The Importance of Being Earnest

By Oscar Wilde

"The Importance of Being Earnest," considered to be one of Oscar Wilde best plays, is a comedic satire of Victorian England. It is the story of Jack Worthing who lives in the country with his ward Cecily Cardew. Jack invents a brother named Ernest so that he has an excuse to travel to London to woo a woman, Gwendolen Fairfax. At the same time Jack's good friend, Algernon Moncrieff pretends to be Ernest so that he can woo Jack's ward, Cecily. A comedy of confusion is the result in Oscar Wilde's classic play.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Digireads.com Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781596250017

Oscar Wilde

Born in Ireland in 1856, Oscar Wilde was a noted essayist, playwright, fairy tale writer and poet, as well as an early leader of the Aesthetic Movement. His plays include: An Ideal Husband, Salome, A Woman of No Importance, and Lady Windermere's Fan. Among his best known stories are The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Canterville Ghost.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

BY OSCAR WILDE

A Digireads.com Book

Digireads.com Publishing

Print ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-2595-1

Ebook ISBN 13: 978-1-59625-001-7

This edition copyright © 2011

Please visit www.digireads.com

CONTENTS

THE PERSONS IN THE PLAY

THE SCENES OF THE PLAY

ACT I

ACT II

ACT III

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. PLACE: London.

ACT I

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 woman.

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. Lanes 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 to her already, and I don't think you ever will be.

JACK. Why on earth do you say that?

ALGERNON. Well, in the first place girls never marry the men they flirt with. Girls don't think it right.

JACK. Oh, that

Reviews for The Importance of Being Earnest

[katieloucks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So funny! Did it as a high school play

[rainpebble_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde; (4*)The Importance of Being Earnest seems to start as a play about truth but quickly becomes a play about the false through the classical "simply a misunderstanding". The two male leads, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, use imaginary friends they invent to avoid the boring and weekly family engagements. These imaginary friends lead to eventual confusion between them and the women they love. This misunderstanding is only half the fun though. Wilde mocks the ill portrayed English Aristocracy of the late 19th century; poking fun at not only their etiquette but also their stubborn and unpractical tendencies, their immoral behavior, and their exploitation of the lower classes. Very rarely do comedies strike to the heart of the matter and say something as meaningful as Oscar Wilde did with this great play of his.Wilde gives new meaning to the terminology irreverence and farce.His views on the virtues of having a satirically empty head as written by one understanding this is the funniest I have ever read. His characterization of the English upper class as both idle and clueless most likely came very close to the truth.But he wraps it all up happily (for most) and leaves us with a great laugh. Well done, Wilde!

[gregorio_roth · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

a blend of hilarity and double speak... quit the woodhousian affair.

[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.

[sueincyprus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a well-known classic which I've seen on screen but don't think I had previously read the original play. A free e-book edition encouraged me to try it, and I was surprised at how easy it was to read despite the stage directions and dramatic format.

The story is a satirical jab at the silliness of society at the end of the 19th century, featuring two men who invent fictitious lives in order to escape from their families for a while. Two girls fall in love with them, but insist that they can only ever love men called Ernest...

I found myself smiling a few times, and irritated at others by the trivialities of upper-class society - but then that's the point of it, really. It's not a long play, and I read it in just a couple of days. Well worth reading, in my view.

[melopher_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love the wit and humor saturated in this play. I also enjoyed being able to look at Victorian culture from a different angle. It is quick and funny, and the use of the English language a delight.

[catalogthis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Radio version from L.A. Theatreworks. Perfect!

[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.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Funny at times though tough to follow at times. The characters are quirky and eccentric.

[bohemiangirl35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I downloaded this play from the Google Play store on my android phone. I don't usually read on my phone because the screen is small, it's phone-sized. Ha ha. But I had a long wait, and I didn't want to play a game, so I downloaded the play.The satire, double speak and play on words are hilarious. It's very short, only 3 acts. If you like Oscar Wilde, I suggest you give it a try.

[jpalfrey-459036 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Despite being thoroughly out of date (it dates from 1895), this play has the striking virtue of being hilariously funny throughout, in a way that transcends time. A modern writer transported back into British society of the 1890s and desiring to make fun of it could hardly have done better.

The story is perfectly composed, I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. But it’s pure social parody: the characters and the plot have no other purpose, and so it’s too light and insubstantial to make it into my top favourites. I certainly enjoy it, but I don’t reread it often.

I was already familiar with it before downloading this edition from Project Gutenberg: I think I’d previously read it (without owning a copy) and seen it performed.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So much Wilde. So much quotable banter. Sure, it's lighter than Dorian Gray, so it's not taught as often, and so is too often overlooked, but come on. I like it even better now than the other times that I read it, when I was the age of the young characters.

[benkline · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very entertaining play by Wilde, with his typical wit and witticisms and oxymoronic statements.

[thebooksofwrath · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

To convey humour in writing is notoriously difficult to achieve without sounding flat and unemotional, and I don't find myself laughing for most writers who try desperately to be funny. Wilde, Twain and Wodehouse are some exceptions, however, whose characters jump out of the page with seemingly little effort. But if there is one play you should read (or better, watch), more than any other, it should be this one. Earnest is a chef-d'oeuvre of artful dialogue and titillating witticisms whose only dry moments are those minutely premeditated scenes served for pure deadpan sweetness. With this play and An Ideal Husband alone, they serve to elevate Wilde in my estimations as the world's greatest playwright (sorry for all you dramatic Shakespeare-lovers).

