The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedic play by Oscar Wilde, first performed in 1895. The story revolves around two main characters, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who both create fictional personas to escape social obligations and pursue romantic interests. Jack pretends to be a man named “Ernest” when in the city, which allows him the freedom to live a double life. Meanwhile, Algernon adopts the same false identity to woo Cecily, Jack’s ward. Their deceptions lead to a series of misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and witty exchanges.
As the plot unfolds, both men’s lies are exposed, but everything is humorously resolved when Jack discovers his real name is, in fact, Ernest. The play satirizes Victorian society, especially its values around marriage, class, and honesty, using sharp dialogue and irony. Wilde’s clever use of wordplay and absurd situations highlights the superficiality of social conventions and the triviality with which serious topics are treated, making the play a timeless and much-loved classic.
