The Importance of Being Earnest
Dramaturgy Resources
Originally prepared by Sophia Goodner
Table of Contents
1.
Wild for Oscar Wilde
2.
The Show and Characters
3.
Respectable Productions
4.
The Victorian Era
5.
A Little Etiquette
1.
Basics
2.
Breaches of Etiquette
6.
Courting and Marriage
7.
Women and Men: The Victorian Expectations
8.
Bibliography
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Wilde for Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland on October 16, 1854. Son of an
esteemed doctor, his father, and poet, his mother, Wilde began his childhood
with a love for the classics. He graduated from Oxford after excelling in his
studies of the classics (such as Greek and Roman literature.) Afterwards, he
moved to London and began to write poetry.
While his first collection, simply titled Poems, was moderately received, the
work labeled him as an emerging writer. After 2 tours of lectures, one in America and one in the United
Kingdom, Wilde married Constance Lloyd, a wealthy English woman, in 1884.
They had two
children, Cyril and Vyvyan. In 1981, A Picture of Dorian Gray was published; it was Wilde’s first and only
novel.
The novel was a perfect example of the aesthetic movement. It was an art and literature theory that a
work should aspire for beauty for its own pleasure. Aestheticism promoted beauty in art for the sake of
enjoyment, rather than promote any social/political theme or reform. After his novel, Wilde wrote
many plays, most which were less successful, until his four comedic plays: Lady Windermere’s Fan, A
Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest. All were successful,
though The Importance of Being Earnest had some negative reactions due to the portrayal of the rich.
In 1891, after A Picture of Dorian Gray was published, Wilde met Lord Alfred ‘Bosie’ Douglas. Douglas
was familiar with Wilde’s work and the two began an affair. Douglas’s father did not approve of the
relationship whatsoever and left a calling card for Wilde, accusing him of being a sodomite. Wilde,
against his friends’ advice, sued him for libel. This backfired spectacularly and Wilde dropped the charges
before once again being put on trial for ‘gross indecency.’ Being
gay was a crime at the time, and Wilde was eventually imprisoned
and bankrupt. He ran to France, living with friends, and did not
write much during his final years. He was briefly untied with
Douglas, though the two were soon separated when both of their
families threatened to cut them off if their relationship continued.
Wilde died of meningitis November 30, 1900.
4
The Show and Characters
The Importance of Being Earnest is the story of two friends,
Jack and Algernon, attempting to win the ladies of their
dreams by using the persona of Earnest. They hide behind
the persona and confusion ensues because both of the women
believe they are marrying this Earnest. There are a plethora
of characters in this show, such as:
Jack/John/Earnest Worthing: One of the main protagonists of the show, Jack leads a
double life between the city and the country side. In the country, he is Jack and in the city,
he is Earnest. Jack was found in a handbag in a train station, eventually becoming
guardian to the granddaughter of the man who found him. He is in love with Gwendolen.
Algernon Moncrieff: The other main protagonist of the show. A charming, selfish, and
surprisingly smart young rich man, Algernon is the best friend of Jack and nephew of
Lady Bracknell. He is also the cousin of Gwendolen.
Gwendolen Fairfax: She is in love with Jack, but whom she knows as Earnest. She is
pretentious, smart, and the perfect model of high fashion and society. She is obsessed with
marrying someone named Earnest. She is the daughter of Lady Bracknell and the cousin
of Algernon.
Cecily Cardew: Cecily is in love with Algernon, whom she knows as Earnest. She is Jack’s
ward and she is obsessed with wickedness. This, over the name Earnest, is what pulls her
to Algernon and his Earnest alter ego. She is one of the most ‘realistic’ characters in the
show.
Lady Bracknell: A snob of the highest degree, Lady Bracknell is the domineering aunt of
Algernon and the mother of Gwendolen. She is the personification of aristocratic
hypocrisy.
Miss Prism: Cecily’s governess. She has puritan beliefs, loving Jack for his believed
properness, and hating his ‘brother’ for his wild behavior.
Rev. Canon Chasuble: The rector on Jack’s country estate. He holds feelings for Miss
Prism and is approached by both of the leading men so they can be christened Earnest.
Lane: Algernon’s manservant. He is the only one who, at the beginning of the play,
knows about Algernon’s fake friend ‘Bunbury.’
Merriman: Butler on Jack’s country estate
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Respectable Productions
The Importance of Being Earnest has been performed since 1895. Many companies
have tackled the show, but there have been a few notable productions
and movies made.
The First Production: The first production of “The Importance of
Being Earnest” was performed on February 14, 1895. At the time,
Oscar Wilde’s previous play, “An Ideal Husband,” was still being
performed to full houses a few blocks away. The show was a huge success, the audience
giving a standing ovation and calling for Wilde to bow. Wilde refused, as he was avoiding
Alfred Douglas’s father, who had begun to publicly
antagonize Wilde. Wilde was arrested for ‘gross indecency’
on April 5. The show pulled his name from the program
and advertising for the show, but ultimately closed on May 8
after a drastic collapse.
At the Globe (now Gielgud) Theatre in 1939: This
production was directed by John Gielgud, who also performed the role of Jack. At the time,
the show was deemed the defining production of the show in the 20th Century. Gielgud
stayed very true the text, with extravagant costumes and set, leading to an overwhelmingly
good reception. The show was cast with many of the notable British actors at the time,
including Edith Evans, whose delivery of “a hand bag” has been imitated countless times.
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Edith Evans then reprised her role of Lady Bracknell in the 1952 movie adaption. Lord
Alfred Douglas attended the production, which excited Gielgud for the possibility of insight,
but Douglas proved to be a disappointment. He did not remember the staging of the
original production and claimed that many of the ‘best’ lines in the show were his.
Talawa Theatre Company, 1989: The Talawa Theatre company performed the first
production of the play with an all black cast. The director, Yvonne Brewster, made no
changes to the script to make it ‘blacker,’ believing the show was relevant to all classes of
