what kind of comedy is the importance of being earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personÃ¦ to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play's major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Contemporary reviews all praised the play's humour, though some were cautious about its explicit lack of social messages, while one considered it the culmination of Wilde's artistic career so far. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduringly popular play.
Shakespeare's influence Shakespeare's influence extends from theatre and literature to present-day movies, Western philosophy, and the English language itself. William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the history of the English language,[1] and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.[2][3][4] He transformed European theatre by expanding expectations about what could be accomplished through innovation in characterization, plot, language and genre.[5][6][7] Shakespeare's writings have also impacted a large number of notable novelists and poets over the years, including Herman Melville[8] Charles Dickens,[9] and Maya Angelou,[10] and continue to influence new authors even today. Shakespeare is the most quoted writer in the history of the English-speaking world[11][12] after the various writers of the Bible; many of his quotations and neologisms have passed into everyday usage in English and other languages.