the life and works of oscar wilde

TABLE OF CONTENTS
About ATC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction to the Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Synopsis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Meet the Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Biography of Oscar Wilde. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Life and Works of Oscar Wilde. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Aestheticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Historical Context. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Victorian Etiquette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Terminology – Slang in Victorian England. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
References and Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Wilde Witticisms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Discussion and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Oscar Wilde, 1882. Photo by Napoleon Sarony.
The Importance of Being Earnest Play Guide written and compiled by Katherine Monberg, Literary Associate, and Natasha Smith, Artistic Intern.
Discussion questions and activities provided by April Jackson, Education Manager, and Amber Tibbitts and Bryanna Patrick, Education Associates.
SUPPORT FOR ATC’S EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY:
APS
JPMorgan Chase
The Lovell Foundation
Arizona Commission on the Arts
John and Helen Murphy Foundation
The Marshall Foundation
Bank of America Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
The Maurice and Meta Gross Foundation
Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona
Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation
City of Glendale
PICOR Charitable Foundation
The Stocker Foundation
Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
Rosemont Copper
Cox Charities
Stonewall Foundation
The William L. and Ruth T. Pendleton
Memorial Fund
Downtown Tucson Partnership
Target
Tucson Medical Center
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
The Boeing Company
Tucson Pima Arts Council
Ford Motor Company Fund
The Donald Pitt Family Foundation
Wells Fargo
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation
The Johnson Family Foundation, Inc.
A
ABOUT ATC
Arizona Theatre Company is a professional, not-for-profit theatre company. This means all of our artists, administrators and production staff are paid
professionals, and the income we receive from ticket sales and contributions goes right back into our budget to create our work, rather than to any
particular person as a profit.
Each season, ATC employs hundreds of actors, directors and designers from all over the country to create the work you see on stage. In addition, ATC currently
employs about 100 staff members in our production shops and administrative offices in Tucson and Phoenix during our season. Among these people are
carpenters, painters, marketing professionals, fundraisers, stage directors, computer specialists, sound and light board operators, tailors, costume designers, box
office agents, stage crew – the list is endless – representing an amazing range of talents and skills.
We are also supported by a Board of Trustees, a group of business and community leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to assist the theatre in
financial and legal matters, advise in marketing and fundraising, and help represent the theatre in our community.
Roughly 150,000 people attend our shows every year, and several thousand of those people support us with charitable contributions in addition to purchasing
their tickets. Businesses large and small, private foundations and the city and state governments also support our work financially.
All of this is in support of our vision and mission:
OUR VISION IS TO TOUCH LIVES THROUGH THE POWER OF THEATRE.
Our mission is to create professional theatre that continually strives to reach new levels of artistic excellence and that resonates locally, in the state of Arizona
and throughout the nation. In order to fulfill our mission, the theatre produces a broad repertoire ranging from classics to new works, engages artists of the
highest caliber, and is committed to assuring access to the broadest spectrum of citizens.
The Temple of Music and Art, the home of ATC shows in downtown Tucson.
The Herberger Theater Center, ATC’s performance venue in downtown Phoenix.
1
INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAY
The Importance of Being Earnest – By Oscar Wilde – Directed by Stephen Wrentmore
Trouble is brewing in a refined London bachelor flat! In Oscar Wilde’s endlessly delightful and most beloved classic, Jack is
in love with Gwendolen, Algernon is in love with Cecily, but Gwendolen and Cecily are both in love with Ernest – who in fact
does not exist. In a tangle of mistaken identity and delicious wordplay, the lovers also face the indomitable force of Lady
Bracknell. Full of sparkling wit, satirical humor at every turn, and sprinkled with provocation, ATC presents one of the most
adored and enduringly popular plays of all time, brought to new life with ATC’s panache.
SYNOPSIS (SPOILER ALERT!)
The play begins in the fashionable London bachelor flat of Algernon “Algy” Moncrieff, as he discusses preparations with his butler,
Lane, for a social visit from his aunt. John “Jack” Worthing, known to everyone in London by the name of Ernest, arrives. Algy
reveals to Jack, whom he believes to be named Ernest, that he is in possession of Jack’s lost cigarette case, but insists that it must
belong to someone else because of an engraving which gifts it to a man named Jack. Jack admits to Algy that he is the guardian
of a young woman, Cecily, who gave him the cigarette case, and that his name is Ernest in town, and Jack in the country. He
pretends to have a wicked brother Ernest in town that he must frequently go to aid, in order to escape from the tiresome duties
of guardianship in the country. Algy likewise has a fictional acquaintance whom he has named Bunbury, an invalid, whose frequent
illnesses provide an excuse to absent himself from tedious social engagements, what he calls “Bunburying.”
Lady Bracknell, Algy’s sneering and domineering aunt, arrives with her daughter, Gwendolen Fairfax. Algy endeavors to
leave Jack and Gwendolen alone together, for the express purpose of Jack’s proposal. Gwendolen accepts delightedly,
revealing that she has always fantasized about loving a man named Ernest. Lady Bracknell discovers the so-called engagement and interrogates Jack thoroughly, discovering that while he may be wealthy, he is a foundling of unknown heritage,
and thus an inappropriate match for her daughter. She advises him to produce at least one of his parents before the end of
the social season, in order to procure her daughter’s hand.
ACTOR LOREN DUNN
who plays John “Jack” Worthing in
ATC’s production of The Importance
of Being Earnest.
ACTOR MATT LEISY
who plays Algernon Moncrieff in
ATC’s production of The Importance
of Being Earnest.
After the ladies’ departure, Jack informs Algy that he will be killing off his fake brother before his deception is discovered.
Gwendolen suddenly returns to assure Jack of her affections, and asks for his country address. Algy, having been previously
forbidden from involving himself in Jack’s country life, secretly takes down the address as well. Jack leaves, and Lane presents
Algy with a stack of unpaid bills, which Algy proceeds to tear into pieces. He instructs the butler to prepare his Bunburying
materials, with which he shall depart the following day.
The second act transports the audience to the garden of Jack’s country home where his young ward, Cecily, is supposedly
studying with her governess, Miss Prism, but instead they discuss her Uncle Jack and his depraved brother, Ernest.
Dr. Chasuble, who runs the local church, arrives. Cecily pressures Miss Prism to go for a walk with him just as Merriman,
the butler, announces the arrival of Mr. Ernest Worthing. Cecily is ecstatic to meet her guardian’s brother at last – who is
really Algernon in disguise.
Jack soon arrives, in full mourning dress, and informs Miss Prism and Dr. Chasuble that his unfortunate brother has died in
Paris of a severe chill, and arranges a christening with Dr. Chasuble that afternoon to change his name to Ernest. Cecily
enters and announces Ernest’s visit, to Jack’s obvious surprise, as Algy appears. Furious, Jack insists that Algy leave at once,
to no avail. Once alone again, Algy and Cecily pledge their love for one another; Cecily, too, is enamored with the name
Ernest, and Algy leaves to arrange his own christening. Cecily, alone in the garden, is once again informed of a visitor: Ms.
