The Importance of Being Earnest

By Oscar Wilde

The Importance of Being Earnest is a witty and satirical play by Oscar Wilde that has entertained audiences for over a century. This edition features the original text and a beautifully designed cover. Follow the hilarious misadventures of two friends as they navigate the complexities of Victorian society and love.

• Portrays Wilde's examination of societal norms and pretensions.
• Features unforgettable characters.
• Includes masterful use of language, with clever puns, double entendre, and sparkling dialogue.
• Humorously exposes the hypocrisy and absurdity of rigid social conventions.
• A timeless classic that will delight and entertain readers of all ages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fingerprint Publishing
• Release date: Apr 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9789354408847

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

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 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 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 is nonsense!

Algernon. It isn’t. It is a great truth. It accounts for the extraordinary number of bachelors that one sees all over the place. In the second place, I don’t give my consent.

Jack. Your consent!

Algernon. My dear fellow, Gwendolen is my first cousin. And before I allow you to marry her, you will have to clear up the whole question of Cecily. (Rings bell.)

Jack. Cecily! What on earth do you mean? What do you mean, Algy, by Cecily! I don’t know any one of the name of Cecily.

(Enter Lane.)

Algernon. Bring me that cigarette case Mr. Worthing left in the smoking-room the last time he dined here.

Lane. Yes, sir. (Lane goes out.)

Jack. Do you mean to say you have had my cigarette case all this time? I wish

Reviews for The Importance of Being Earnest

[wanderlustlover_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Spring 2020 (March);
~ Live reading w/5 classes

I loved doing this satirical play with my class, and listening to them giggle as the train wreck of a cast train wrecked across the whole of this play. The whole of this play is a contrivance of satire against the upper class and, while I don't find that it has much depth with context research, I do like that one gets a few smiles out of the lunacy of the interactions even without knowing all of that.

[whatalicesaw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Chirp Audiobook

I loved this book as much as I loved it in college. Although the banter gets to be a little much towards the end, it left me wanting more. More Earnest, more Algernon.

[arkrayder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A quick, fun read.

[bodagirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was worried that I would miss the physical comedy of this play with only the audio, but the actors were able to convey some of it through their voices. I did appreciate how the listening to this version really made me focus on Wilde's playing with language.

[sarahlh-41506 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I probably should have expected a fair amount of silliness and slapstick based on it being a 'trivial comedy for serious people,' but que sera, sera. It was a quick, funny read nonetheless. The ending line was a bit on the nose, though, wasn't it?

[out1and1about · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read for book riot read harder challenge #6: Read a play by an author of color and/or queer author.
Funny play, I may check out a love performance of it. Not really much into reading plays, but hey, that’s why it’s a challenge right?

[amandanan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The wit! The snark! THIS is why I need to get my hands on more classics.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorites

[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.

[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. 9/10I 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.

[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.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So very thoroughly enjoyable!!!It has much of the same style of humor of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors, so if you enjoyed that, this is almost a guaranteed win.

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I felt I needed a lighter read, and this was time for a re-read of this classic play that I have loved since childhood, one of my all time favourites. Huge portions of the dialogue are imprinted on my mind, and I can hear and see the actors in the 1952 film version as I am reading. Wonderful stuff (though I still get Jack and Algernon mixed up in my mind, probably as they are both trying to be earnest!)

[regoodrich · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An entertaining play full of wit and charm. I found myself laughing out loud now and then, wearing a constant smile. I thoroughly enjoyed the absurd humor and cleverly entangled story line.

[andibook-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Okay, so this was both shorter and dumber than I thought it would be, as well as being a play instead of prose. It starts with a conversation between two friends, both of whom are guilty of bunburying -- having two identities, one in the country and one in the city, as an excuse to get out of things they don’t want to do. And of course, romantic hijinks ensue.I’m actually very happy I read this after a few books like Pride and Prejudice… it’s an absurd take on all those little misunderstandings, complicated family relations, and forbidden love triangles.Recommendation: Fans of absurdities and romantic comedies.Feels: Lighthearted, trivial, exaggerated.Favorites: The word “bunburying,” and the cucumber sandwiches.

[yvonne.sevignykaiser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This comedy reminds me of a episode of Friends.

Making fun of human nature at it's most ridiculous moments. It is a play about nothing just everyday moments.

I absolutely loved this theatre version of the play done by the LA Theatre company. Funny, Funny, Funny

[hemlokgang · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This drama is absolutely fantastic! It is fast-paced, wonderfully witty, replete with double entendres, and full of rapid about-faces. The moral of the story, of course, is never to forget "the importance of being ernest"!

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

I love this more with each rereading...

[booksfordinner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The single longest joke set-up in history. Brilliant.

[regularguy5mb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of my absolute favorite plays! I remember reading this in high school and instantly adoring the dialogue and the dry wit. And of course the nonsense.This particular copy is the same I had in high school, but I never read any of the supplemental material included. The most interesting of these was the original fourth act which was apparently never produced. Think of it as a series of deleted scenes, but the best is the scene where a creditor shows up looking for "Ernest" for the large debt he owes and gets mixed up in the name game Algernon and Jack are playing. It's a funny scene, but in the end unnecessary because the jokes are used earlier. It does explain Jack's later reference to the champagne Algy drinks, which isn't shown in the final version.There are also a series of critical reviews throughout the years, the first from George Bernard Shaw after the original performance. It's interesting reading.