shocked when she heard the name Prism and demands to see her. When Miss Prism arrives and sees Lady Bracknell she turns pale. Lady Bracknell reveals that Miss Prism left Lord Bracknell's house 28 years ago. She disappeared on a normal walk carrying a baby. Lady B. demands to know where the baby is, so Miss Prism explains that in a moment of distraction she placed the baby in her handbag and her 3-volume manuscript in the baby carriage. Both of them were accidentally left in the train station. When she noticed this, she abandoned the baby and disappeared. Jack excitedly asked her which station it was. She reveals that it was Victoria Station, the Brighton line, and Jack runs from the room and returns with a black leather bag. Prism identified it and he embraces her, believing her to be his mother. She tells him she is not his mother and says he will have to ask Lady Bracknell for the identify of his mother.
Jack discovers he is actually Lady Bracknell's sister, Mrs. Moncrieff son, and that Algy is his older brother. He says he always felt he has a brother. Jack asks what his christened name was, but Lady Bracknell does not remember, she only knew it was the name of his father. He checks the names of the Army lists of the las 40 years. It was Ernest John. Jack asserts that he had been speaking the truth all along: his name is Earnest and he does have a brother. Both couples embrace and Jack finally declares that he finally realizes The Importance of Being Earnest.