Gwendolen Fairfax, who has sneaked away to surprise Jack at his country home. The two women appear friendly at first,
until they discover that they are both engaged to Ernest Worthing, and their polite demeanors dissolve. As the argument
intensifies, Jack and Algy arrive, and each is identified by their true name. The women, horrified and upset, depart into the
house, leaving Jack and Algy to quarrel over which of them can rightfully change their name to Ernest.
2
ACTOR ANNELIESE VAN DER POL
who plays Gwendolen Fairfax in
ATC’s production of The Importance
of Being Earnest.
ACTOR HEATHER MARIE COX
who plays Cecily Cardew in ATC’s
production of The Importance
of Being Earnest.
Inside, Cecily and Gwendolen decide what to do with the lying gentlemen. They quiz the men about their motivations, which “appear to be quite satisfactory,”
though both women still insist that they cannot marry men with such plain, ugly names. Jack and Algy assure the women that they are both going to be
christened that afternoon.
The happiness is interrupted by Lady Bracknell, who promptly insists that neither her nephew nor her daughter are permitted to enter into the engagements of
their choice. However, upon discovering Cecily’s immense wealth, she grants her consent to Algy and Cecily’s union. Jack, as legal guardian of Cecily, forbids
their marriage until Lady Bracknell agrees to his engagement to Gwendolen. Lady Bracknell refuses, but before she leaves she discovers the presence of Miss
Prism, recognizing her as the woman who lost her infant nephew years before. There follows a series of comic realizations as it is discovered that Jack was the
infant misplaced by Miss Prism, and that he is actually Algy’s older brother. Furthermore, he was named after his father – Ernest John – so his real name
is Ernest after all. The happy couples – Jack and Gwendolen, Cecily and Algernon, and even Dr. Chasuble and Miss Prism – all embrace with great merriment
as the play comes to an end.
MEET THE CHARACTERS
JOHN “JACK” WORTHING: A wealthy, respectable man-about-town with a secret. Jack has invented a fictitious, wicked
brother by the name of Ernest, whom he goes to “visit” often in town. In town, Jack becomes the eligible Ernest, a wealthy
society man of unknown past.
ALGERNON MONCRIEFF: An idle dandy and a dedicated follower of fashion, Algernon is the nephew of Lady Bracknell and
cousin to Gwendolen. Witty, acerbic, and utterly without morals, Algernon has invented a perpetually ill fictional friend by
name of Bunbury, to whom he pays regular visits as an alternative to tedious social engagements.
LADY AUGUSTA BRACKNELL: A wealthy, aristocratic, disdainful snob of London society, Lady Bracknell is the gatekeeper
to the upper crust and to Gwendolen’s hand in marriage. A shrewd social climber, Lady Bracknell is an anchor of the social
hierarchy with an ego to be reckoned with.
ACTOR ALLYCE BEASLEY
who plays Lady Bracknell in ATC’s
production of The Importance
of Being Earnest.
GWENDOLEN FAIRFAX: The young, beautiful, and vapid daughter of Lady Bracknell and cousin to Algernon, Gwendolen
is an extension of her mother’s prejudice and pretension. She slides through life without a care and relies on her wit, social
grace, and elevated position in society to carry her through.
CECILY CARDEW: The young, pretty ward of John Worthing, only just 18, whose romantic imagination and naiveté
permeate her being. Sweet, dreamy, and hungry for intrigue, Cecily is simple, straightforward, and good-natured.
REV. CANON CHASUBLE: The vicar of Woolton, Jack’s country home, a self-declared celibate with a secret and desperate
love for Miss Prism.
ACTOR MIKE LAWLER
who plays Dr. Chasuble and Lane in
ATC’s production of The Importance
of Being Earnest.
MISS PRISM: Governess to Cecily and a secret romantic, Miss Prism is secretly in love with Chasuble. An image of failed
sophistication and rigid cliché, Miss Prism has spent her life on the fringes of her romantic dreams and ideals.
LANE: The serious and condescending butler to Algernon, Lane tolerates the ways and doings of the upper class but
does not bother to hide his scorn.
MERRIMAN: The accommodating and unremarkable butler to Jack and Cecily, Merriman facilitates Cecily’s quickly
changing fancies and tolerates his employer’s odd ways with little comment.
JODIE LYNNE MCCLINTOCK
3
who plays Miss Prism in ATC’s
production of The Importance
of Being Earnest.
BIOGRAPHY OF OSCAR WILDE
Oscar Wilde was born on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. He was an extremely gifted student
throughout his youth, and he graduated from Oxford University in 1878. After graduation, Wilde moved
to London and published his first volume of poetry, Poems, in 1881, establishing him as one of the most
promising young writers in Europe. In 1882, he embarked on an American lecture tour, during which he
delivered an astounding 140 lectures in nine months. He continued to lecture in England and Ireland until
1884 as one of the leading intellectual theorists of the aesthetic movement, which advocated the
importance of art and literature for the sake of beauty, rather than for any social or political value.
In 1884, Wilde married the wealthy Englishwoman Constance Lloyd, with whom he had two sons:
Cyril in 1885, and Vyvyan in 1886. Soon after his marriage, Wilde was hired to run the failing Lady’s
World magazine. He managed the magazine for the next two years, revolutionizing its content to
include a broader scope of women’s issues and revitalizing its business. During his time at Lady’s World,
Wilde began to undertake the creative literary endeavors for which he would become famous. In 1888,
he published The Happy Prince and Other Tales, a collection of children’s stories, followed by Intentions,
an essay on aestheticism, in 1891. He followed that same year with his single novel, The Picture of
Dorian Gray, which outraged critics with its seeming lack of morality.
Wilde opened his first play, Lady Windermere’s Fan, in 1892, to great critical and popular acclaim.
Having found success on the stage, Wilde continued to produce works of drama, including A Woman
of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).
He came to be known for his remarkable wit and satirical style that combined seemingly frivolous
comedies of manners with darker and more serious undertones.
Oscar Wilde, 1882. Photo by Napoleon
Sarony; courtesy of The Library of Congress.
While his most famous play, The Importance of Being Earnest, was still in its premiere production
at St. James’s Theatre, Wilde filed a private prosecution against The Marquess of Queensberry, the
father of his lover Lord Alfred Douglas, for criminal libel after the Marquess accused him of being a
homosexual. During the course of the trial, Wilde’s charges were dismissed and eventually turned
against him, resulting in his arrest for gross indecency related to homosexual behavior. Wilde was
sentenced to two years in prison, and his ensuing notoriety caused the close of his production after
a modest 86 performances.
