The Importance of Being Earnest

By Oscar Wilde

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 James's 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 play's 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 play's humour, though some were cautious about its explicit lack of social messages, while others foresaw the modern consensus that it was the culmination of Wilde's artistic career so far. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduringly popular play. The successful opening night marked the climax of Wilde's career but also heralded his downfall. The Marquess of Queensberry, whose son Lord Alfred Douglas was Wilde's lover, planned to present the writer with a bouquet of rotten vegetables and disrupt the show. Wilde was tipped off and Queensberry was refused admission. Soon afterwards their feud came to a climax in court, where Wilde's homosexual double life was revealed to the Victorian public and he was eventually sentenced to imprisonment. His notoriety caused the play, despite its early success, to be closed after 86 performances. After his release, he published the play from exile in Paris, but he wrote no further comic or dramatic work. The Importance of Being Earnest has been revived many times since its premiere. It has been adapted for the cinema on three occasions. In The Importance of Being Earnest (1952), Dame Edith Evans reprised her celebrated interpretation of Lady Bracknell; The Importance of Being Earnest (1992) by Kurt Baker used an all-black cast; and Oliver Parker's The Importance of Being Earnest (2002) incorporated some of Wilde's original material cut during the preparation of the original stage production.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Oscar Wilde
• Release date: Aug 31, 2015
• ISBN: 9786050411416

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was a Dublin-born poet and playwright who studied at the Portora Royal School, before attending Trinity College and Magdalen College, Oxford. The son of two writers, Wilde grew up in an intellectual environment. As a young man, his poetry appeared in various periodicals including Dublin University Magazine. In 1881, he published his first book Poems, an expansive collection of his earlier works. His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was released in 1890 followed by the acclaimed plays Lady Windermere’s Fan (1893) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).

Book preview

The Importance of Being Earnest

by

Oscar Wilde

THE PERSONS IN THE PLAY

John Worthing, J.P.

Algernon Moncrieff

Rev. Canon Chasuble, D.D.

Merriman, Butler

Lane, Manservant

Lady Bracknell

Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax

Cecily Cardew

Miss Prism, Governess

THE SCENES OF THE PLAY

ACT I.  Algernon Moncrieff’s Flat in Half-Moon Street, W.

ACT II.  The Garden at the Manor House, Woolton.

ACT III.  Drawing-Room at the Manor House, Woolton.

TIME: The Present.

LONDON: ST. JAMES’S THEATRE

Lessee and Manager: Mr. George Alexander

February 14th, 1895

* * * * *

John Worthing, J.P.: Mr. George Alexander.

Algernon Moncrieff: Mr. Allen Aynesworth.

Rev. Canon Chasuble, D.D.: Mr. H. H. Vincent.

Merriman: Mr. Frank Dyall.

Lane: Mr. F. Kinsey Peile.

Lady Bracknell: Miss Rose Leclercq.

Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax: Miss Irene Vanbrugh.

Cecily Cardew: Miss Evelyn Millard.

Miss Prism: Mrs. George Canninge.

FIRST ACT

SCENE

Morning-room in Algernon’s flat in Half-Moon Street.  The room is luxuriously and artistically furnished.  The sound of a piano is heard in the adjoining room.

[Lane is arranging afternoon tea on the table, and after the music has ceased, Algernon enters.]

Algernon.  Did you hear what I was playing, Lane?

Lane.  I didn’t think it polite to listen, sir.

Algernon.  I’m sorry for that, for your sake.  I don’t play accurately—any one can play accurately—but I play with wonderful expression.  As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte.  I keep science for Life.

Lane.  Yes, sir.

Algernon.  And, speaking of the science of Life, have you got the cucumber sandwiches cut for Lady Bracknell?

Lane.  Yes, sir.  [Hands them on a salver.]

Algernon.  [Inspects them, takes two, and sits down on the sofa.]  Oh! . . . by the way, Lane, I see from your book that on Thursday night, when Lord Shoreman and Mr. Worthing were dining with me, eight bottles of champagne are entered as having been consumed.

Lane.  Yes, sir; eight bottles and a pint.

Algernon.  Why is it that at a bachelor’s establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne?  I ask merely for information.

Lane.  I attribute it to the superior quality of the wine, sir.  I have often observed that in married households the champagne is rarely of a first-rate brand.

Algernon.  Good heavens!  Is marriage so demoralising as that?

Lane.  I believe it is a very pleasant state, sir.  I have had very little experience of it myself up to the present.  I have only been married once.  That was in consequence of a misunderstanding between myself and a young person.

Algernon.  [Languidly.]  I don’t know that I am much interested in your family life, Lane.

Lane.  No, sir; it is not a very interesting subject.  I never think of it myself.

Algernon.  Very natural, I am sure.  That will do, Lane, thank you.

Lane.  Thank you, sir.  [Lane goes out.]

