Oscar Wilde 
The Importance of Being Earnest 

The Importance of Being Earnest is one of Wilde’s most famous plays. A farcical comedy set in Victorian London, rich in satire and witty dialogue, the play marked the climax of Wilde’s career but also heralded his downfall. Wilde reveals the moral hypocrisy at the heart of the Victorian establishment through the literary techniques of dramatic irony parody and reversals.