people in Britain. In everything but the ethnicity of the actors, the play was incredibly true
to the original text. It was a smashing success with the public and critics, showing
Brewster’s vision was most certainly correct. In 1992, an all black cast
film adaption of the play was made as well.
Film Adaptations: Adapted for film and directed by Anthony Asquith,
the 1952 adaption of the play is one of the best known versions. Edith
Evans, the aforementioned Lady Bracknell, reprised her role in the
movie. In 2002, there was another movie adaption made, directed by
Oliver Parker. This starred Colin Firth as Jack, Judi Dench as Lady Bracknell, Reese
Witherspoon as Cecily, as well as Rupert Everett as Algernon. The film
included scenes that had been in Wilde’s original script before being cut
out. It was ultimately received moderately, people enjoying the
performance of the cast but not some of the directorial choices.
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The Victorian Era
The Victorian era is how the reign of Queen Victoria, from 1837-1901, is
referred to. The era is defined by its prude and hypocritical social values,
shared by the middle class and the noble. The middle class was growing,
leading to many in the middle class trying to rise up through the ranks by
acting proper.
Or by being earnest, considering to be earnest means to be serious
and show intense conviction. However, there is much more the
Victorian era than their social class system and the hypocrisy
within. During the Victorian era there were major steps forward in
democracy, economics, and medicine. They also continued their
imperialistic regime in India and South Asia.
Deeply religious and very unequal in
education of the sexes, the Victorian era was full of conservative hypocrisy, the nobles
treating the ‘respectable’ ladies right, but would turn around and sleep around with women
they considered ‘whores’ or ‘dirty.’
Victorian Morality was an important part of their culture at the time. They praised being
sexually restrained, having a low tolerance of crime or immorality, as well as having a very
strict social code of conduct. How someone held themselves and presented themselves was
extremely important and heavily weighed in social circles. They had strict rules and
expectations, priding their virtue, whilst prostitution and child labor were widespread.
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Homosexuality was considered a crime worthy of harsh punishment at the time, though the
last person given the death penalty was around 1830. The upper class, not unlike some of
the rich in America today, believed they were born with divine right, the elite had to rule
society and keep the status quo. In the Victorian era, the rich were the most hypocritical of
them all, something “The Importance of Being Earnest” preys on.
A Little Etiquette
Etiquette and social graces were taught and well known
throughout high society in Britain. Being able to be respectful
and proper was an important part of the culture of the elite.
There are rules for almost every aspect of the day, but here are
the basics of British
Etiquette:
1. You must be gentle and patient
2. Never act or speak in anger or with a hostile tone
3. Silence is often more valuable than speech
4. Speak with a gentle voice
5. Say kind/pleasant things when the opportunity presents itself
6. Do not neglect the details if it could affect someone’s comfort
7. Deny yourself and prefer others
8. Beware of meddlers and tall tales
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There are also many breaches in etiquette that one must be aware of:
1.
Removing one’s gloves before making a formal call
2.
Staring around the room
3.
To touch or open the piano of the hostess one is waiting for
4.
Entering the room of invalid without invitation
5.
Looking at your watch when calling
6.
Walking around the room whilst waiting for the hostess
7.
Altering the arrangement of a room when visiting
8.
To have your back to another guest
9.
To not pay attention to company and/or playing with ornaments in a room instead
10.
Staying around when the host/hostess is dressed to go out
11.
Making remarks about a caller who has just left
Etiquette and properness were important puritanical values of the British elite that could
make or break you in high society.
Courting and Marriage
In Victorian England, a woman was groomed to be the perfect wife and a man was taught
that courting a woman was his most important business
move.
Because a man would inherit all of a woman’s
property after marriage, they took courting extremely
seriously. When a couple was courting, they would begin
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simply by chatting, before going on walks and spending more time with each other once
mutual attraction was agreed upon. After they had cemented the relationship, marriage and
engagement were the next steps. While it was illegal to marry if you were under the age of
21 for a while, in 1823 things began to change. At that time, boys as young as 14 and girls
as young as 12 could marry without parental consent. Also, one wants to marry into their
own class. Marrying higher than your class and you were considered an upstart, aspiring
too high. To marry lower than your class was considered to be beneath you.
Intimacy was frowned upon during the early stages of the arrangement. To be too close
before engagement was not proper or respectable. However, once one is engaged, chaperones
are no longer needed and, in fact, the couple could hold hands in public.
On the honeymoon, the woman would often bring a friend along with her.
As the couple would leave for the honeymoon and silk slippers as well as
rice were thrown at their carriage. If a slipper landed on the carriage, it
meant good luck.
Marriage itself was important for women. Because of the sexist qualities of the time, there
was not way for a woman to truly thrive without getting married. It was, of course,
possible, but heavily frowned upon within society. Once a woman married, however, she
basically lost her identity and ceased to exist. This was in part because her husband got all
of her possessions, including any children they had. Marriage was not often for love either,
though people would eventually grow fond of each other and form bonds in that manner.
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Women and Men: Victorian Expectations
Roles for men and women were sharply defined during this time period.
Women no longer worked alongside their husbands and brothers, but
stayed home and attended to the domestic duties. Men and women would
come together for meals, but would rarely see each other during the day.
Some of the expectations for Victorian women were:

