Names play a vital role in Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest". The character names are intentional and well thought out. Their name alludes to the box for each of their characters. A name is a model and in the Victorian era, when this play was written, a name would determine whether you would become a prince or a pauper. It is ironic that a child is at the mercy of his parents for his name, just as the characters in this play were predetermined by Wilde. An expectation for the way society is run is also a label, and Oscar Wilde sets out to demonstrate the banality of these brands through his characters' use of wit, irony, and humor. The stereotypes of the five main characters in this play help reveal social masks through comedic timing. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Lady Bracknell's comic creation is a wonderful outlet for plot actions and a glimpse into the ideals of the Victorian era2E Lady Bracknell is the quintessential matronly elite who emphasizes good manners above all else. Some of Wilde's funniest lines are delivered through his character. Furthermore, it is Lady Bracknell who introduces Wilde's view on marriage and how it falls short of the romantic ideal. When Lady Bracknell is interviewing Jack to apply to marry her daughter, Gwendolyn, her physical and linguistic actions demonstrate that she is disturbed by Jack's disreputable past. For example, when Jack tells her that it was found in a bag at the train station on the Brighton Line, she states that "The line is irrelevant." (Act I p.1439). This shows how Jack's lack of a material background distresses her. Lady Bracknell is a stereotype for the importance in Victorian culture of a good education and a family name. Gwendolyn is Lady Bracknell's daughter and is the reason for Lady Bracknell's snobbery towards Jack. Gwendolyn is in love with Jack who she knows as Ernest. His frivolity is the stereotype of the time period regarding thoughts on marriage. For example, she says that she was destined to love Ernest because of his name (Act I p.1435). This shows his obsession with his fantasy for the ideal love story. But many of the epigrams in the play denote the ironic fact that Wilde felt that marriage was a cruel reality. Just like Gwendolyn is Cecily, as they are both fixated in their romantic fantasies about marriage. He also has the same opinion that the name Ernest is the essence of perfection. Cecily even went so far as to write love letters to herself and imagine a marriage proposal from Algernon (Ernest) before she even met him (Act III p.1452-3). It's funny that she wouldn't trust her boyfriend to write them on his own, which is a clue that he would never be able to write something on his own that meets all her expectations. Cecily is also the one who unequivocally states the theme of the play when she says, "I hope you haven't been leading a double life, pretending to be evil and being really good all the time. That would be hypocrisy." (Act III p.1445). Both Cecily and Gwendolyn are obviously turned on by the dangerousness of the man's character. Wilde reversed his intent in a comical way because what he was alluding to are people who always pretend to be moral but actually live corruptly. He is commenting on the fact that society forces people to wear a mask. Algernon is the epitome of the British bachelor.