Question

Which of the following plays was written by Oscar Wilde?

• A. Macbeth
• B. The Importance of Being Earnest
• C. A Doll’s House
• D. Romeo and Juliet

Answer 1

Answer:

B. The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)

Summary:

• A farcical comedy about mistaken identities and social hypocrisy.

• Two bachelors, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, create false identities (“Ernest”) to escape social obligations and woo two women, Gwendolen and Cecily.

• The play ends with humorous revelations and a satirical commentary on Victorian society’s obsession with status and marriage.

Themes:

• Satire of Victorian Morality – The play mocks the superficiality of upper-class manners.

• Irony and Wordplay – Wilde uses puns, especially on the name “Ernest” (which means serious but is used dishonestly).

• Identity and Deception – The characters’ double lives highlight the hypocrisy of social conventions.