[Esther Mateo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

With The Importance of Being Earnest, I have laughed like I haven't in a long time with a book. Very good works. (Translated from Spanish)

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorites

[Ginevra · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"The Importance of Being Earnest" is a play within a book of many others. I'm not sure of its name in Spanish, but it is a work that can only be understood and appreciated by reading it in its original language, as it contains many word games. It's a fun and fresh comedy, super easy to read.

I read it with low expectations; the title did not attract me at all, but it ended up being an excellent and entertaining theatrical book. (Translated from Spanish)

[theokester · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While reading The Importance of Being Earnest, I kept wondering how I managed to skipped over this one. It seems like something that should have been part of my curriculum in college. Or at the very least I should have seen one of the movie versions of the play. But somehow I did not.

And yet, as I read it recently, it felt very familiar. Part of the familiarity comes from the use of tropes common to comic writing. We have cases of mistaken identity, intentional deceit, unlikely coincidences and more. The dialog is witty and playful but with a biting undertone that gets at the heart of the theme.

The play centers on the interactions of two young men, Earnest and Algernon. At the onset we encounter the two men discussing the merits and virtues of life. During the discussion, we learn that Earnest’s real name is Jack but that he assumes the name Earnest while in London.

He seems ready to give up his duplicity but when he proposes to Gwendolen, she admits that she really loves him most because of his name. So instead of making a clean slate and killing off Earnest, he decides to wholly accept the name. Meanwhile, Gwendolen’s mother opposes their marriage on the grounds that Earnest does not come from an appropriate aristocratic heritage.

Thus we have a young man caught between two identity problems. His fiancé only loves him because of his fake first name and his would-be mother-in-law refuses to acknowledge his potential because he has the wrong last name. Wilde presents these two obstacles as counterpoints to showcase the absurdity of each. Just as it’s absurd that young Gwendolen only loves her man because of his name, it’s equally absurd that he be inadequate for marriage because of his status in society as shown by his last name.

The story continues to play with these ideas through some hilarious moments to come. Algernon and Jack each struggle with their identities both in relationships and in society. We’re shown how ridiculous we can appear when we place too much importance on trivial things. At the same time, there are many things that we trivialize that perhaps we should look at more closely.

The language of the play is fabulous and is a great example of Wilde’s genius. The dialog is sharp and smart with some great quips and repartee. While the character types and the plot elements feel very similar to other plays (I was especially reminded of scenes from Twelfth Night), the writing feels fresh and fun.

This is a super fun story. Well written and hilarious. I really need to seek out a movie version (or see it performed live). It’s got plenty of laugh out loud moments while also providing a thoughtful satire on our impressions and assumptions about society and each other.

*****
4.5 out of 5 stars

[jscape2000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure how I made it through an MA in English without reading this. Finally dove into the script when I was cast to play Algernon in a local community theatre production.

So much of this is witty and relevant and speaks with a modern sensibility. But dear lord, let's pick up the pace. Every line can be cut by a third, and several sections could be cut completely.

[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.

[breic-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very funny, in the ridiculous sense, and often quotable. (I think Wilde could go further into illogic and non-sequiturs, and should try some longer-running gags.) Edited nicely; the humor doesn't overstay its welcome.

Jack: You never talk anything but nonsense.
Algernon: Nobody ever does.

[villemezbrown · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found the play amusing, so I'm giving the book three stars. However, I have to give one star to the homophobic creator biography and literary analysis that is contained in the edition I actually read, a 1959 book in the Barron's Educational Series. When it wasn't offensive, the literary analysis was just boring as hell and written in dry, tortured, overly academic prose that contrasted greatly with the witty dialogue in Wilde's play. Wilde's work stands the test of time, while the introductory matter is best left in the past.

[Mak1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Masterpiece.. easy to read, fun, and delightful (Translated from Spanish)

[librarygeek33 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The 2 narrators on this version were incredible, immediately switching voices without missing a beat. I don't know how they did it. The book was amusing in a stuffy English way. Silly can be fun.

[margaretfield · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

man pretends to be ernest; comedy

[lkernagh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After encountering references to this play in a book I recently read, I decided it was high time I "took in the play", which was rather easy to do with access to the audiorecording of a L.A. Theatreworks production. Now I understand why this play is considered by some to be the apogee of Wilde's work and such a wonderful precursor to the English farcical comic novel style perfected by P.G. Wodehouse. An entertaining Victorian story of courtship and manners, assumed names, mistaken lovers and the epitome of the "dragon" aunt. A whimsical mayhem romp!

[hes7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a hilarious and quick play centered around two couples and the name Ernest.

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

After what feels like a millennium, I have read The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and I totally get the hype now. Oscar Wilde's play focuses on two men who independently of the other have invented alternate personas that allow them to cut loose without (hopefully) any repercussions. One of the men has created Ernest who is by all rights a scoundrel and his creator has finally decided to do away with him so that he can settle down and get married. The problem is that his friend (the other deceitful man) has decided to take on the mantle of Ernest so that he can win the heart of a girl that he's just met. (I recommend reading this in one sitting because otherwise you're liable to get confused.) Wilde uses word play and absolutely ridiculous circumstances to discuss the folly of youth and poke fun at the whims and fancies of people who believe they are really truly in love even if they don't truly know the other person. For instance, the two women of the play are determined that they will only marry someone named Ernest but as it turns out no one is named Ernest there is a bit of a kerfuffle. After all is said and done, no one comes out on top and everyone is depicted as foolish and unimpressive. It was thoroughly amusing and I guess now I'll have to see the movie that was based on it. :-P If you haven't read it yourself and you'd like a quick, fun read this will do just the trick. 9/10

I was staring at the book's title and then it hit me: "Oh because it's about two men proclaiming to be Ernest and they do it will all earnestness." *facepalm*

[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.

[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.