Rating: 
Summary: Is it Important to be Earnest?
Review: In Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest", he answers this question in the form of brilliant comedy. The play, full of witty dialogue such as Lady Bracknell's answer to her daughter's suitor saying he does smoke; "I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind."; says, yes, it is important to be Earnest. One of the more remarkable details of this play is in the title itself. While attending or reading the play, you learn, that the two heroine's of the piece, Gwendolyn and Cecily, are determined to marry men named Earnest; unfortunately, Jack wants to marry Gwendolyn, and Algernon would like to settle down with Cecily. What is the reasonable solution? To tell them that their name's are Earnest. However, Earnest is not only a name, but also a word meaning: an intensely serious state of mind. Why would Oscar Wilde choose the name Earnest for this seemingly ridiculous play anyway? Why ridiculous you may ask. The answer comes in not only the ingenious dialogue, but in the plot itself. Without giving away the entire story, one can say that the two main characters live, however innocent, deceptive lives and still end up with the fair maiden's in the end. One of them even ends up really being Earnest, to which he answers, "... it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but truth..." Wilde called his piece, "A trivial comedy for serious people." If the word earnest means serious and the play itself is joyfully absurd, this writer imagines that the characters in the play although exceptionally serious about themselves and their lives, they are trivial or ridiculous. In conclusion, I would say that this play is not only suited for the serious mind, this play is uproariously fun for all of us who appreciate good humor.
Rating:
Summary: Is it Important to be Earnest?
Review: In Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest", he answers this question in the form of brilliant comedy. The play, full of witty dialogue such as Lady Bracknell's answer to her daughter's suitor saying he does smoke; "I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind."; says, yes, it is important to be Earnest. One of the more remarkable details of this play is in the title itself. While attending or reading the play, you learn, that the two heroine's of the piece, Gwendolyn and Cecily, are determined to marry men named Earnest; unfortunately, Jack wants to marry Gwendolyn, and Algernon would like to settle down with Cecily. What is the reasonable solution? To tell them that their name's are Earnest. However, Earnest is not only a name, but also a word meaning: an intensely serious state of mind. Why would Oscar Wilde choose the name Earnest for this seemingly ridiculous play anyway? Why ridiculous you may ask. The answer comes in not only the ingenious dialogue, but in the plot itself. Without giving away the entire story, one can say that the two main characters live, however innocent, deceptive lives and still end up with the fair maiden's in the end. One of them even ends up really being Earnest, to which he answers, "... it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but truth..." Wilde called his piece, "A trivial comedy for serious people." If the word earnest means serious and the play itself is joyfully absurd, this writer imagines that the characters in the play although exceptionally serious about themselves and their lives, they are trivial or ridiculous. In conclusion, I would say that this play is not only suited for the serious mind, this play is uproariously fun for all of us who appreciate good humor.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: It is a brilliant play with joke and charm. From the beginning it is very complex and the relations are mixed up. You never know who is related to whom and figures are very characteristic. You never what will happen next. The play is written for his time very progressive and modern. The women are worried about the name of their engaged men and forget the real worth of human nature. Lady Bracknell wants her children only to marry with persons of higher society and doesn't carry about real love. I can recommend this funny play.
Rating:
Summary: A Side Splitting Comedy
Review: My father was never much of a reader, but after having told him I was planning to read this play, he confessed it was one of the few books he had read for his own enjoyment. I'm not surprised now, after reading it, to hear that it was also his very favorite. I was laughing practically non-stop from Jack's originating from a handbag, to the scene where all is discovered about their names. It's witty, charming, and absolutely brilliant. Plus, it's inexpensive and short, so if you aren't much of a reader, like my dear old dad, this is the book for you!
Rating:
Summary: Victorian prudery at its finest...NOT!
Review: Okay, so Oscar Wilde is never placed in context with the "world view" so many of us have of the Victorian era. This play, probably his finest, is a laugh out loud riot about two young men with a combined four identities, both searching for an honest, compassionate relationship with two equally shallow women. Wilde's wit is quick, sharp, and satiric, and holds up very well at the dawn of the Twenty-first century.
Rating:
Summary: The Importance of This Play
Review: One of Oscar Wilde's most famous works, this play is a must read for anyone that is even remotely interested in English theater at any level. "Comedy of Manners," Wilde's play is on the very shallow surface, a funny play that is full of some of his greatest epigrams. At a deeper level, this play is full of political commentary, social satire and a look at the upper class British of a hundred years ago. Using his world renound style and wit, Wilde, wrote a play that brought to light the majors flaws of the idle rich and the hypocracy that lived right on the surface of their every day lives. Often immitated but never surpassed, Wilde had a way with words and an ability to get to the heart of matters while protecting himself; by making the people he was pointing his finger at, laugh at themselves. This play should be bought, even if one has seen one of the many film versions, or a live revival of the show. The jokes are piled so thickly on top of each other, that in real time, it is imposible to catch everything, or to digest all of the deeper meanings that this play attempts to expose.
