The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde


 

Oscar Wilde's madcap farce about mistaken identities, secret engagements, and lovers entanglements still
 delights readers more than a century after its 1895 publication and premiere performance. The rapid-fire
wit and eccentric characters of The Importance of Being Earnest have made it a mainstay of the high school
 curriculum for decades.

Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are both in love with the same mythical suitor. Jack Worthing has wooed
Gewndolen as Ernest while Algernon has also posed as Ernest to win the heart of Jack's ward, Cecily. When all
 four arrive at Jack's country home on the same weekend the "rivals" to fight for Ernest s undivided attention
 and the "Ernests" to claim their beloveds pandemonium breaks loose. Only a senile nursemaid and an old,
 discarded hand-bag can save the day!

This Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Edition includes a glossary and reader's notes to help the modern
 reader appreciate Wilde's wry wit and elaborate plot twists