 Arthur Ransome described The Importance ... as the most trivial of Wilde 's society plays , and the only one that produces " that peculiar exhilaration of the spirit by which we recognise the beautiful . " " It is " , he wrote , " precisely because it is consistently trivial that it is not ugly . " Ellmann says that The Importance of Being Earnest touched on many themes Wilde had been building since the 1880s — the languor of aesthetic poses was well established and Wilde takes it as a starting point for the two protagonists . While Salome , An Ideal Husband and The Picture of Dorian Gray had dwelt on more serious wrongdoing , vice in Earnest is represented by Algy 's craving for cucumber sandwiches . Wilde told Robert Ross that the play 's theme was " That we should treat all trivial things in life very seriously , and all serious things of life with a sincere and studied triviality . " The theme is hinted at in the play 's ironic title , and " earnestness " is repeatedly alluded to in the dialogue , Algernon says in Act II , " one has to be serious about something if one is to have any amusement in life " but goes on to reproach Jack for ' being serious about everything ' " . Blackmail and corruption had haunted the double lives of Dorian Gray and Sir Robert Chiltern ( in An Ideal Husband ) , but in Earnest the protagonists ' duplicity ( Algernon 's " bunburying " and Worthing 's double life as Jack and Ernest ) is undertaken for more innocent purposes — largely to avoid unwelcome social obligations . While much theatre of the time tackled serious social and political issues , Earnest is superficially about nothing at all . It " refuses to play the game " of other dramatists of the period , for instance Bernard Shaw , who used their characters to draw audiences to grander ideals . 
 Arthur Ransome described The Importance ... as the most trivial of Wilde <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>society <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>plays</mark></a> , and the only one <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>produces</mark></a> " <a href='null_relcl' title='5'><mark>that</mark></a>peculiar exhilaration of the spirit by which we recognise the beautiful . " " It is " , he wrote , " precisely because it is consistently trivial that it <a href='negative_concord' title='6'><mark>is</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='7'><mark>not</mark></a>ugly . " Ellmann <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>says</mark></a> that The Importance of Being Earnest touched on many themes Wilde had been building since the 1880s — the languor of aesthetic poses was well established and Wilde <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>takes</mark></a> it as a starting point for the two protagonists . While Salome , An Ideal Husband and The Picture of Dorian Gray had dwelt on more serious wrongdoing , vice in Earnest is represented by Algy <a href='null_genetive' title='10'><mark>'s</mark></a>craving for cucumber sandwiches . Wilde told Robert Ross that the play <a href='null_genetive' title='11'><mark>'s</mark></a>theme was " That we should treat all trivial things in life very seriously , and all serious things of life with a sincere and studied triviality . " The theme is hinted at in the play <a href='null_genetive' title='12'><mark>'s</mark></a>ironic title , and " earnestness " is repeatedly alluded to in the dialogue , Algernon <a href='uninflect' title='13'><mark>says</mark></a> in Act II , " one <a href='uninflect' title='14'><mark>has</mark></a> to be serious about something if one is to have any amusement in life " but <a href='uninflect' title='15'><mark>goes</mark></a> on to reproach Jack for ' being serious about everything ' " . Blackmail and corruption <a href='been_done' title='16'><mark>had</mark></a> haunted the double lives of Dorian Gray and Sir Robert Chiltern ( in An Ideal Husband ) , but in Earnest the protagonists <a href='null_genetive' title='17'><mark>'</mark></a>duplicity ( Algernon <a href='null_genetive' title='18'><mark>'s</mark></a>" bunburying " and Worthing <a href='null_genetive' title='19'><mark>'s</mark></a>double life as Jack and Ernest ) is undertaken for more innocent purposes — largely to avoid unwelcome social obligations . While much theatre of the time tackled serious social and political issues , Earnest <a href='drop_aux' title='20'><mark>is</mark></a>superficially about nothing at all . It " <a href='uninflect' title='21'><mark>refuses</mark></a> to play the game " of other dramatists of the period , for instance Bernard Shaw , <a href='null_relcl' title='22'><mark>who</mark></a>used their characters to draw audiences to grander ideals . 
Arthur Ransome described da Importance ... as the most trivial of Wilde  society play , and the only one produce " peculiar exhilaration of the spirit by which we recognise the beautiful . " " It is " , he wrote , " precisely cuz it is consistently trivial that it ain't ugly . " Ellmann say dat TdaImportance of Being Earnest touched on many themes Wilde had been building since the 1880s — the languor of aesthetic poses was well established and Wilde take it as a starting point for the two protagonists . While Salome , An Ideal Husband and Thdaic of Dorian Gray had dwelt on more serious wrongdoing , vice in Earnest is represented by Algy  craving for cucumber sandwiches . Wilde told Robert Ross tdatthedaay  theme was " Thdate should treat all trivial things in life very srsly , and all serious things of life with a sincere and studied triviality . " The theme is hinted at in the play  ironic title , and " earnestness " is repeatedly alluded to in the dialogue , Algernon say in Act II , " one gotta be serious about somethin if one is to have any amusement in life " but go on to reproach Jack fa ' being serious bout everything ' " . Blackmail and corruption done haunted the dable lives of Dorian Gray and Sir Robert Chiltern ( in An Ideal Husband ) , but in Earnest the protagonists  duplicity ( Algernon  " bunburying " and Worthing  double life as Jack and Ernest ) is undertaken for more innocent purposes — largely to avoid unwelcome social obligations . While much theatre of the tda tackled serious social and political issues , Earnest superficially about nothin at all . It " refuse to play the game " of other dramatists of the pedad , for instance Bernard Shaw , used their characters to draw audiences to grander ideals .