Oscar Wilde was basically the original king of the "humble brag" and the "sub-tweet," except he did it with a fountain pen and a velvet suit in 1895. Honestly, if you pick up The Importance of Being Earnest, you aren't just reading a dusty Victorian play. You’re stepping into a high-speed masterclass in how to lie your way into a good marriage while eating too many muffins. It is arguably the funniest thing ever written in the English language.
But here is the thing. People usually call it a "trivial comedy for serious people." That’s Wilde’s own subtitle, and it’s a bit of a trap. He wanted us to laugh, sure, but he was also taking a massive, elegant swing at the fake morality of his era.
The Plot of The Importance of Being Earnest Is Pure Chaos
The story revolves around two wealthy bachelors: Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff. Jack lives in the country but has invented a "wicked" brother named Ernest so he can escape to London whenever he gets bored. He literally tells people he is going to visit Ernest. Meanwhile, Algernon lives in London and has invented an invalid friend named "Bunbury" who lives in the country. Whenever Algy wants to avoid a boring dinner party with his terrifying Aunt Augusta (Lady Bracknell), he just says Bunbury is having a relapse.
It's called Bunburying. We all do it. You’ve probably told a boss you had a "family thing" just to stay home and play video games. That is Bunburying.
The mess starts when Jack wants to marry Gwendolen Fairfax. Gwendolen is obsessed with the name Ernest. She says it "inspires absolute confidence." She won't marry anyone who isn't named Ernest. The problem? Jack isn't Ernest. Then Algernon goes to the country, pretends to be the fake brother Ernest, and falls for Jack’s ward, Cecily. Cecily also happens to be obsessed with the name Ernest.
It is a double-identity crisis wrapped in a cucumber sandwich.
Lady Bracknell and the Art of Being Terrifying
You can’t talk about The Importance of Being Earnest without mentioning Lady Bracknell. She is the final boss of Victorian society. When she finds out Jack was found as a baby in a handbag at Victoria Station, her reaction isn't pity. It’s "To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness."
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She represents everything Wilde hated and loved about the upper class. She is obsessed with money, lineage, and "the season." She’s a gatekeeper. But she gets the best lines. When she interrogates Jack about his suitability for her daughter, she asks if he smokes. He says yes. Her response? "I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind."
Wilde is flipping the script here. Smoking is a vice, but in this world, having a "vice" is better than being idle or—heaven forbid—being "earnest."
Why the Word "Earnest" Is a Massive Pun
The title is a giant joke. In the 1890s, being "earnest" was the ultimate Victorian virtue. It meant being serious, moral, and sincere. Wilde thought this was mostly a performance. He saw people pretending to be good while being incredibly judgmental and shallow.
So, he created a world where the only way to be happy is to be "Ernest" (the name) without being "earnest" (the trait). The characters are all liars. Jack and Algy are deceptive. Gwendolen and Cecily are shallow. And yet, they are the most likable people in the room because they aren't boring.
There is also a darker layer that scholars like Richard Ellmann have pointed out. In the gay subculture of 1890s London, "earnest" was sometimes used as a slang code for being "homosexual." By titling the play this way, Wilde was winking at a specific part of his audience while the rest of the crowd just thought it was a silly play about names.
The Muffin Scene and the Absurdity of Life
There is a moment in Act II where Jack and Algy are in a massive fight because their lies have been exposed. What do they do? They sit down and argue over who gets to eat the muffins.
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Jack is furious. He tells Algy it’s "perfectly heartless" to eat muffins while they are in such trouble. Algy’s response is gold: "Well, I can’t eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would probably get on my cuffs."
This is the essence of Wildean philosophy. When life falls apart, focus on the butter. Don't be "earnest" about your problems; be "earnest" about your tea cakes. It’s a middle finger to the idea that we have to be miserable just because things are complicated.
Why This Play Was Almost Wilde's Downfall
The play opened on February 14, 1895, at the St James's Theatre. It was a smash hit. But behind the scenes, drama was brewing that was way more intense than anything on stage. The Marquess of Queensberry—the father of Wilde’s lover, Lord Alfred Douglas—planned to throw a bouquet of rotting vegetables at Wilde during the curtain call.
Wilde found out and had the Marquess barred from the theatre. But this sparked the legal battle that eventually led to Wilde’s imprisonment for "gross indecency."
The play ran for only 86 performances before it was shut down due to the scandal. Wilde went from the most famous man in London to a prisoner in Reading Gaol. It’s heartbreaking to think that this play, which is so full of joy and light, was the beginning of the end for its creator.
Is It Still Relevant?
Totally. We live in the era of Instagram and TikTok, where everyone is "Bunburying" their lives. We curate our identities. We pretend to be things we aren't to fit into certain social circles.
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When Cecily says, "I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time. That would be hypocrisy," she is calling out every person who tries to look edgy on the internet while actually being totally conventional.
Wilde understood that human beings are naturally performative. We aren't just one thing. We are a collection of masks. The Importance of Being Earnest tells us that's okay. In fact, it’s better than being a boring, singular person.
The "Handbag" Moment
"A handbag?"
This is the most famous line in the play. When Lady Bracknell says it, she usually hits a high note of pure, aristocratic horror. It’s become a rite of passage for actresses. Edith Evans did it with a legendary, shivering vibrato. Judi Dench played it with a cold, terrifying stillness.
It’s funny because it’s so disproportionate. Jack’s entire life and origin story are dismissed because the "vessel" he was found in wasn't posh enough. It reminds us that society often judges the "container" rather than the "content."
How to Actually Apply Wilde’s Logic Today
If you want to live like a character in a Wilde play, you don't need a carriage or a butler named Merriman. You just need a specific mindset.
- Prioritize the Trivial: Don't stress the big stuff. Spend more time worrying about the quality of your coffee or the font on your resume than the "state of the world." It’s better for your mental health.
- Master the Epigram: Stop using boring clichés. Instead of saying "life is hard," try "Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about."
- Own Your Contradictions: You don't have to be consistent. You can be a vegan who loves leather boots. You can be a minimalist with a massive book collection. Consistency is the "hobgoblin of little minds," as Emerson said, but Wilde lived it.
- Learn to Bunbury: Create a "fake" commitment that allows you to have "real" time for yourself. Everyone needs a Bunbury.
Practical Steps for Getting More Into Wilde
- Watch the 2002 Movie: It has Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, and Judi Dench. It’s visually lush and captures the "chaos energy" of the script perfectly.
- Read the Stage Directions: Don't just read the dialogue. Wilde’s descriptions of how characters move and react are where half the humor lives.
- Check Out "The Picture of Dorian Gray": If you want to see the dark, gothic version of Wilde’s wit, read his only novel. It’s the "evil twin" to The Importance of Being Earnest.
- Visit the Oscar Wilde Statue in Dublin: If you’re ever in Ireland, go to Merrion Square. The statue is colorful, witty, and perfectly captures his smirk. It's a great spot to sit and think about absolutely nothing of importance.