The Importance Of Being Earnest-Satire

To be a Victorian provokes the question whether if it is better to be or not to be. The Importance of Being Earnest is a play that uses satirical comedy to analyze aspects of society. Jack, Algernon, Cecily, Gwendolen, and Lady Bracknell are all over dramatized representations of the shallow, pretentious British upper class. Characters trade smart remarks, but they seem oblivious to the humor and absurdity of their statements. In The Importance of Being Earnest, the satire of an upper-class Victorian society can also be interpreted as Wilde humorously treating serious issues and conflicts that existed within Victorians to highlight the disadvantages of having such a posh society.
The issues that arise in The Importance of Being Earnest, apply to the author, Oscar Wilde’s, personal life. During his childhood, his mother was known for having lavish salons where Oscar could observe society. As he grew up he started to oppose many of the Victorian
What sets satire apart from other forms of social and political protest is humor. Satirists use irony and exaggeration to poke fun at human faults and foolishness in order to correct human behavior” (Applebee 584). Satire may rely more on understanding the target of the humor and thus tends to appeal to more mature audiences. However, in The Importance of Being Earnest, when Wilde used satire as a way to mock Victorian society it was frowned upon and ultimately banned in multiple theaters. The risks that Wilde took to make people come face to face with societal flaws is what makes The Importance of Being Earnest such an iconic piece in literature history. The play is filled with witty Victorian aphorisms and Wilde’s own brand of wisdom which show how the satire of an upper-class Victorian is Wilde humorously treating serious issues and conflicts that existed within Victorians to highlight the