Oscar Wilde Satire

Oscar Wilde was an author, poet, and playwright in late Victorian England. Wilde was known for his wit and exuberant style. His unconventional writing is what drew many to his work, and many of his plays were well received. He spent the last three years of his life in exile after being imprisoned for “gross indecency”, and died in Paris, France from Meningitis at the age of 46. Among his last work before his death is The Importance of Being Earnest, a play in which Oscar Wilde delves into different aspects of Victorian society. The Victorian era was the time during Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901 in Great Britain. This time is often thought of as a time where society along with its rules were rigid and strict. Courtship was taken very seriously during this time. Special events were held when families believed their son or daughter was ready to be married off. This along with sexual restraint, etiquette, religion and a plethora of other things were greatly valued during this time . There were also things that specific social classes valued. For example,
Satire is a literary device that uses humor, exaggeration, irony etc to criticize something. This is usually done because the writer wants to bring awareness and/or change. The story is of John Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who create alter egos as a way to escape their lives. It eventually turns into their way of courting women. They both use the name Ernest, and try to win over two women who just so happen to love men with the name Ernest. The men have trouble balancing their double lives and eventually their stories of deception and disguise fall apart. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde satirizes courtship as well as manners within the Victorian society. He does this to display the selectiveness for things that are trivial. Wilde also highlights the hypocrisy of a society that emphasizes proper manners, however, lacks