Algernon.  Lane’s views on marriage seem somewhat lax.  Really, if the lower orders don’t set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them?  They seem, as a class, to have absolutely no sense of moral responsibility.

[Enter Lane.]

Lane.  Mr. Ernest Worthing.

[Enter Jack.]

[Lane goes out.]

Algernon.  How are you, my dear Ernest?  What brings you up to town?

Jack.  Oh, pleasure, pleasure!  What else should bring one anywhere?  Eating as usual, I see, Algy!

Algernon.  [Stiffly.]  I believe it is customary in good society to take some slight refreshment at five o’clock.  Where have you been since last Thursday?

Jack.  [Sitting down on the sofa.]  In the country.

Algernon.  What on earth do you do there?

Jack.  [Pulling off his gloves.]  When one is in town one amuses oneself.  When one is in the country one amuses other people.  It is excessively boring.

Algernon.  And who are the people you amuse?

Jack.  [Airily.]  Oh, neighbours, neighbours.

Algernon.  Got nice neighbours in your part of Shropshire?

Jack.  Perfectly horrid!  Never speak to one of them.

Algernon.  How immensely you must amuse them!  [Goes over and takes sandwich.]  By the way, Shropshire is your county, is it not?

Jack.  Eh?  Shropshire?  Yes, of course.  Hallo!  Why all these cups?  Why cucumber sandwiches?  Why such reckless extravagance in one so young?  Who is coming to tea?

Algernon.  Oh! merely Aunt Augusta and Gwendolen.

Jack.  How perfectly delightful!

Algernon.  Yes, that is all very well; but I am afraid Aunt Augusta won’t quite approve of your being here.

Jack.  May I ask why?

Algernon.  My dear fellow, the way you flirt with Gwendolen is perfectly disgraceful.  It is almost as bad as the way Gwendolen flirts with you.

Jack.  I am in love with Gwendolen.  I have come up to town expressly to propose to her.

Algernon.  I thought you had come up for pleasure? . . . I call that business.

Jack.  How utterly unromantic you are!

Algernon.  I really don’t see anything romantic in proposing.  It is very romantic to be in love.  But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal.  Why, one may be accepted.  One usually is, I believe.  Then the excitement is all over.  The very essence of romance is uncertainty.  If ever I get married, I’ll certainly try to forget the fact.

Jack.  I have no doubt about that, dear Algy.  The Divorce Court was specially invented for people whose memories are so curiously constituted.

Algernon.  Oh! there is no use speculating on that subject.  Divorces are made in Heaven—[Jack puts out his hand to take a sandwich.  Algernon at once interferes.]  Please don’t touch the cucumber sandwiches.  They are ordered specially for Aunt Augusta.  [Takes one and eats it.]

Jack.  Well, you have been eating them all the time.

Algernon.  That is quite a different matter.  She is my aunt.  [Takes plate from below.]  Have some bread and butter.  The bread and butter is for Gwendolen.  Gwendolen is devoted to bread and butter.

Jack.  [Advancing to table and helping himself.]  And very good bread and butter it is too.

Algernon.  Well, my dear fellow, you need not eat as if you were going to eat it all.  You behave as if you were married to her already.  You are not married

Reviews for The Importance of Being Earnest

[mickyfine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've always enjoyed this play and couldn't turn down the opportunity to listen to this audio production with James Marsters (SPIKE!) in one of the lead roles. The play remains as funny and charming as ever, and while not all of the actors rocked the English accent as well as others, it was a delightful and fast listen. Highly recommended.

[solitaryfossil · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

A cute little trifle, just a middle-of-the-road blip, though. At least now I can say I’ve been exposed to it, and exposure is good - unless you’re arrested for it, or die from it.

[katya0133 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic.

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

zeer flauw, vol klassieke Wilde-oneliners. Misschien moet ik het nog eens herlezen.

[rontyler-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

A cute little trifle, just a middle-of-the-road blip, though. At least now I can say I’ve been exposed to it, and exposure is good - unless you’re arrested for it, or die from it.

[gingermama-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this more with each rereading...

[adrianghilder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've read the screen play.
It is an absolute gem of characterisation and dialogue. Full of humour and wit and worth reading again every once in a while. An uplifting experience I can't recommend highly enough.
Go ahead and treat yourself, it not a lot to buy on ebook readers.

[schmerguls · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

5442. The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde (read 8 Feb 2017) I have read this before now but never in its own book, and have seen the movie and seen it performed. But I wanted it to be in my list of books read so when I came across a booklet containing only the work itself I decided to read it in that form. It is outrageously funny, but of course not as funny as seeing it performed. But one can't help laughing. A masterpiece indeed.

[bryndahlquis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oscar Wilde's wit is brilliant and unmatched.

