Conflicts in The Importance of Being Earnest

The outcome of conflicts in drama can reveal values in a play more than the actual conflicts themselves can. One play where this is true is The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde. Set in Victorian England, this play satirises the aristocracy of the time. Usually, authors of that Period used the lower classes as their roving grounds for social commentary, but unlike authors such as Dickens, Wilde used the upper classes, with which …

…trivialises other things, like religion, death, customs and manners, etc. For instance, when Algy tells his Aunt Augusta that his friend Bunbury died when his doctors told him he could not possibly live, her only concern is that he acted under the proper medical advice of his physician. In conclusion, the use of triviality to present values and Wilde's formidable wit combine to produce a very engaging and entertaining comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest.