The Importance of Being Earnest

First published in 1898, The Importance of Being Earnest is a play written by Oscar Wilde that takes place during the Victorian Era. It is a classic comedy of manners, in which two flippant young men in order to impress their respective beloveds, pretend that their names are "Earnest." The title of the play is described as a pun, since the word "Farnest" can be understood in two different ways. Firstly, "Farnest" can be understood in the sense of serious or honest. However, Ernest is also the name of the alter egos that the protagonists use to escape social and moral obligations. Apart from this, there are many other incidents that exhibit that the play was written for the purpose of social satire. Through farcical comedy, the dramatist has exposed the reality of the upper-class Victorian society and has shown their snobbery. Oscar Wilde has freely used techniques like epigrams, humor, paradoxes in an interesting manner that can never be said directly to the people. He has conveyed his message to his own people and showed them the mirror.