Upon his release from prison in 1897, Wilde left immediately for France where he spent the remainder
of his life in abject poverty, producing only one more notable work, a poem entitled “The Ballad of
Reading Gaol” recounting his experiences in prison. Wilde died of meningitis in Paris on November 20,
1900, destitute and alone. He is perhaps best remembered today for his exuberant personality – the
consummate dandy – and his infamous imprisonment, though his works live on as shining examples
of some of the great literary masterpieces of the Victorian Era.
4
Oscar Wilde, while a student at Oxford.
THE LIFE AND WORKS OF OSCAR WILDE
OCT. 16, 1854
– Oscar Wilde born.
1864
– Wilde starts school.
1871
– Enrolls at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
1874
– Enrolls at Magdalen College, Oxford.
NOV. 1878
– Graduates from Oxford with top honors in classical
moderations and classics.
– Moves to London.
1881
– Publishes his first volume of poetry, Poems.
– Has established a reputation in the London
aesthetic movement.
– Is parodied as a dandy in the Gilbert & Sullivan
opera Patience.
1882
– Embarks on U.S. lecture tour.
– Produces his first play, Vera, in New York, to no success.
1883
– Completes a lecture tour of England.
– Writes his second play, The Duchess of Padua,
which is also unsuccessful.
MAY 29, 1884
– Marries Constance Lloyd.
– Moves to the Chelsea neighborhood of London.
JUNE 5, 1885
– Wilde’s son, Cyril, is born.
NOV. 3, 1886
– Wilde’s second son, Vyvyan, is born.
1887
– Hired as editor to revamp the failing Lady’s World
magazine, renaming it Woman’s World.
1888
–Publishes The Happy Prince and Other Tales,
a collection of fairy tales.
1891
– Publishes a book of short stories and a collection
of essays on aestheticism.
– Publishes his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray,
which was serialized in a magazine the year before.
He is attacked by critics for the book’s homoerotic
overtones.
– Meets Lord Alfred Douglas, an Oxford student.
AUG 1897
– Wilde and Alfred Douglas reunite briefly in France.
– Penniless, Wilde moves into the Hotel d’Alsace in Paris.
1892
–Writes Lady Windermere’s Fan, his first hit play.
–Writes Salomé, which is not produced until 1896
in Paris because of a law forbidding the depiction
of Biblical characters onstage in Britain.
NOV. 20, 1900
– Wilde dies of meningitis in Paris.
APR 7, 1898
– Wilde’s wife Constance dies in Italy following spinal
surgery at the age of 40. The couple lived apart
after the trials but never officially divorced.
1893
– Wilde’s comedic play A Woman of No Importance
premieres to great success.
FEB 14, 1895
– The Importance of Being Earnest premieres
at St. James’s Theatre in London.
FEB 18, 1895
– The Marquess of Queensberry, the father of Lord
Alfred Douglas, leaves a calling card at Wilde’s
home inscribed to “Oscar Wilde, posing somdomite”
(incorrect spelling of “sodomite”).
APR 3, 1895
– Wilde attempts to sue Queensberry for libel.
Queensberry is acquitted; Wilde is arrested on
charges of gross indecency.
Constance and Cyril Wilde, Oscar Wilde’s wife
and eldest son.
APR 26, 1895
– Wilde’s trial for gross indecency begins.
– Lord Alfred Douglas leaves the country for France.
– Constance Wilde takes their sons to Europe and
changes their last name.
MAY 25, 1895
– Oscar Wilde is convicted of gross indecency and
sentenced to two years hard labor.
FEB 3, 1896
– Wilde’s mother, Francesca, dies. His wife Constance
visits him in prison in order to break the news.
Wilde pays for her funeral but is unable to afford
a headstone, so she is buried in an unmarked grave.
MAY 19, 1897
– Wilde is released from Reading Gaol in poor health.
– Moves to France, in poverty.
5
Oscar Wilde, 1882.
AESTHETICISM
Oscar Wilde was a staunch proponent of aestheticism, an artistic and literary movement of the late
19th century that advocated the value of art for the sake of beauty, rather than for any social or
political agenda. Aesthetes argued that art, including literature, need not serve any moral or “useful”
purpose but that its function was to simply enrich life through the refined sensual pleasure that art
could provide. They advocated the theory that life should imitate art rather than nature, which
was crude, random, and devoid of design. Aestheticism greatly relied upon the use of suggestion,
sensuality, symbolism, and synaesthetic effects, or the relationships between words, colors, and music
to create the sense of beauty that it so valued.
As a spokesman for aestheticism, Wilde attempted authorship in multiple literary genres before turning
to drama, including the publication of a collection of essays on aesthetics, Intentions, in 1891. Writing
for the stage provided Wilde with a unique and appealing opportunity to construct precise aesthetic
details and combine them with larger social themes, a style and approach that resounded with London
society, and made him one of the most successful playwrights of the late Victorian period.
An aestheticism cartoon by E.L.S. from the May 7,
1881 issue of Punch.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT: BRITAIN IN 1895
POLITICS
In the late Victorian period, the British Empire comprised about one-fifth of the earth’s surface and encompassed almost a quarter of the world’s population,
making it the largest empire on earth and securing Britain as the major power behind a surging world economy. Throughout Queen Victoria’s reign, parliamentary
acts of reform were enacted to enfranchise the burgeoning middle class in 1867 and again in 1884, resulting in two-thirds of the male population able to participate politically by the end of the 19th century. The political climate of Britain began to shift toward representative politics as the working man rose in financial
and social status, effectively modernizing the entire political system without the blood of revolution that had plagued many of Britain’s European neighbors.
WOMEN, MARRIAGE AND PROPERTY
While Victoria’s reign (1837-1901) brought with it massive change on the industrial and
political fronts, the inequality faced by women of the time continued well into the 20th
century, despite some notable steps to level the social playing field. At the beginning of
the Victorian Era, only eldest sons could inherit the title, property and wealth of their
family’s estate. Women from wealthy families often came to their marriage with an
“income” or a dowry that guaranteed her an annual sum from her father’s estate, to be
distributed through her father and then her father’s heir. The woman would receive the
interest – typically 5% – on a portion of her family’s estate to use as ready money
each year. However, as soon as a woman married she was subject to “coverture,” or the
dissolution of her individual legal status as her legal identity became merged with her
6
A map depicting the extent of the British Empire in the
Victorian Era.
husband’s. A married woman could not own her own property, control her own money or earnings, or
make a valid will without the participation of her husband. The single means of exception through
which a woman could control her own property was through the establishment of a trust before her
marriage, a legal arrangement that allowed her to manage her own affairs, though the expense
required to establish one was often prohibitive.
In 1870, Parliament passed the Married Women’s Property Act, allowing women to inherit and directly
control their own earnings for the first time, though any property owned before her marriage still
legally transferred into her husband’s ownership. A second Married Women’s Property Act in 1882
furthered the rights of married women by reinstating their individual legal identities and allowing them
to own property and fully control their own earnings, incomes, and inheritances separate from
their husbands.
DIVORCE
Divorce laws in Victorian England further emphasized the unequal status of women as members of
English society. For the first half of the 19th century, divorce in Britain was only possible through the
ecclesiastical courts, which could grant an annulment (absolute divorce), or a separation, in which case
the couple could part in the eyes of the church but were legally forbidden to remarry. After being
granted a separation, if one was rich enough, one could petition Parliament for a private bill to legally
sever the marriage but the cost was astronomical, ranging from £200-£5000. Between 1670 and
1857, 379 Parliamentary divorces were requested, and only 324 of those were granted.
The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 first introduced divorce as a civil procedure, creating a legal court
with the power to dissolve failed marriages under very specific sets of circumstances. Adultery was
legally recognized as the only legitimate grounds for divorce, and even those terms were rife with
gender inequality. A husband had only to prove adultery to be granted a divorce, but a wife had to
prove “aggravated adultery,” or adultery compounded by additional offences such as cruelty, incest, or
desertion. Even after proving legitimate grounds for divorce, a woman was often left destitute and
stigmatized for the rest of her life, and could only take custody of her children if they were under
seven years of age until the Custody Act of 1883, which increased the age to sixteen.
Additional terms of the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 also continued to be prohibitive to divorce
seekers: the court sat only in London, disadvantaging citizens of other parts of Britain, and the much
reduced £40-£60 pound expense of these proceedings was still a significant sum to most people.
It wasn’t until the 1900s that changes in administrative procedure, financial aid options, and the
decentralization of the court made divorce accessible to the general public. Men and women were not
named as equals in divorce law until the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1923, and it wasn’t until the
Divorce Act of 1937 that the grounds for divorce were expanded to include desertion and insanity, and
divorced women were finally granted control over the property they had brought into their marriage.
7
Decpictions of Oscar Wilde’s Trial from
The Illustrated Police News, 4 May 1895.
£200-£5,000 IN 1850 HAD
THE PURCHASING POWER
OF APPROXIMATELY
$22,000-$559,000 USD IN 2013.
£40-£60 IN 1857 TRANSLATES
TO APPROXIMATELY $4,500$6,700 USD IN 2013.
SOCIETY AND THE SEASON
The term “Society” as used in Victorian literature generally refers to the wealthy upper classes, namely
the aristocracy, whose wealth was inherited, and the top tier of an expanding middle class known as
the new gentry, whose fortunes were likely made in industry and commerce. This Society placed
extreme importance on deportment, etiquette, and personal conduct, with strict rules dictating propriety
and manners. Wealthy and educated, it was the exclusive membership of this high society that determined popular trends in literature, music, art, and fashion, and exerted its power through the constant
threat of expulsion from the ranks of the social and financial elite as punishment for social mistakes.
The plentiful social and artistic events of London made it the logical nexus of the British social elite,
which was dominated by landowning aristocrats and gentry families who would spend most of their
time at their country house, but visit London for several months each year during the social Season.
The Season coincided with the sitting of Parliament and ran from just after Christmas to late June,
allowing the members of Society to gather in London in order to participate in their annual cycle of
social and political engagements. In addition to bringing members of society together to hold balls,
dinner parties, and charity events, the Season was also an opportunity for the nobility and the gentry
to introduce their children of marriageable age to Society, with women officially introduced by
presentation to the monarch at court and usually followed by a lavish debutante ball in her honor.
Costume rendering of Lady Bracknell by
Costume Designer, Yoon Bae.
The traditional Season began to decline after World War I, when many wealthy families gave up their
London mansions and multiple houses, and Queen Elizabeth II abolished the presentation of
debutantes at court in 1958. Events of the Season began to be hosted at public venues rather than
private homes, making exclusivity more difficult to maintain, and including more events away from
central London. The Season is no longer officially organized, though many of the traditions and customs
remain from its earlier days and dress codes still apply at many events, particularly ones where the
Queen plays a significant role.
SEXUALITY
The strict moral and behavioral codes of the Victorian Era created an oppressive and somewhat stifling
atmosphere around the topic of sexuality that lasted well into the 1900s, and not only in regards
to female sexuality. Victorian social moralists proposed that eternal self-vigilance was the key to
manliness, moral worth, and material success, and that abstinence from sexual activity was both
morally and physically beneficial.
Among the upper classes, some of the strictest rules of society delineated proper behavior between
men and women, and the severe threat of social censure demanded that such behavior be observed.
With strict rules to govern even socially accepted romantic and sexual relationships, any “irregular”
sexual activity was harshly condemned, both socially and legally, with laws in place to prohibit
“indecency” in public. The latter portion of the 1800s brought with it an increase in clandestine
homosexual activity, mostly among men, leading to the implementation of severe legislation in 1885
when homosexuality was made a criminal offense (although this refers strictly to male homosexuality;
lesbianism was exempt from legal censure).
8
Costume rendering of Gwendolen by Costume
Designer, Yoon Bae.
The 1890s – dubbed by the emerging Victorian tabloid press as “the naughty nineties” – saw the emergence of the Decadence movement and a semi-secret
gay subculture in Britain that began to spark questions of sexual identity and scientific investigation, leading to detailed classifications of “normal” and
“perverse” sexual practices. However, despite the increased attention toward so-called “deviant” sexualities, the enforcement of anti-homosexuality legislation
was generally quite lax, allowing even those of high social ranks to engage in homosexual activities, as long as it was accompanied by a certain level of
discretion. For instance, Oscar Wilde’s love affairs with men are considered to have been common knowledge among Victorian Society, but he was not
persecuted until his indiscretions were revealed in an unavoidably public sphere – the court system – after which the imposed penalties were quite harsh.
LITERATURE
Victorian Era literature blends fairly indistinguishably into Romanticism at its beginning and into Modernism at its end, but there are certain traits that recur in
the writing of the period in between, identified by literary critics as generally encompassing the years of 1830 – 1900 and paralleling the reign of Queen
Victoria (1837–1901).
Contrary to certain tenets of Romanticism, which was primarily concerned with the imagination and the individual rather than with society as a whole, Victorian
literature began to give way to a type of writing that was more directly relevant to everyday life and demonstrated a new social consciousness. The actions
and situations of daily life, as well as life’s problems, became central themes, which were unlike those faced by any previous generations. The Industrial
Revolution had created new wealth, given power to a new middle class, and introduced an unprecedented level of squalor into working conditions, paving the
way for the direct address of social problems for the first time including labor conditions, women’s rights, and child labor practices.
Perhaps the greatest overarching theme of Victorian writing is its emphasis on change and upheaval – the same forces welling up within British life and society
at the time. Also very present is an aspect of contradiction: Victorian society became infamous for the social necessity to say one thing, while perhaps meaning
or doing something else, and literature of the time outlines and condemns those contradictions and subsequent inequalities. Literature both praised and railed
against the ruthless efficiency of a new industrial economy that trampled even harder upon the poor, as well as the comedies of manners that displayed or, in
Oscar Wilde’s case, satirized the daily existence of the upper crust.
