Honesty is an important trait passed down throughout society. It is the foundation for a long-lasting, meaningful relationship and should be practiced in almost all social interactions. Just like today, the Victorian era valued honesty and supported the idea of ​​being serious. Oscar Wilde's novel The Importance of Being Earnest is set in London, England, during the Victorian era. During this period, Wilde discovered the hypocrisy of the morality so prized by the upper classes and decided to write a commentary on prejudice-based society. To do this, Wilde uses epigrams, satire, and irony to highlight and ridicule the cultural norms of aristocratic society and marriage during the Victorian era. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayWilde uses epigrams to satirize Victorian high society. The epigrams he used were for comic relief and to ridicule ideas about marriage and morality. In the first act, Jack responds to a negative statement made about marriage by Algy by saying that "[t]he divorce court was specially invented for people whose memories are so curiously constituted" (Wilde 9). Wilde is commenting on his belief that all marriages are doomed to failure. He also acknowledges the ridiculous marriage laws established in that era. Wilde experienced these laws and marriage failures firsthand when he was arrested for having an affair with a man and was put in prison for two years. This experience led him to be more satirical towards relationships and marriages in upper-class society. Another example of this is in the fourth act when Gwendolen states, “If you don't take too long, I'll wait for you here all my life” (Wilde 87). This highlights his hypocritical and paradoxical nature as he promises to continue waiting throughout his life as long as he doesn't have to wait too long. Wilde firmly believed that the upper class, although they should set an example for the lower class by upholding high morals, were incredibly duplicitous and did not truly follow what they believed. Gwendolen is the very embodiment of this as she comes across as insincere. Oscar Wilde uses these epigrams to further explore the hypocrisy he found in Victorian ideals. In addition to epigrams, Wilde relies heavily on satire to expose the flawed views of the Victorian community. He uses it to mock social conventions such as marriage, courtship, and class divisions. In the first act, Algy states: “As for the piano, feeling is my forte. I keep science for life” (Wilde 7). During the Victorian era, pianos were powerful objects in social gatherings. If someone knew how to play the piano, they would immediately gain respect and high social standing. In this play on words, Algy trivializes pianos, an important icon in the eyes of many in this period. Wilde uses this quote to make a statement about how anything that has value attributed by a typical upper class Victorian must not have any true feeling, and is therefore ridiculous and unnecessary. The character of Dr. Chasuble is used to further satirize the important morals and values ​​established by the upper class. Dr. Chasuble is supposed to be a holy and righteous man whom the upper class can look up to; however, it does not appear to possess true religious qualities. He is not intelligent, is often distracted and has hidden passions. As a priest, he should be against marriage; however, he courts and flirts with Miss Prism with the intention ofmarry her. All these things lead him to not be an appropriate religious model. Wilde uses Dr. Chasuble to mock the dishonesty he found in priests and other religious leaders, as well as in the society that admired them. Doctor Chasuble should command respect, like all the priests of that period, but instead he holds a materialistic attitude towards life and is very hypocritical. This is how Wilde viewed religious leaders in real life. Wilde uses the character Lady Bracknell to satirize and represent all the wealthy upper class women. She has a domineering personality, is decidedly snobbish, and is clearly motivated by money. These traits can be seen when he interviews Jack to determine if he is eligible to marry Gwendolen. She develops a hypocritical temper and claims that Jack is unfit to marry due to his family background even though he has money. Of all things to disqualify Jack as an unfit bachelor, she chooses something over which he has no control. When it comes to Cecily's suitability to marry Algy, she is immediately very accepting because Cecily comes from a decent background and will have a large dowry. Through Lady Bracknell's obsession with money, Wilde is able to mock the upper class's ridiculous need for materialistic possessions. Wilde tends to satirize the whole idea of ​​money, righteousness, and social class, not to argue about what is moral but to show the absurdity of the whole ideal. Wilde creates situational irony throughout the novel to highlight the easy relationships created within upper class society. At the end of the play, both Cecily and Algy, as well as Jack and Gwendolen, become engaged. All the characters' problems seem to disappear immediately and they all seem to have a happy ending; however, in real life this does not happen. Wilde creates this ending to show the superficiality and superficial relationships that were formed during the Victorian era. Another example of this is when Jack discovers that his given name is actually Ernest. Throughout the play, he pretends that his real name is Ernest, but never truly believes that it is. Once she discovers her real name, Gwendolen exclaims: “Ernest! My Ernesto! I felt from the first moment that you couldn't have any other name!” (Wilde 93). After that, she immediately forgives him and agrees to the marriage. Gwendolen's love for Jack is only on the surface level. She admires the aesthetic of loving the name Ernest, but doesn't actually love Jack for his personality or his qualities. As Jack demonstrates throughout the show, he doesn't keep his first name because he is not an honest or serious man. This further pushes the idea that the relationships that form throughout the show are mundane and not based on real emotions. Wilde uses situational irony to poke fun at Victorian relationships and formed values. In addition to situational irony, Wilde constructs dramatic irony to comment on the absurdity of Victorian relationships and to help highlight the satire throughout the play. The most obvious form of this is the false personas Algernon and Jack create to aid them in their lies and excuses. Algy often uses “bunburying” as a way to escape the city and visit the countryside. Jack is called Ernest in the city, but in the country he is known as Jack. Both men have constructed fictional characters who they claim to visit whenever they leave their family and friends. Jack and Algernon are extremely deceitful, and most of their bonds formed with other characters are based on lies. Even after the rest of the characters discover Jack and Algy's deception, they immediately forgive them and continue to maintain relationships with them. Wilde uses this to once again expose the ridiculous nature of a typical high Victorian.