Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

Anne Markey (Dublin City University)

Ed. by Anne Markey, Dublin City University
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.07: English Writing and Culture of the Victorian Period, 1837-1901.
Vol. editors: Gillian Fenwick (University of Toronto), Jessica Gossling (Goldsmiths College, University of London)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1895

Places

Ireland, Republic of (Eire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play

Resources

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Generally regarded as Wilde’s finest play,

The Importance of Being Ernest

has proved perennially popular with audiences and provided a rich seam for critics concerned with various aspects of Wilde’s life and aesthetic philosophy. His friendship with Sir Alfred Douglas, whom he met in 1891, resulted in an increasingly lavish lifestyle that left him constantly short of money. In 1894, the playwright sent an outline of a new comedy to George Alexander, who had successfully staged

Lady Windermere’s Fan

at St James’s Theatre in 1892, requesting a fee of £150 and undertaking to have the proposed work completed by October (Holland and Hart-Davis, 2000: 595-7). The outline contains the seeds of the three-act play as it was eventually staged, but differs from it in several details, most…

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2539 words

Citation: Markey, Anne. "The Importance of Being Earnest". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 04 July 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=565, accessed 08 May 2024.]

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