The Victorian Era also marks the first time that a popular audience was created for the written word, brought about by the urbanization and industrialization
that caused a demographic shift toward centers of industry, and introduced the concept of leisure time to an emerging middle class. Serial publications, or stories
published in sequential portions (often in monthly magazines), began to drive popular literary opinion, and the novel began to replace the poem as the primary
vehicle of verbal entertainment.
Urbanization also encouraged the development of the
theatrical industry, allowing theatres to provide longer
runs for larger audiences, and creating another means
through which leisure time could be occupied.
All of these trends aligned to provide Oscar Wilde with
the perfect vehicle through which to make his own
social commentary with the relevance and beauty
that dramatic literature could create, alongside the
glamorous, exuberant lifestyle that his new and sudden
access to London society could provide.
Photo of the program from the premiere production of The Importance of Being Earnest at St. James’s
Theatre in London, 1895.
9
VICTORIAN ETIQUETTE
Victorian behavior was rigidly structured by strict social rules to govern every situation. Below are some
examples of appropriate behavior taken from etiquette and household advice manuals of the Era.
INTRODUCTIONS
– At the outset the custom of being introduced by a mutual acquaintance is the first canon to be
observed in making the acquaintance of a stranger.
– Sometimes it happens that a particular introduction is for a time impossible. It should then
be taken for granted that all guests present, by special invitation, are suitable for each other’s
acquaintance. The acquaintanceship, however, need not be renewed on a future occasion. Persons
thus thrown together may meet the next day, if they please, as total strangers.
– Parties who have danced in the same quadrille or in other dances are not expected to recognise
each other afterwards, unless intimately acquainted with friends on either side. The option of
recognising an acquaintance thus made rests with the lady. If on meeting her partner on a
subsequent occasion she pleases to bow, there is no impropriety in her doing so. In no case must
the gentleman make the first sign of recognition.
Allan Aynesworth and Sir George Alexander in
the original production of Earnest, 1895.
– Whenever disparity of age or position exists between individuals that have been presented to each
other by a mutual friend, the person superior in years or station should be the first to make the
advance.
– When it is desired to confer an honour on a person by being presented to another…
It is always customary to present the inferior in station to the superior individual.
– Letters of introduction should be closed (sealed) when presented.
VISITING
– To accept an invitation with the intention of not being present is a violation of good taste,
which should not be tolerated.
– A call should be returned with a call, a card with a card, within one week, or at the most, ten days.
– On entering a crowded room, a well-mannered [man] seeks first the hostess. He endeavours
to be blind and deaf to all familiar faces and voices until he has presented himself to the lady
of the house – he then bows. If on sufficiently intimate terms, the lady offers her hand.
– A lady should always be prepared to receive visitors, if at home, between the hours of three
and five o’clock.
– Any gentlemen that may be present rise when ladies enter the room, and remain standing
till they are seated.
– On ladies leaving, gentlemen rise, and the most intimate gentleman accompanies them to their carriage.
– When a visitor has paid a morning call of average duration (20-30 minutes), and fresh comers are
announced, the former visitors should rise to take leave.
10
Allan Aynesworth, Evelyn Millard, Irene Vanbrugh,
and Sir George Alexander in the original
production of Earnest, 1895.
– No error in social life is so seriously to be guarded against as that of outstaying one’s welcome.
– Receiving gentlemen at luncheon, by invitation, and in the absence of the master of the house, is considered bad taste, and is not a recognised custom by ladies.
– Unless especially invited to prolong the visit, the guest generally takes leave at the conclusion of the meal. In accordance with this rule, ladies visiting
at luncheon do not remove their bonnets, nor lay aside any portion of their out-of-door costume, save gloves or any loose wraps.
– After death has taken place in a family, visitors are not expected to call personally beyond the door, until a week after the funeral. Distant acquaintances
should defer their visits for a still longer period.
– An invitation to visit a friend at his or her house is generally understood to extend over three days. The guest usually arrives in time for dinner on the first
day, and leaves before dinner or after luncheon on the third.
– If the house at which the guest is expected should be in the country, it is customary for the hostess either to send her own carriage or to hire a fly to
convey the guest and luggage to her residence. On leaving the house the guest is generally expected to find his or her own mode of conveyance to the
nearest station.
PROPRIETY IN PROPOSALS
– According to English custom, a gentleman generally ascertains the state of a lady’s feelings towards himself before he makes a positive declaration
of his love. His proposal having been conditionally received, the lady usually refers him to her father or nearest relative for sanction of the union. If all
preliminary statements are satisfactory, the young couple are considered engaged, without any further formality than the exchange of rings or some similar
love token. If it should happen that delay arises before the engagement can be completely effected, it is not customary for the young people to meet in
the interval. The lady in such cases usually pays a visit to distant friends, or in some manner contrives to absent herself from circles where she
is likely to meet her admirer. All correspondence by letter is suspended, and, in fact, the lovers live towards each other as perfect strangers for the time.
– The length of a matrimonial engagement depends entirely on the personal convenience and inclination of the engaged couple.
– Lovers do not usually bear in mind that the whole period of their engagement is a period of probation… It by no means follows that, because an engagement has been entered into, marriage is certain to crown the intimacy.
– No young lady who values her status in the eyes of society ever appears at theatres or other places of amusement alone with her lover, she is either
attended by her mother, sister, or some other female chaperon. Neither should she frequent promenades and other places of general resort, without the
companionship of a sister or friend. Retiring from a circle of friends in the same apartment, and whispering apart in conversation to each other, is also
forbidden by every rule of good taste.
– Invitations to visit in society are generally given jointly to engaged persons; but it is not considered good manners for either the lady or gentleman to refuse
if the act of courtesy has not been extended to the other. In the case of a young lady being invited to the house of any of her future husband’s friends –
she herself being a stranger – it is necessary that an invitation should be given to the mother or some female relative of the bride-elect also. The escort
of her lover is not, under the circumstance, considered sufficient.
– In going to or from places, on business or pleasure, engaged people, if alone, should either walk or else use public conveyances – cabs and private carriages
should be avoided. In walking in the streets or promenades, the engaged lady may take the left arm of the gentleman, but it is excessively vulgar and
indecorous to clasp her hands on his arm, as is sometimes seen.
11
TERMINOLOGY – SLANG IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND
Below are some short descriptions of common British slang words and their derivations developed
during the Victorian Era. Do any of them surprise you?
AFTERNOONIFIED: Smart; fashionable.
ALL HIS BUTTONS ON: Sharp; alive; active; not to be deceived.
BANBURY: Jam, biscuit, cake, confectionery, tart. Also used to mean a loose woman.
Origin: Heard at the raid of a brothel in 1894 as prostitutes’ description of their work.
BARK UP A WRONG TREE: Denotes a person has mistaken his object, or is pursuing the wrong cause
to obtain it.