[suzols · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a very different portrait of Victorian England. A play where every protagonist is an antagonist, and vice versa. There are no bad guys, there are no good guys, there are only people. Oscar Wilde's characters have not the unforgettable personalities of Dickens nor the impressive realism of Tolstoy, yet they are somehow undeniably human. Lovable, relatable, susceptible, and somewhat incorrigible. This is a satire, an attempt to poke fun at himself and his culture. Wilde jabs and jokes from the title to the last sentence. You cannot go a paragraph without encountering some witty line or clever pun. His main character (Jack) is a picture of the Victorian dandy: Elegant, refined, philanthropic - yet also ( surprise surprise) a hypocrite and a liar. The other lead man, Algernon ( who most definitely steals the show in my humble opinion) is less of a picturesque Victorian gentleman. He is more dandy with a heavy helping of Oscar's own "wilde" personality" ( excuse the horrid pun, I think one pun is permissible in a review of the "punniest play in the English language"). He leads the same sort of life as Jack, and yet his actions do not effect others quite as profoundly. He is a soloist, his mistakes are all games, and as such are stamped with approval by the author. In the end, this book is an extremely funny fun-read. Although he does jest and joke, he makes no profound statements or analysis of anything. He makes no strong points, and doesn't seem to have any purpose beyond just writing a really funny play. This is not the sort of thing that you read and then muse over for an hour feeling really good about yourself and thinking "Wow, I am much smarter then when I first opened the cover" ( I'd head over to War and Peace or any Dostoevsky/Tolstoy novel if that is what your looking for). And yet there is a time and a season for the short, complicated, and extremely hilarious "love story" that Oscar Wilde has provided for us. My only advice is to read this in a private place. Apparently (based on the queer face expressions of local librarians and other patrons ) reading a book while stifling laughter and occasionally breaking out into giggles is not acceptable, at least not in my hometown library.

[tanya8dogearedcopy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even though I have seen and read the play a few times, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST bears up under repeated scrutiny. The performance by L.A. Theater Works (starring James Marsters) had me laughing aloud, delivering the lines with excellent comic timing and all the appropriate absurdity. As an audio-only performance, the listener might expect to feel cheated in not being able to see the actors, but it's a testament to Oscar Wilde's writing and the performers that nothing was lost in this rendition. My only quibble was the inclusion of an interview with the director afterward:It simply wasn't interesting.

[aelizabethj · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic. I admit I was a Wilde newbie, and now I'm kicking myself for not reading this sooner. Super short read (60 pages on my Nook) and they flew by. Not the usual play read, that's for sure (Ugh Shakespeare). Thoroughly enjoyed the wit and banter between the characters and fascinated by Wilde's life in general. Loved.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

You can’t beat Oscar Wilde when it comes to witty dialogue. The playwright mastered the art form of clever repartee and The Importance of Being Earnest is the best example of that talent.Two bachelors, Jack and Algernon, both find themselves pretending to be someone they are not in order to get what they want. Their actions cause confusion and cat fights when two ladies, Gwendolen and Cecily find themselves falling for the fictional “Earnest.” Top it off with the indomitable Lady Bracknell, whose matchmaking skills rely heavily on evaluating someone’s social standing and you’ve got a recipe for hilarity. I’ve always loved this play and rereading it was a treat. I also had the chance to finally see it performed in May and I loved it. That version set the story in the 1990s instead of the 1890s, but the text was exactly the same, which reminded me that romantic comedies really haven’t changed too much. This play also contains many of Wilde’s most infamous lines. Here’s a few of my favorites:“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” “To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”“I'll bet you anything you like that half an hour after they have met, they will be calling each other sister.Women only do that when they have called each other a lot of other things first.”BOTTOM LINE: Read it! It’s a quick and delightful play.

[devil_llama · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Probably Oscar Wilde's most famous play, and certainly one of his best works. The story revolves around a couple of society gentlemen who have fallen in love with women who have the idea that they should marry a man by the name of Ernest. Since neither of the young men are named Ernest, this leads to a lot of pretense, and suddenly the world is blessed with two Ernest Worthingtons. The resolution might seem somewhat contrived, but since the entire play is a satire, this can be forgiven, since it is intended to appear that way. A fun work, and a quick read.

[cjyurkanin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Aha! So THIS is what Wodehouse was trying to do. Algernon > Jeeves

[versha.bharat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the awesome book I have ever read! Though the story was simple but the way it was presented by Oscar wilde was brilliant! It’s very difficult to put down this book once you start. Definitely a treat for those who love humor genre! Enjoyed every bit of it!

