The Importance of Being Earnest LRJ # 4

Absurdity:
"How absurd to talk of the equality of the sexes! Where questions of self-sacrifice are concerned, men are infinitely beyond us" (Wilde 175).

Wit:
"It is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking the truth" (Wilde 182).

Social Convetions:
"True. In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing" (Wilde 174).

Act III is probably the most humorous act of The Importance of Being Earnest, because of the absurdity, wit, and social conventions used by Oscar Wilde to comedic effect. The absurdity of the play is shown especially at the end of Act III, when Jack finds out that he is really Ernest. "It is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking the truth" (Wilde 182). This incredibly ending is so unexpected and absurd that it's very funny.
Wit is another main tool of Wilde's to create humor, and this stays true in Act 3. One example is when Lady Bracknell is questioning Jack on the financial holdings of his ward, to which Jack says, "Oh, about a hundred and thirty thousand pounds in the Funds. That is all" (Wilde 178). Jack knows how important money is to Lady Bracknell, so his witty response is very funny.
Finally, Oscar Wilde continues to ridicule the social conventions of the Victorian era in Act III. The main target of Wilde's mocking satire is the extreme importance placed on being of high status in society. Lady Bracknell embodies this importance, and she often stresses it, "Never speak disrespectfully of society, Algernon. Only people who can't get into it do that." (Wilde 179). Lady Bracknell's over-the-top snottiness contributes a lot of humor in Act III.