Origin: In hunting, a dog drives a raccoon, as he imagines, up a certain tree, at the foot of which
he keeps up a constant barking, by which he attracts the attention of his master, who vainly
looks on the tree indicated. While endeavoring to find the animal he discovers it on another tree,
from which it escapes and gets beyond his reach. Hence the phrase “To bark up the wrong tree.”
Lord Alfred Douglas and Oscar Wilde.
BORE: Weary.
Origin: From tunneling operations’ steady, deadly, incisive boring. One of the trade metaphors
which has passed into society. “Lord Tom bores one to death with Tel-el-Kebir.”
BUTTER UPON BACON: Extravagance.
TO COME IN: To become fashionable.
DEAR ME: An exclamation used by the upper class.
Origin: Perhaps a derivation of “Dio Mio,” and possibly introduced by Maria Beatrice of Modena,
wife of James II.
DRESSED UP TO THE NINES: A eulogistic or sarcastic expression of opinion as to another’s dress.
Origin: Dress. Corruption of “Dressed to the eyen.” When “eyen” (pl. of “eye”) was departing
English, an ‘s’ was added to give it a modern plural. After a time, “eyen” lost its meaning,
and the old plural was colloquialized into “nines.”
DUTY: Evasive term for interest, as on an investment.
Origin: Originally used to refer to interest on pawnbrokers’ pledges.
GET CURLY: Troublesome.
HARD AND FAST LINE: Equal to obstinacy; an argument which refuses to hear reason.
Origin: Coined by Mr. Henley in the Parliamentary debates of 1870. Another phrase of his was
“ugly rush,” or forcing a bill with great speed to prevent inquiries.
HARD UP: Impecunious; having little or no money.
12
JEE!: An oath-like expression.
RIGHT AS A TRIVET: Perfectly functional; fine.
Origin: Derived in America, originally from the first syllable
of “Jerusalem.”
Origin: Often assumed to refer to a kitchen stove (a trivet), the phrase
actually derives from the pronunciation of Truefit, a Bond Street wig
maker, whose wigs were perfect.
LITTLE SEASON: London society season between 6th January and
Shrove Tuesday.
R.M.D.: Ready money down, as in cash that is immediately available.
BEST SIDE TOWARDS LONDON: Making the best of everything.
SENSATIONAL: Extraordinary.
Origin: Derived from the assumed desire of all country people
to visit London, and make their fortunes.
SHERRY: Four ale – ale at fourpence per quart.
SMOTHERING A PARROT: Draining a glass of absinthe neat. Derived from
the green colour of the absinthe.
M.D.: Money down.
Origin: Election bribery.
SNEAKING-BUDGE: Shoplifting.
MADE IN GERMANY: Bad, valueless.
SO AND SO: Senior Ordnance Store Officer, a military position.
Origin: An outcome of a vast quantity of inferior goods imported
from Germany.
SPARK: Man of fashion.
MARRIAGE FACE: A sad face.
SWANK: Small talk; lying.
Origin: Generally a bride cries a good deal, temporarily spoiling
her looks.
THIEVES’ KITCHEN: The name satirically given in 1882 to the then new
Law Courts.
MODERNITY: Obvious.
TROT: A walk.
Origin: Term invented in the early 1890s, first as a satire and then
as an insightful description.
Origin: Suggested by the ordinary quick movement of young Englishmen.
WHISTLER: A chance laborer at the docks, from the poor fellow whistling
for work.
MUFF: A stupid, dilatory, inactive, and generally amiable young man.
MUFFIN-WALLOPERS: Scandal-loving women, who met over a cup of tea.
OBVIOUS: Fat, stout.
O.K.: All correct.
Origin: An acronym for ‘orl kerrect,’ a phrase coined by Vance,
a comic singer of the time.
PAINT THE TOWN RED: Originally to produce a sense of danger by
night rioting.
Origin: From the railway system, where red is the danger signal.
Calling card from the Marquess of Queensbury, incorrectly spelling “sodomite,”
left for Oscar Wilde and prompting him to file a lawsuit for libel.
PINK WINE: Champagne.
13
REFERENCES AND GLOSSARY
REFERENCES IN THE SCRIPT
TOWN VS. COUNTRY HOUSE: It was very common for the nobility and the gentry (the British upper
classes) to own two homes. Their primary residence was a country estate, often with a significant
household and land attached. However, most families also owned a London town house which they
would frequent for months at a time during the London “Season” to more easily fulfill their social and
political engagements.
REFRESHMENT AT 5 O’CLOCK: Afternoon tea was a customary refreshment served with small food
items, and often a small social event.
CUCUMBER SANDWICHES: Cucumber, because of its low nutritional content, was consumed only by
the wealthy and thus served as a status symbol.
DIVORCE COURT: The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 first legalized divorce as a civil procedure in
Britain. However, the high cost of the proceedings was prohibitive to all but the wealthy.
SCOTLAND YARD: A name for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service, responsible for
policing most of London.
Photo of the original New Scotland Yard
building; the “New” was added in 1890.
GUARDIANSHIP: Cecily is Jack’s ward, meaning that he has entered into a legal agreement to serve as
her guardian until she comes of legal age (there were no official adoption laws in England until the 1920s).
Historically, it was fairly common for younger children of established families, who would not inherit, to be
adopted by childless friends or family members who would then render them an inheritance. WAGNERIAN: Wilhelm Richard Wager (1813-1883) was a German composer, perhaps best known for
his driving, somewhat harsh musical stylings.
WILLIS’S: Fashionable Almack’s Assembly Rooms, later called Willis’s after the owner’s niece who
inherited them.
SENT DOWN: When guests had assembled in the drawing room (on the second floor), they went down
to the ground floor dining room in pairs of one man and one woman, the most important pair going first.
CORRUPT FRENCH DRAMA: French plays of the period were popularly supposed to be concerned
exclusively with questionable and scandalous subject matter.
READY MONEY: Payment in cash, as opposed to credit.
CRUMPETS: Yeast buns (English muffins) served at tea.
PUT MY TABLE OUT: It was customary in Victorian society to host dinner parties with an equal number
of men and women.
LIBERAL UNIONIST: A political party in Victorian England, formed in 1886 by a faction that split from
the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party allied with the Conservative
Party to oppose Irish Home Rule, and merged officially in May of 1912.
14
Richard Wagner in 1871.
TORIES: Tory was an unofficial designation given to the Conservative Party in Victorian England, with roots in the old Tory Party that began forming conservative
associations after the 1832 Reform Act. The tenets of the Conservative Party included defense of the Crown, Church, and Constitution.
COME IN THE EVENING: Guests invited to come after dinner were less important than those invited to dine first with the family.
