The Importance of Being Earnest

1. The Importance of Being Earnest A look at Victorian ideals.

2. Oscar Wilde • Born October 16, 1854 in Dublin • Educated at Trinity College and Oxford • Famous for flamboyant dress, contempt of conventional values and belief in aestheticism • Married Constance Lloyd in 1884 • Did not hide his homosexuality

3. Aestheticism • Embraced the idea of art for the sake of beauty and beauty alone. • Characterised by the attitude of making "art for art's sake”. • Belongs to the anti-Victorian reaction and had post-Romantic roots. • Took place in the late Victorian period from around 1868 to 1901, and is generally considered to have ended with the trial of Oscar Wilde.

4. Wilde’s Downfall • The end began when Wilde met Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie) • Had a homosexual affair from 1891 – his death in 1900. • Was put on trial for homosexual acts. Being gay was not a crime, the sexual act itself was. • Trial brought by Bosie’s homophobic father (Queensberry).

5. The Court Case • Bosie (protected by his powerful family) was never charged. • Only names mentioned were those of working class. Names of upper class were written if necessary but never revealed. • Case allegedly was partly to redirected attention away from Queensberry’s older brother who was having an affair with Philip Primrose who would later become Prime Minister. • Government punished Wilde to appease Queensberry.

6. The Punishment • Wilde sentenced to two years imprisonment in Pentonville Prison. • Spent 23 hours a day in a poorly ventilated cell and 1 hour exercising. Had very little human contact. • Allowed no photos, could only read The Bible and prayer books. • Food was unspeakable, bed was wooden boards.

7. The Rest of His Punishment • Left this prison 30 lbs lighter and in poor health. • Transferred to Wandsworth Prison. • Released in May 19, 1897. Was in falirly good health. • Immediately went to France and never returned to England.

8. The Final Years • Did not write again. • Drank heavily and begged money from friends. • Lived the rest of his life with Bosie. • Died on Nov 30th, 1900 at age 46. Believed that he died of meningoencephalitis complicated by chronic middle ear infection. • Left behind two sons: Vyvyan and Cyril.

9. The Victorian Era • Queen Victoria had the longest reign in British history. • Cultural, political, economic, industrial and scientific changes that occurred during her reign were remarkable. • When Victoria ascended to the throne, England was essentially agrarian and rural; upon her death, the country was highly industrialized and connected by an expansive railway network.

10. Queen Victoria • Born 1819 • Became queen at 18 • Reigned from 1837-1901 • Husband’s name was Albert. He died in 1861 and she mourned him for the rest of her life.

11. Victorian Prudery • It was improper to say "leg" in mixed company; instead, the preferred euphemism “limb” was used. • Verbal or written communication of emotion or sexual feelings was not acceptable so people instead used the language of flowers or food. • Alleged that tableclothes and bedskirts were created to cover “legs” of tables and beds. • More likely they were created to cover the shabbiness of the furniture.

12. Repression • Characterised by sexual repression. • Men's clothing is formal and stiff, women's is fussy and over-done. • Ankles are scandalous

13. Questions to Consider • How does dramatic irony create humor in The Importance of Being Earnest? Identify a handful of instances in which the audience members know more about what is going on than the characters on stage. Why does this create humor? • What is the role of textuality in this play—do letters and diaries have a stronger reliability or ring of truth than conversation? • Analyze the various times that the characters eat in this play, primarily the cucumber sandwiches and the muffins. Does eating serve a primarily social or anti-social function? • What role does duality play within the play? • Central to Wilde's life and art was the idea of the “dandy” as the embodiment of the heroic ideal as well as of the aesthetic temperament hostile to bourgeois sentiment and morality. Which of the characters in the play embodies this aesthetic principle and how? In other words, who is the dandy? • What elements of Victorian life is Wilde satirizing?