Witty dialogue and positive lessons without objectionable material earn the Dove Seal for “The Importance of Being Earnest. Only the name is shown, but it is shocking that a genteel young lady of that era would even consider a tattoo. The Importance of Being Earnest Character Map Play Summary About The Importance of Being Earnest Character List Summary and Analysis Act I: Part 1 Act I: Part 2 Act II: Part 1 Act II: Part 2 Act III Character Analysis John (Jack) Worthing Algernon (Algy) Moncrieff Lady Augusta Bracknell Gwendolen Fairfax & Cecily Cardew Rev. Later, Jack has her name tattooed on his. A complaint voiced later by a fellow playwright, George Bernard Shaw, that.

Professor John Stokes considers how Oscar Wilde combined disparate influences into a brilliant satire which contained hidden, progressive sentiments. A painting of a nude woman appears briefly, and Gwendolen has the name “Earnest” tattooed on her posterior. The Importance of Being Earnest draws on elements of farce and melodrama in its depiction of a particular social world. It’s all tongue-in-cheek, of course, and makes fun of the phoniness and shallowness of the upper class.Ībsolutely free of foul language, violence and sex, “Earnest” has some slightly sensual material. Implied by this story is the idea that it’s acceptable to be penniless if you know how to sponge off other people, which is what Algernon does. Algernon’s Aunt Augusta (Judi Dench) insists that orphaned Jack/Earnest find out who his parents were even though he lives in a country estate, has a townhouse and no unpaid bills. In that era, the importance of being well bred was much greater than being honest.

What a tangled web Algernon and Jack spin when they pretend to be “Earnest.” However, they do suffer consequences and learn a great lesson from their deceit. Starring Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, and Reese Witherspoon, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ is an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s witty play about mistaken identities where two proper gentlemen in.

The of being earnest