The Importance Of Being Earnest Double Identity Essay

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Recommended: Various conclusions by different critics on Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance Of Being Earnest, a play by Oscar Wilde, is a comedy that satirizes numerous aspects of Victorian society. Wilde uses farcical elements, such as cigarette case and tea ceremonies to contribute to the plot as they earnestly criticize the social aspect of the society. In the first act, Wilde introduces the cigarette case to draw the audience's attention to the notion of double identities. The tea ceremonies highlight the significant conflicts and interactions among the characters, as well as the characters’ high social standings. The emphasis on both items develops the drama’s storyline through parodying the actions of the upper class in the Victorian era. In Act 1, the cigarette case is portrayed as a sealed box of secrets and …show more content…

On the outside, the cigarette case has a shiny surface but once the case is opened, all the dirty secrets are revealed. Similarly, Jack acquires a false identity in order to pursue pleasure without impacting his personal appearance. Jack explains to Algernon that, “in order to get up to town I have always pretended to have a younger brother of the name of Earnest, who lives in the Albany, and gets into the most dreadful scrapes,”(Wilde 10). Jack has the freedom to create and use his double identity to give himself the opportunity to express different aspects of his character without receiving judgment from the society. The cigarette case is a significant prop in the play since it accurately reflects Jack’s deceptive outward appearance to the …show more content…

Major conflict arises when Cecily and Gwendolyn discover that they share lovers. Both characters feel anger towards each other, but they can’t openly express it. Consequently, tea and food become part of a polite ‘war’ between the ladies. For instance, Gwendolen declines sugar on the grounds that it is no longer fashionable, but Cecily “looks angrily at her, takes up the tongs and puts four lumps of sugar into the cup,”(Wilde 45). Cecily’s actions reflect the frustration and aggression that ladies of elite status have been taught they are unable to

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