Earnest Commentary

Jake Wythers
Ms. Johnson
10 IB Hour Five
5/19/09
The Importance of Being Earnest Commentary
Jack. You are certainly not staying with me for a whole week as a guest or anything else.
You have got to leave... by the four-five train.
Algernon. I certainly won’t leave you so long as you are in mourning. It would be most
unfriendly. If I were in mourning you would stay with me, I suppose. I should think it
very unkind if you didn’t.
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.

In this passage from The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde’s purpose is to create humor to entertain the audience. Wilde achieves his purpose through usage of satire of Victorian conventions, conflict in dialogue, and wit.
The main way that Oscar Wilde creates humor in The Importance of Being Earnest in this passage and throughout the entire play is by satirizing the ridiculously over politeness of 19th century Victorian society. In this passage, he mocks these conventions with a disagreement between Jack and Algernon. Jack and Algernon always speak to one another with great politeness, here Jack courteously requests for Algernon’s departure, “ You are certainly not staying with me for a whole week as a guest or anything else. You have got to leave, by the four-five train,” to which Algernon just as courteously declines, “I certainly won’t leave you so long as you are in mourning. It would be most unfriendly.” (Wilde 155). This satires Victorian conventions because even though Algernon has done Jack a great insult by coming to his home in the country, both parties remain excessively polite to one another. The absurdity of this satire of manners is what is funny to the audience.
Another method that Wilde uses to create humor in this passage of The Importance of Being Earnest is by showing conflict through dialogue. Conflict, and insults in particular, are usually entertaining to the audience. In this passage, Algernon mocks Jack’s appearance, “I never saw anybody take so long to dress, and with such little result.” (Wilde 155). This dialogue is funny to the audience because of the conflict and insults that Jack and Algernon trade.
A final technique that Wilde uses to entertain and amuse the audience in this passage of The Importance of Being Earnest is wit. The characters Algernon and Jack often rebuke each other with witty remarks. In this passage, Algernon retorts Jack’s insult by saying, “If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up for it by being always immensely over educated.” (Wilde 155). This response of Algernon creates humor for the audience because of the wit he shows.
Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest is often very funny and entertaining to the audience. In this passage, his purpose was to amuse the audience with this humor. He achieved his purpose by using satire, conflict in dialogue, and wit.