PURPLE OF COMMERCE VS. ARISTOCRACY: In Victorian England, after the Industrial Revolution, there were two primary ways in which a person could acquire
wealth. The first and most traditional was through being a member of the aristocracy, in which case wealth (and a title) was inherited. The second and much
more recent means of becoming rich was through industry, commerce, or trade. Purple, being a royal color, suggests a superior group among those who have
made their money by industry.
FRENCH REVOLUTION: A period of radical social and political upheaval in France that abolished the monarchy and caused massive social change, generally
spanning the years 1789-1799.
GORGON: From Greek mythology, a term that refers to any of three sisters – Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa – with hair made of living venomous snakes,
and the power to turn those who looked upon them into stone.
APOPLEXY: General medical term meaning bleeding in internal organs that historically was used to describe a stroke, or a bleeding in the brain.
COMING OF AGE: In Victorian England, a woman came legally of age at 21, at which time she could inherit and manage her own property, though the average
age of marriage for a woman of the upper class was between 18 and 23.
THREE VOLUME NOVEL: Sometimes referred to as a “triple Decker,” the three volume novel was a standard form of publication during the Victorian Era that
corresponded to an increase in popularity of the novel as a form of literature.
EGERIA: A Roman mythological figure, Egeria was a nymph who served as a divine consort and counselor to Numa Pompilius, the Sabine second king of Rome,
to whom she imparted laws and rituals of the religion of ancient Rome. Her name is often used in reference to a female advisor or counselor.
EVENSONG: Term for evening prayer in the Anglican tradition.
FALL OF THE RUPEE: The rupee is the common name for the currencies of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and several other countries, based on a silver
standard. In the 1870s, after the German victory in the Franco-Prussian War, Germany and Britain moved to a gold standard for their currency, followed by
other industrializing nations. A huge divide emerged between silver-based and gold-based economies as more silver reserves were discovered, resulting in the
devaluing of silver-based currencies, particularly for countries like India, who carried out most of its trade with the gold-based economy of Britain.
Depiction of a Gorgon from around 580 BC, on a pediment of
the temple of Artemis in Corfu, on display at the Archaeological
Museum of Corfu.
Drawing of Egeria, a water nymph of
Roman mythology, from the 16th century.
15
Modern Indian rupees.
BUY MY OUTFIT: To buy an outfit meant to acquire all of the clothing and accessories necessary
to acquit oneself for a particular purpose, such as a trip abroad.
AUSTRALIA: Once a destination for Britain to send convicts, by 1895 Australia was considered a good
place to send unsatisfactory members of prominent families for a second chance, or to be forgotten.
MARÉCHAL NIEL: A large yellow rose. Yellow roses traditionally symbolize friendship, while pink roses
are often given as a symbol of admiration, representing grace and elegance.
MISANTHROPE: One who possesses a general hatred, distrust, or disdain of humanity.
NEOLOGISTIC: Of or pertaining to a new word, expression, or usage.
PRECEPT: A commandment, instruction, or order intended as a rule of action. In religion, precepts are
usually commands regarding moral conduct.
PRIMITIVE CHURCH: The early Christian church, often referred to as a representative of Christianity
in its supposedly purest form.
RECTOR: In the Anglican Church, a member of the clergy who has the charge of a parish.
Image of Don Quixote and Sancho, Don Quijote
de La Mancha and Sancho Panza by Gustave
Doré, 1863.
THRIFT: Economical management; economy; frugality.
CANONICAL: Conforming to a canon; included in the canon of the Bible.
CARTER: The occupation of one who carries or conveys goods in a cart.
PORTMANTEAU: A large suitcase.
PARIS: Largely considered to be a place of sin and frivolity.
DRESSING CASE: A small piece of luggage fitted with all the toilet articles necessary for dressing
oneself, arranging one’s hair, etc. when traveling.
DOG-CART: A light, horse-drawn vehicle.
FOUR-FIVE TRAIN: Train scheduled to depart at five minutes after four o’clock.
MUDIE: Mudie’s Library was an old lending library which also exchanged books by mail.
A period dressing case, such as Algernon would
have carried.
QUIXOTIC: A reference to the impractical hero of Cervantes’ Don Quixote.
EQUANIMITY: Mental or emotional stability or composure; calmness.
BANKRUPTCY COURT: A court where the affairs of possible bankruptcies were heard and discussed.
TEA-CAKE: In England, a light sweet bun containing dried fruit, typically served toasted or buttered.
UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SCHEME: Provider of educational lectures and classes available to the
general public.
SOCIETY: Term designating the upper classes of British social life.
16
OXONIAN: A graduate of Oxford University.
COURT GUIDES: Annual publications delineating who was currently present at court.
THE FUNDS: Stocks issued by the British government, considered to be very safe investments.
PERRIER-JOUET, BRUT, ’89: A superior French champagne bottled in 1889.
ANABAPTISTS: A 16th century sect of Christianity that opposed infant baptism.
VESTRY: A room in, or attached to, a place of worship.
OMNIBUS: A horse-drawn means of travel for the middle to lower classes.
TEMPERANCE BEVERAGE: Any drink containing no alcohol.
ARMY LISTS: A monthly distribution list of officers on active service in the British Army. Quarterly
lists also gave details regarding the seniority, appointments, and war services of officers.
Oxford University
MONEY REFERENCES
JACK’S INCOME:
Jack’s income, primarily from investments, is between £7,000 – £8,000 per year. This translates to approximately $840,310 – $960,354 USD in 2013.
CECILY’S INHERITANCE: £130,000 IN THE FUNDS
When Cecily legally comes of age she will receive the interest (typically 3% or 5% annually) of her invested inheritance. £130,000 in 1895 translates
to approximately $15.6 million in 2013, so her annual interest received at 5%, would provide her with approximately $708,000 to spend each year. She is
enormously wealthy, particularly for an unmarried woman of the time.
Profession
Average Income in 1895 (GBP)
Amount in 2013 (USD)
Aristocrats
£30,000 $3,601,329
Merchants, Bankers
£10,000 $1,200,443
Middle Class (Doctors, Lawyers, Clerks)
£300 – £800
$36,013 – $96,035
Lower Middle Class (Head Teachers, Journalists, Shopkeepers)
£150 – £300
$18,006 – $36,013
Skilled Workers (Carpenters, Typesetters)
£75 – £100
$9,003 – $12,004
Sailors, Domestic Staff
£40 – £75
$4,801 – $9,003
Laborers, Soldiers
£25 $3,001
17
GEOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES
HALF MOON STREET: A Street in London’s fashionable Mayfair district.
SHROPSHIRE: Idyllic inland country known for beautiful pastoral landscapes.
TUNBRIDGE WELLS: A large town and Borough in west Kent, England, about 40 miles
southeast of central London.
THE ALBANY: A block of expensive London apartments for single gentlemen.
GROSVENOR SQUARE: A large garden square in the highly exclusive Mayfair district of London,
England. It is the central portion of the property belonging to the Duke of Westminster,
and takes its name from their surname, “Grosvenor.”
Depiction of South Street, Worthing, Sussex in the 1890s.
