Essay On The Importance Of Being Ernest

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The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde was originally penned in the late 1800s, but continues to be a well-loved play, even in the 21st century. This play centers around Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who wind up getting into a tricky situation when they both decide to take on the pseudonym “Ernest,” Jack’s fictitious brother. Both men use this pseudonym when pursuing two different females, with leads to confusion and humorous results. When Gwendolen Fairfax, Algernon’s cousin, meets Cecily Cardew, Jack’s ward, and they both claim to be in love with Ernest Worthing, the men must straighten things out, tell the truth, and make amends in order to keep the girls they fancy.
For the most part, this play appears to have been written for entertainment, but it is also written as an amusing lesson on honesty and being true to oneself. Jack and Algernon learn through comical circumstances that pretending to be someone you are not is not the best way to go about meeting and impressing people. Fortunately for the two men, their women are understanding, once everything gets straightened out, but the play still highlights the foolishness that develops from their lack of genuineness. The title “The Importance of Being …show more content…
Cecily and Gwendolen have no idea that “Ernest” is just a pseudonym, yet both are enthralled with the name and the person whom they believe belongs to it. Both women separately state their specific love of the name “Ernest” in front of the person they believe to be Ernest, yet unbeknownst to them, neither man is actually born Ernest. This whole situation is an example of dramatic irony, because the audience gets to watch the whole ordeal unfold. Additionally, in another strange turn of events, the end of the play reveals that Jack was originally christened “John Ernest,” which surprises the whole group in a burst of situational irony, which contributes to the plot and moral

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