In ‘The Important of Being Earnest’, Oscar Wilde’s ridiculing representation of Victorian Society comments on the ridiculous behavior of the Victorian Society’s inability to recognise the difference between important and unimportant issues. Therefore, Oscar Wilde subverts Victorian values to mock and imply triviality and superficiality. Wilde forces the audience to rethink the importance of their life and how they act while also scrutinizing the ignorance of the characters in upper class society through mocking their morals and obsessive fascinations. Wilde’s uses the inversion of what isn’t serious and what is to ridicule Victorian Society. Despite this, Wilde wanted to create something beautiful and superficial. Hence, it would be more accurate to say everything in the play is presented as superficial so perhaps there isn’t a message that needs to be taken seriously.
It could be argued that everything in the play is presented as superficial and doesn’t need to be taken seriously as Wilde was interested in art for art’s sake and uses Algernon as his mouth piece, so he is the character we are supposed to pay attention to. However, he has no moral convictions at all. He recognises no duty other then the responsibility to live beautifully. Algernon regards Lane’s views on marriage as ‘somewhat lax’ after Lane remarks casually that he believes it to be ‘a very pleasant state’. Algernon is stating Lane’s views on marriage to be careless. Yet Until Algernon meets and falls in love with Cecily, he has very cynical views on marriage. Surely, the fact he can change his opinion on marriage so suddenly and drastically make it difficult to take him or the play seriously. According to Andrew Scott ‘comic identity, is conceived as a means of r…
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…ctually acquires any of the qualities of earnestness. Furthermore, the fact Cecily is so serious about her diary and her relationship with Ernest makes it almost superficial. Overall this indicates that the name Ernest isn’t a very serious matter however, at times taken out of proportion as ultimately it is a very superficial matter taken very serious.
To conclude I don’t think the play “The Importance of Being Ernest” should be taken seriously as Wild was interested in art for artsake and beauty. Wilde satirises Victorian Society by inverting serious matters and vise versa. This allows Wilde to comment on to nature of Victorians values and traditional morals by making the audience see them as superficial. The subtitle of the play is “a trivial comedy for serious people.” Overall sums up that the play should not be taken seriously and instead enjoyed for its humour.