BELGRAVE SQUARE: Fashionable square behind Buckingham Palace.
UPPER GROSVENOR STREET: Street in London’s fashionable West End, off Grosvenor Square.
WORTHING, WEST SUSSEX: A large seaside resort town, in which Oscar Wilde wrote The Importance of Being Earnest in 1894 and the town for which
John “Jack” Worthing is named.
DORKING, SURREY: A country town near enough to London to be the location of many fashionable country houses.
FIFESHIRE, N.B.: A town in North Britain, that is, Scotland. Many wealthy Britons owned a home in Scotland at which they could enjoy country sports such as
hunting, shooting, and fishing.
BAYSWATER: An unfashionable area west of London.
GOWER STREET: A street just north of London’s West End.
LEAMINGTON: A spa, visited for its mineral waters.
1. Algernon’s Flat in London
2. Victoria Station, where Jack was found as an infant
3. Grosvenor Square
4. The Albany, Jack’s address in town
5. Belgrave Square, Jack’s town home
Map of several locations mentioned in The Importance of Being Earnest. Image courtesy of mapquest.com.
18
WILDE WITTICISMS
KNOWN FOR HIS GREAT WIT AND PHILOSOPHICAL HUMOR,
BELOW ARE SOME OF OSCAR WILDE’S FAMOUS QUOTES.
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’’
ALWAYS FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES – NOTHING ANNOYS THEM SO MUCH.
’’
EXPERIENCE IS SIMPLY THE NAME WE GIVE OUR MISTAKES.
’’
WOMEN ARE MADE TO BE LOVED, NOT UNDERSTOOD.
THE ONLY WAY TO GET RID OF TEMPTATION IS TO YIELD TO IT.
I CAN RESIST EVERYTHING BUT TEMPTATION.
’’
’’
MAN IS LEAST HIMSELF WHEN HE TALKS IN HIS OWN PERSON.
’’
GIVE HIM A MASK, AND HE WILL TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
Oscar Wilde in 1889.
’’
’’
THERE IS ONLY ONE THING IN LIFE WORSE THAN BEING TALKED ABOUT, AND THAT IS NOT BEING TALKED ABOUT.
IT IS BETTER TO BE BEAUTIFUL THAN TO BE GOOD. BUT IT IS BETTER TO BE GOOD THAN TO BE UGLY.
’’
EXPERIENCE IS ONE THING YOU CAN’T GET FOR NOTHING.
’’
’’
WORK IS THE CURSE OF THE DRINKING CLASSES.
THE TRUTH IS RARELY PURE AND NEVER SIMPLE .
I REGARD THE THEATRE AS THE GREATEST OF ALL ART FORMS, THE MOST IMMEDIATE WAY IN
WHICH A HUMAN BEING CAN SHARE WITH ANOTHER THE SENSE OF WHAT IT IS TO BE A HUMAN BEING.
’’
’’
A MAN WHO DOES NOT THINK FOR HIMSELF DOES NOT THINK AT ALL.
’’
AN IDEA THAT IS NOT DANGEROUS IS UNWORTHY OF BEING CALLED AN IDEA AT ALL.
’’
THE WORLD IS A STAGE, BUT THE PLAY IS BADLY CAST.
’’
I HAVE THE SIMPLEST TASTES: I AM ALWAYS SATISFIED WITH THE BEST.
19
DISCUSSION AND ACTIVITIES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Oscar Wilde’s full title for this play is The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Play for Serious People. What do you think is the significance of the subtitle?
Who are the “serious people” Wilde refers to, and what was his goal in writing a “trivial play” for them?
The characters of Jack and Algernon have several conversations about triviality and seriousness. Algernon says, in the second act, “One must be serious about
something, if one wants to have any amusement in life.” Does Algernon take anything seriously in this play? Or is he simply pretending to for the sake of his
own amusement?
What is the overall tone of this play? What does that tell you about Wilde’s opinion of Victorian-Era aristocracy?
Discuss what makes this play a satire of Victorian society. How do you think Victorian audiences would have responded to seeing this show?
How does Wilde use the characters in this play to express different opinions about love and marriage? Do any of the characters even share the same idea or
definition of love? Think about the character of Lady Bracknell, for example; is she the voice of reason, or something else?
During the final act of the play, Gwendolen states that, “In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing” and Lady Bracknell says “We
live…in an age of surfaces.” What do the women mean by these statements? Do you believe them to be true? Do they remain true in the age we live in?
Do you think the humor of this play is still relevant today? What would you change to modernize the play or story?
Think about the visual elements of this production. What was your favorite design component (set, costumes, lights, sound)? How did the designs support the
themes and ideas of the play?
How did the actors’ costumes contribute to their characterization and style of movement? Did their costumes contribute at all to your perception of their
character? How else might costumes affect the way an actor performs?
LANGUAGE ARTS ACTIVITIES
Cecily and Gwendolen both keep diaries in this play. Cecily refuses to let Algernon read hers, yet says, “It is simply a very young girl’s record of her own thoughts
and impressions, and consequently meant for publication.” The irony of keeping private a diary that one intends to publish seems lost on Cecily,
but modern equivalents (think Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter) are treated much the same way.
1. Choose one of the characters from this play and write a diary for yourself as that character for a week. What sort of social engagements will you have?
Who else from this play do you interact with? How do you feel about them? How will your behavior and speech be different as a Victorian-Era socialite
than they are as your modern self? How will they remain the same?
2. Alternately, or additionally, create a modern day equivalent of your character diary. Imagine that the characters in this play are living today and using social
media to express their “own thoughts and impressions.” Would they use Facebook, or Twitter? Write a week’s worth of social media “diary” entries for
your chosen character.
3. Satire is a genre of literature that features constructive social criticism disguised as humor, often using irony or sarcasm to convey a message.
The Importance of Being Earnest is a satire of Victorian society. Think of a modern satire, be it a film, television show, or book that exhibits similar
characteristics or employs similar tactics to convey its message and write an essay comparing the two pieces. What is being satirized? What is the overall
message? How successful is it?
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THEATRE ARTS ACTIVITIES
Redesign The Importance of Being Earnest for modern society and create an image board supporting your design concepts. Where would the play be set? Who
would star in it? How would the themes of the play be represented visually? What music would be used? Use magazines or online images to create a collage
that represents your production design and then present or “pitch” your ideas to the class.
Much of the dialogue in this play is polite on the surface but carries a different tone or weight underneath. Find a partner and write a short scene, about nothing
in particular, that is as polite and proper as you can make it. It could be as simple as discussing whether or not it will rain today. Perform these short scenes for
the class, and keep it simple. For the second round, you will arm wrestle or play tug-o’-war with your scene partner while speaking your dialogue. The tone and
intensity of your words will change as you physically try to best each other. Did the story change even though the words remained the same? Discuss the idea
of subtext and “verbal sparring” after each group has performed a second time.
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