As the first act comes to a rather confusing end, John and Algernon reveal the secret of the play; nothing is exactly as it seems. The Importance of Being Earnest is a highly exaggerated play called a farce, which revolves around the plot of two available bachelors who find themselves in an unusually complicated “love knot.” The characters John and Algernon pretend to be people that do not truly exists. The plot never ceases to stop and continually adds to the already large knot these two gentlemen have developed.

In this late Nineteenth Century play, Oscar Wilde presents a story full of suspense but also light enough to merely be enjoyed. As the plot progresses, the audience wonders what Wilde will say next. The whole play is built upon a foundation of irony in which the characters talk highly of moral issues but lack these in and of themselves. This is simply adding comedy to the play as we watch each character add something to the knot that is carefully being woven.

Wilde has skillfully constructed what can be classified as a well-made play. The four characteristics that determine a well-made play

The third characteristic of a well-made play is shown in the realism of the setting. The characters seem to be of the upper class and very wealthy. Their house and costumes also express this. Gwendelon is dressed very elegantly being from the city and living a prestigious life there. On the other hand, Cecily is in the country and although also well off, her clothing is a bit different than Gwendelon’s because she is in the country.

Algernon is also a man who is very well off. The play provides some comic relief in highlighting the fuss he makes over senseless things such as the finger foods they are going to eat. This exaggerates the idea that the upper class often emphasizes small petty things. He too has seemingly inherited a large sum of money from his father who has also passed away. In addition, his aunt who seems to take care of him is also expensively dressed and practices the proper behaviors a lady of the upper class should.

The third characteristic allows a sense of realism to the play. The authentic, contemporary costumes and settings lure the audience into believing that their lives and their problems are being presented. The realism of the play allows the stage to be an open window into the lives of the characters which causes a sense of connection between the audience and the performers.

Each character is very important to the play and the continuance of the plot. Without John’s inventive story of a brother named Ernest, the whole knot would never have been tied. The friend Algernon causes some of the confusion to magnify the size of the knot that was created by John’s “white lie.” The girls, Gwendelon and Cecily, give the plot an extra twist because they both fall in love with Ernest and will only marry a man named Ernest, yet neither know or even suspect that there really isn’t an Ernest. Algernon’s aunt, Lady Bracknell, is the blocking figure. Her motive is to prevent the marriage of her daughter Gwendelon to John, known as Ernest. Lady Bracknell is also the ”deus ex machina” because in the last act of the play, she is the one that starts to put all the details together to slowly cause the untying of the knot Wilde skillfully created.

The irony of this play tells a very good lesson. John tried to live a life that was a lie. He had to continuall

Some topics in this essay:
Lady Bracknell, John Algernon, Ernest Lastly, Oscar Wilde, Importance Earnest, Miss Prism, Gwendelon Cecily, , Reverend Chasuble, upper class, lady bracknell, Gwendelon John, john algernon, middle class, well-made play, upper middle, upper middle class, upper class characters, simulating upper, named ernest, class characters, miss prism, simulating upper middle, play dialogue simulating, play simple plot,