The Importance of being Earnest

1. This drama was not my favorite to read. Although it was not that difficult to understand, I found it boring, and not very funny. Some aspects were found humourous such as how high society was viewed, however I was not drawn into the play like I was within the Taming of a Shrew. Regardless, of my disinterest I found the drama more appealing then some other things that I have read such as Bus Stop. Despite these criticisms I did like the things that I had analyzed about the play, regarding identity.

2. Oscar Wilde's portrayal of identity is individually viewed as important. Having both characters, Jack and Algemon having a dual identity allows the reader to visualize the pros and cons of having another identity. Wilde could be saying that this dual identity sometimes allows individuals to discover themselves, within this process. However through this discovery one could argue that he is not stating that you will always get what you want in life, by not being yourself. The main idea that could be conveyed is that sometimes we can not be ourselves to always get what we want in life, and we must all have these dual identities not to the extent of making up a totally different human being, but rather to bring out a superficial side to us all in order to achieve what we want or need to achieve in life.