The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest Questions
Themes
(Feel free to see the questions related to the themes at http://www.shmoop.com/importance-of-being-earnest/)
Lies and Deceit
Marriage
Respect and Reputation
Society and Class
Gender
Versions of Reality: Romance
Love
Foolishness and Folly
Epigrams
Define an epigram. What do the following epigrams say? Keep track of epigrams in the play.
“Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.”
“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.”
“The past is of no importance. The present is of no importance. It is with the future that we have to deal. For the past is what man should not have been. The present is what man ought not to be.The future is what artists are.”
“It is better to be beautiful than to be good. But . . . it is better to be good than to be ugly.”
In these brief quotes, you can learn a great deal about Wilde’s style, his views on education, how he felt about the theater, his belief in the importance of artists, and his philosophy of aestheticism—all of which will assist their understanding of the play. After reading the play, review these quotes and connect them to the characters, tone, and themes of the text.
Rules of Victorian Etiquette
Much of the humor of The Importance of Being Earnest is derived from the rigid social rules of the era. These rules, and many more like them, can be found in Anna R. White’s Youth’s Educator for Home and Society (1896), which is available online.
Social Basics for the Young Lady:
• Upon being introduced to a gentleman, a lady will never offer her hand. She should bow politely and say, “I am happy to make your acquaintance,” or words to that effect.
• When bowing on the street, it is appropriate to incline the head gracefully, but not the
Themes
(Feel free to see the questions related to the themes at http://www.shmoop.com/importance-of-being-earnest/)
Lies and Deceit
Marriage
Respect and Reputation
Society and Class
Gender
Versions of Reality: Romance
Love
Foolishness and Folly
Epigrams
Define an epigram. What do the following epigrams say? Keep track of epigrams in the play.
“Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.”
“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.”
“The past is of no importance. The present is of no importance. It is with the future that we have to deal. For the past is what man should not have been. The present is what man ought not to be.The future is what artists are.”
“It is better to be beautiful than to be good. But . . . it is better to be good than to be ugly.”
In these brief quotes, you can learn a great deal about Wilde’s style, his views on education, how he felt about the theater, his belief in the importance of artists, and his philosophy of aestheticism—all of which will assist their understanding of the play. After reading the play, review these quotes and connect them to the characters, tone, and themes of the text.
Rules of Victorian Etiquette
Much of the humor of The Importance of Being Earnest is derived from the rigid social rules of the era. These rules, and many more like them, can be found in Anna R. White’s Youth’s Educator for Home and Society (1896), which is available online.
Social Basics for the Young Lady:
• Upon being introduced to a gentleman, a lady will never offer her hand. She should bow politely and say, “I am happy to make your acquaintance,” or words to that effect.
• When bowing on the street, it is appropriate to incline the head gracefully, but not the