SP Publications

International Journal Of English and Studies (IJOES)

An International Peer-Reviewed Journal ; Volume-3, Issue-5, 2021
www.ijoes.in ISSN: 2581-8333; Impact Factor: 5.421(SJIF)

RESEARCH ARTICLE
A Victorian Farcical Comedy: Social Satire in Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being
Ernest”
____________________________________________________________________________
Nynu V Jamal
Assistant Professor
Al Azhar College of Arts and Science, Thodupuzha
____________________________________________________________________________
Abstract and satirizes the concepts of marriage,
The Importance of Being Ernest is a farcical wealth and family heritage.
Victorian play that satirizes the rigid norms
and conventions of the Victorian era. The The Importance of Being Ernest, A
paper tries to explicitize the various ways in Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a
which the author uses the play as a means farce or a “comedy designed to provoke the
to mock at the societal norms of the era, audience to simple hearty laughter-“belly
especially the concepts like marriage, class laughs”, in the parlance of the theatre”
and wealth. (Abrams 98). The beauty of the title of the
play resides in its satirical significance
which is maintained till the end of the play.
Both the satirical and farcical elements are
Keywords: farce, satire, earnest, Victorian a deliberate incorporation of Wilde to recoil
era, norms the conventional inefficiencies of the
Victorian era.
Oscar Wilde is an Irish poet and
playwright who is best known for his
epigrams. He is a proponent of Oscar Wilde elucidates on the
Aestheticism, the movement of nineteenth Victorian society with all its rigid
century that argued that art should exist for conventions. He tries to cover each and
art’s sake. His only novel The Importance every aspect of Victorian men’s
of Being Ernest (1895) is a farcical comedy mannerisms and behavior. He considers it
deliberately plotted to mock at the as his responsibility to make the audience
Victorian mannerisms and responsibilities aware about the foolish behavior of the
as well as the deceitful ways that the public. As an individual, literature is his
manipulate themselves to escape the best means to use the weapon ‘satire’ to
burdensome social obligations. The play attack the rigidity of the period. According
focuses on the different Victorian norms to Molly Ivins, “Satire is traditionally the
weapon of the powerless against powerful”

ISSN: 2581-8333 Copyright © 2021 SP Publications Page 163

SP Publications
International Journal Of English and Studies (IJOES)
An International Peer-Reviewed Journal ; Volume-3, Issue-5, 2021
www.ijoes.in ISSN: 2581-8333; Impact Factor: 5.421(SJIF)

RESEARCH ARTICLE
(Ivins, 67). All the characters in the play also satirizes on the illogical concepts of
directly or indirectly contribute to the marriage. Disregarding the love of her
objective of the playwright. Even the daughter she enquires Jack about his
simple elements, including the title, indicate family, wealth and belongings, and objects
the brilliant use of satire. A satire is “the the relationship on the single fact that he is
literary art of diminishing or derogating a an orphan. She opposes the marriage
subject by making it ridiculous and between Algernon and Cecily too until she
evoking” (Abrams, 297). comes to know that she is the heiress of a
great fortune. Thus, it is shown that the
Jack Worthing who lives in
concept of Victorian marriage is confined
Hertfordshire creates a fictional invalid
within the walls of families and wealth.
Ernest Worthing in order to escape the
responsibilities of his country life. The very When Algernon confronts Jack with
action shows both the rigid societal his personal cigarette case with the
expectations of the Victorian era and the inscription, “From Little Cecily, with her
deception of men. Though they are abided fondest love to her dear Uncle Jack”, Jack
by the rules of the period, they somehow blames Algernon’s action as
want to get rid of them. Jack flees into “ungentlemanly”. Even in the midst of lies
London frequently claiming that his and deceptions, Jack expects codes of
(imaginary) brother Ernest Worthing has conduct from his fellow beings. Wilde
been accused of his scandalous lifestyle and showcases the mentality of the Victorian
he is called by the people there. And public in a sarcastic manner.
reaching the town, he changes himself to
The vast distinction between the
Ernest Worthing and enjoys the so called
rich and the poor, the elite and the common,
scandalous life style. The fictional invalid
the urban and the rural are completely
of Algernon, Bunbury, too shows the
portrayed in the play. In this context, both
deceptive nature of Victorian men.
Jack and Bracknell are important. Jack’s
The institution of marriage is also attempts to get into the lives of the town
satirized through the play. Both Gwendolen folks give us the clear picture of extreme
Farifax and Cecily Cardew demand the opposite pole; one of complete freedom and
name Ernest for their husbands and make it the other burdensome. Lady Bracknell’s
clear that they wouldn’t have accepted the enquiries about Jack’s family highlight her
proposals of Jack and Algernon intention to connect to the family lineage so
respectively unless both of them were that she could identify the wealth and class
named as Ernest. The approach of Lady of the family. At the end of the play, when
Bracknell towards her daughter’s marriage she identifies that Jack is actually her

ISSN: 2581-8333 Copyright © 2021 SP Publications Page 164

SP Publications
International Journal Of English and Studies (IJOES)
An International Peer-Reviewed Journal ; Volume-3, Issue-5, 2021
www.ijoes.in ISSN: 2581-8333; Impact Factor: 5.421(SJIF)

RESEARCH ARTICLE
brother’s son, she whole heartedly accepts The importance of Being Ernest is a
him as her daughter’s husband. play that ridicules and satirizes the rigid
cultural norms of the Victorian era. Thus it
The play is a direct attack on the
shows the diversion of social orders by
Victorian society of strict rules and
making use of ridiculous standards, morals
conventions. It satirizes on the societal
and manners. All the characters exemplify
expectations of “being”. The very title itself
the different character traits of Victorian
is a satire. On different stages, Jack
people. The use of farce also intensifies the
Worthing, and even Algernon, realizes “the
satirical effect of the play.
importance of being Ernest”. It is important
to be Ernest for escaping from the boredom
of responsibilities; it is important to be
References
Ernest for wooing and marrying
Gwendolen; and finally, when he identifies Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary
himself as the son of Mr. Ernest John Terms. Centage Learning: Australia,
Moncrief, he “realized for the first time in 1957. Print.
my life the vital importance of being Ivins, Molly. Molly Ivins Can’t Say That,
Ernest” (89). At an instant, for Algernon Can She?. New York: Vintage
too, being Ernest is important. Thus the Books, 1991. Print.
name Ernest is used throughout the play to Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being
mock at the Victorian necessity of being an Ernest. New York: Samuel French,
earnest man. inc., 1895. Print.

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