Oscar Wilde creates a world full of whit, sarcasm, and wealth in his play The Importance of Being Earnest. Wilde's skillful writing pokes fun at the all-too-serious members of the elite British upper-class, and proves that to be earnest or Ernest, should not necessarily be a sought-after trait. It is through clever puns, an always-twisting plot, and light-hearted criticisms of Victorian aristocracy that Wilde achieves truly sharp humor that creates a whirlwind of laughter throughout his audience. .
The relationship between being earnest and being called Ernest is a major comic relief in the play. This simple play on words is most vibrant when Cecily and Gwendolen both confide to Algernon and Jack (who were both posing as Ernest at the time) that they have always wanted to love a man named Ernest. Both girls feel that their true soul mate can only be a man called Ernest. It seems rather ridiculous that a true dreamer (Cecily) and an awfully flirtatious lady (Gwendolen) need a man who's sole characteristic is that he is named after a word that denotes seriousness. It is through Lady Bracknell's character that earnestness is shown as an undesirable trait. Lady Bracknell applies her earnestness to the more trivial things in life. This is evident in her quest for a "proper" suitor for her daughter Gwendolen. Lady Bracknell is quite diligent in her search. However, when her nephew Algernon informs her that he cannot dine in her company due to his dying friend Bunbury, Lady Bracknell decides that Bunbury needs to decide when he is going to die and just get it over with because his suffering is tempering with her arrangements. As Jack and Gwendolen, and Algernon and Cecily find love, Lady Bracknell is still miserable and alone. Thus proving that earnestness is simply useless, while love and playfulness invokes happiness. .
The layers of irony that exist within the plot alone of The Importance of Being Earnest provides for some laughs as well.