A woman must be knowledgeable in singing, dancing, music,
drawing, and modern languages.

A woman must not be too educated.

A woman was not supposed to focus on obtaining a husband.

Some expectations for Victorian men were:

A man must do his best to stay chaste until marriage, but if respectable he may
resort to a prostitute.

A man must take care of his family and work diligently to provide.

A man must be moral and just as well as lie spiritually, being honest and virtuous.
Both genders were expected to be knowledgeable within their class, but ignorant of the many
of the horrors (child labor, class separation, etc.) that surrounded them
daily. Women had a much harsher time than men, the expectation for
them to be pure and virtuous never truly being taken away, while a man
was free to sleep with prostitutes before marriage if he so wished.
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Bibliography
Oscar Wilde/Show Related:
Oscar Wilde Biography: An article on Oscar Wilde and his biography. A good
article, though it is more of an overview of his life.
Oscar Wilde: A site completely dedicated to Oscar Wilde, his life and works. Goes
into
good detail and depth.
Notable Productions: An article on different notable productions of “The
Importance of Being Earnest.” Includes the ones discussed above, as well as a few
others.
The First Production: An article from the same site above that talks about the first
production and what happened during its run.
Oscar Wilde - Reputations: A Biography documentary on Oscar Wilde. About an
hour long video.
Importance of Being Earnest: A video about Wilde, the play, as well as its
important plot points.
The Victorian Era/Etiquette:
The Victorian Era of British History: A documentary about the Victorian Era in
Britain. About two hours long, this has a detailed historical look at the Victorian
Era.
5 Ridiculous Victorian Rules: A humorous video that looks at the more ridiculous
rules within Victorian etiquette. Around five minutes in length.
History in Focus: A brief overview of the Victorian era and its progression
The Victorian Period: Another brief overview. This overview also has information
on the literature of the time.
Victorian England: A site that has information on specific sections, such as
medicine, technology, and imperialism during the Victorian era. It also has a brief
overview of the history.
Victorian Etiquette: A site completely dedicated to a ‘Victorian Family’ and the
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etiquette of the times. It goes into detail past basics, such as how to act when
visiting, at dinner, or at tea.
Courting and Marriage:
Courtship and Marriage in Victorian England: A lecture on marriage and
courtship by Jennifer Phegley in 2012. The clip is about an hour long and is a
video recording of her lecture.
The Victorian Era - Courtship: A site dedicated to Victorian era courtship and
marriage. Discusses wedding attire, the process of planning, as well as royal
weddings.
Historical Analysis - Women as “the Sex” During the Victorian Era: An article
about how women were seen sexually during marriage in the Victorian Era, as well
as the struggles of marriage for the woman.
Marriage in the Victorian Era Sucked: An article once again detailing the difficulties
of marriage. They also focus on women and the difficulties they specifically faced.
Courting the Victorian Woman: A site about how to correctly court and eventually
marry a Victorian woman.
The Victorian Era and Gender Expectations:
Gender in 19th Century Britain: A video in which Kathryn Hughes discusses
gender roles in Victorian England.
Gender Roles in the 19th Century: The article where Kathryn Hughes discusses
gender roles. It is similar to the video, but definitely worth reading.
Victorian Ideals: This articles discusses the ideals for men and women. It also talks
about how these ideals are shown in “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
Separate Spheres: This article discusses the heavy separation between women and
men during the Victorian era. It also discusses the expectations of both genders.
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