The period of the 19th and early 20th century in Britain in cultural terms was usually

portrayed as „the long edwardian summer, with ladies in elegant hats and dresses parading on
the lawns of coutry houses.“1 The social gap between the upper aristocratic classes and the
lower classes was still evident and directed further social development. Although Britain at
the time was the largest empire in the world and simultaneously the most industrially
advanced nation the whole image was far away from being the picture perfect society.
Therefore, it is no wonder that the political and social differences were also reflected in
theater and drama.
The most common types of the 19th century drama were the well-made play and the
problem play characterized by a closely detailed plot and a proper climax taking place at the
almost end of the play. The concept of the well-made play was designed as to apply to almost
any dramatic form – from farce, melodrama to heroic tragedy. Oscar Wilde excercised this
concept in his widely known comedy of manners The Importance of Being Earnest.
One of
the simplest definitions says that „a comedy of manners is a play concerned with satirising
society’s manners.“ 2 Comedy of manners was not a 19th century dramatic invention, but a
theatrical genre that came into being during the Restoration period in England with works of
William Wycherley and William Congreve and was undergoing tremendous revival in the
19th century reaching its peak with the works of Oscar Wilde.
The Importance of Being Earnest stands as a textbook example of the comedy of
manners
with its witty and harsh ironic representation of the Victorian society. David L. Hirst in his
book Comedy of manners clearly states that: „It was Wilde, a contemporary of Meredith
and
Shaw, who was to satirize the hipocrisy of his own age by exploring the dichotomy between
word and deed. Fundamental to his plays – as to those of the late seventeenth century – is the
rigorous rejection of the Puritan values. His command of the language and his ironic exposé
of the maners of society was a return to the form and subject of post-Restoration comedy...“3
It was not just any part of the versatile Victorian society but the crème de la crème -
upper
class that had to endure harsh criticism. Moreover, irony is only the first stage, progressing to
sarcasm and culminating in pure satire. Although the language itself is simple the utterance is
highly elevated for the purpose of expressing the character of values in question, the overall
impression is artificiality and snobbery. The focus is on the behaviour of each and every
character and their personal perception of the social norms, which are subverted as to achieve
a desired objection.