Rating:
Summary: The Importance of This Play
Review: One of Oscar Wilde's most famous works, this play is a must read for anyone that is even remotely interested in English theater at any level. "Comedy of Manners," Wilde's play is on the very shallow surface, a funny play that is full of some of his greatest epigrams. At a deeper level, this play is full of political commentary, social satire and a look at the upper class British of a hundred years ago. Using his world renound style and wit, Wilde, wrote a play that brought to light the majors flaws of the idle rich and the hypocracy that lived right on the surface of their every day lives. Often immitated but never surpassed, Wilde had a way with words and an ability to get to the heart of matters while protecting himself; by making the people he was pointing his finger at, laugh at themselves. This play should be bought, even if one has seen one of the many film versions, or a live revival of the show. The jokes are piled so thickly on top of each other, that in real time, it is imposible to catch everything, or to digest all of the deeper meanings that this play attempts to expose.
Rating:
Summary: Wit is stronger than appearances
Review: Oscar Wilde gives us in this play one of his best instance of humor, or would I say wit ? Every situation, every word, every piece of this dialogue is full of smartness and intelligence. The only aim of the play is to show us how absurd strict social canons are. Life is extremely more fun than the respect of such rules that destroy any kind of pleasure or happy turns of events. Good society is thus turned upside down and the best instance of such humorous antics is the fact that the son of a general was officially born in a handbag deposited in the cloakroom of Victoria Station, the Brighton Line. How ridiculous ! How funny, ah ah and funny, strange ! Oscar Wilde shows how vain all appearances are because appearances may hide deeper things that are of far more important value than these appearances. This play is thus a constant and perfect example of comedy. But in spite of this light appearance of the play, we can feel the deeper suffering of Oscar Wilde who is very serious about the absurdity of keeping up appearances instead of taking only character into account. In other words, this comedy is a sign of the total decay of such higher society that is nothing but a pretty face with nothing behind, nothing in the head or the brain. It is a call for a real society based on human values like love, truthfulness, faithfulness. All twists in the social fabric create unconceivable embroglios that lead to entanglements and other difficulties. Things would be so simple if men and women could just follow their inclinations and their deep sentiments. We also find in this comedy a deep marivaux-ian influence : Marivaux loved in his play to alter identities, but among girls, to test the love of men. Here it is the men who have altered identities and it leads to testing their ability at sacrificing such entangled situations for the love of a girl. There is also a strong recollection of Shakespeare who enjoyed turning his girls into boys in his comedies, but once again to test the love of men, to see without being seen, for women. Oscar Wilde, in the social setting of a Victorian society, is just as witty and funny as Shakespeare in say As you Like It, or say again A Midsummer Night's Dream. And life turns Aunt Augusta, alias Lady Bracknell into the ass of the fable. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan
Rating:
Summary: A Class Act!! Hilarious!!!
Review: Oscar Wilde here excels in wit. Its funnier that any piece ever written, or maybe funnier than anything I have ever encountered. The play is very interesting comedy of errors, full of hilarious suspense, and by the end, when everything falls into place, one happily bows to the Importance of being earnest. The dialogue is full of anecdotes worth citing, and trust me you would return to read this play more than once. Some examples to give you the flavor: ALGERNON The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility! or this dialogue: JACK Well, yes, I must admit I smoke. LADY BRACKNELL I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind. There are far too many idle men in London as it is. How old are you? JACK Twenty-nine. LADY BRACKNELL A very good age to be married at. I have always been of opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing. Which do you know? JACK [After some hesitation.] I know nothing, Lady Bracknell. LADY BRACKNELL I am pleased to hear it. I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone. The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square. What is your income? or maybe this one: JACK I have lost both my parents. LADY BRACKNELL To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness. or try this:) JACK Well, will you go if I change my clothes? ALGERNON Yes, if you are not too long. I never saw anybody take so long to dress, and with such little result. JACK Well, at any rate, that is better than being always over- dressed as you are. ALGERNON If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up for it by being always immensely over-educated.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant !
Review: Oscar Wilde is a master of comedy. "The Importance of Being Earnest" is the Saturday Night Live version of Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte. This is definitely a must-have!
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