[piyushc_34 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another book for my RL book club, and one I was hugely excited about, the book being a Wilde after all. While I won't go as far as to say Plays aren't my thing, they are definitely not my staple reading either. There have been a number of plays I have read and enjoyed, but I always have suspected in it being my luck more than anything else, in picking those plays - not to mention, the not-so-decent plays are thankfully, easily forgotten. The witticism, the cynicism, the antipathy, were all there as they could be expected to be and the play more or less delivered to my ridiculously high expectations. And the quotes, oh the quotes! "The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means."“My dear fellow, the truth isn’t quite the sort of thing one tells to a nice, sweet, refined girl. What extraordinary ideas you have about the way to behave to a woman!” “Never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon. Only people who can’t get into it do that.” ...and there were many more...5/5

[charlottejones952 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was my first experience of an Oscar Wilde play and it definitely exceeded my expectations. This was well-written, witty and intelligent, with charming characters and a great plot. I will definitely be picking up more Wilde in the future.

[michellech_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Witty and so clever. I do love when societal norms are questioned. I watched the movie shortly after with Micheal Redgrave and thought it was excellent as well. The best part was the ending with Ms. Prism; she was just as I imagined her in my mind.

[ctpress_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” A play should of course for maximum benefit be expereinced in the theatre. The next best thing would be to buy an audiobook - the L.A. Theatre Works performing The Importance of Being Earnest with live audience. It’s such a delight - have there been written a more funnier play? With Oscar Wilde’s famous quips and witty remarks - this story of mistaken identities in upper class british society display an exuberance of life and high spirits. “Never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon. Only people who can’t get into it do that.” I think everyone in this production is in top form - and specially Lady Bracknell played by Margaret Scudamore. “I really don't see anything romantic in proposing. It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal. Why, one may be accepted. One usually is, I believe. Then the excitement is all over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If ever I get married, I'll certainly try to forget the fact.”

[caropi-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just love Oscar Wilde. He is fresh, he is ironic and he describes the english society of his time in a remarkable way. The importance of Being Earnest is a short play very easy to read that brings to the reader a great story that it can enjoy over and over again discovering the magic of his words at the time that we are transported in time...

[gbill_7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wilde’s last completed play, written in 1895, before his world tragically came crashing down. As always, he’s irreverent and witty in satirizing the institutions of society, most notably love and marriage in this play. Two bachelors use deception and the alter ego “Earnest” in the attempt to woo a couple of ladies who are under the watchful eye of a protector, Lady Bracknell. Irony pervades the play; to be earnest of course is to be sincere, which the men are anything but. Wilde’s mission was to make light of everything society holds dear, to point out that ‘serious matters’ are in reality trivial, and it’s silly to pretend otherwise. In this he was successful, and I find that his humor really stands the test of time.Just a couple of quotes, on marriage:“I really don’t see anything romantic in proposing. It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal. Why, one may be accepted. One usually is, I believe. Then the excitement is all over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If I ever get married, I’ll certainly try to forget the fact.”“To speak frankly, I am not in favour of long engagements. They give people the opportunity of finding out each other’s character before marriage, which I think is never advisable.”

[tiffanyak_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I actually read an online version of this text provided by my teacher as part of my Introduction to Drama course, so this is not the same version I'm writing about, but is the same work. This is a more modern version of the Comedy of Manners, though from a very conservative time in history that didn't allow for much sexual content. That said, there are some interesting mistaken identities, "faked" deaths, couples falling in love at the drop of a hat, and great criticism and humor towards Victorian society and habits. It's modern enough to be read easily, with an interesting story, and is doubtlessly amusing. I'd certainly recommend that anyone interested in drama read it once at least.

[sealford_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have long enjoyed the wittiness that I found peeking around the corner of each page of this marvelous book. At many times, I found myself laughing quite hard at things that seemed both innocent and obvious at the same time. A must read for any hardcore literature fan.

[kakadoo202 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

started this book without any knowledge nor expectatations. a great surprise how funny this piece is. a comedy of changed identities and not so proper british society. a true gem.

[leslie398 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every time I read this play, I find myself amazed at how funny it is! This Librivox recording (version 3) was excellent, which didn't surprize me since Elizabeth Klett was not only the voice of Gwendolyn but also the coordinator. Ruth Golding was especially good as Lady Bracknell, but all the narrators were wonderful.

[alexdaw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ah where to begin? A lifetime of quotes. Oh to be Lady Bracknell in my dotage. "To lose one parents, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness. " or "Hesitation of any kind is a sign of mental decay in the young, of physical weakness in the old." and finally "Three addresses always inspire confidence, even in tradesmen."

[exiled_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had to read this for my AP Lit class. It was the first book for the class, and I was a bit skeptical of it at first. As it turns out, it was hilarious! I could rarely find a page where I was not laughing. Nothing better than a good Victorian satire! ;)

[msnikki · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I bought this on a whim, I recognised the name and decided "Why not".I loved it, it was sharp, funny and oh so relevant.

[name99_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Mildly amusing, but really not much more than that. Maybe I'm just too familiar with Wilde's brand of witticism, but I frequently found them irritating this time round.