Style of language
The language in the play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde reflects the speech of the upper class during the late Victorian period. The advanced vocabulary and sentence structure resemble formal language and might be considered difficult for the modern readers.
It is worth noting that there is a difference between the more casual speech of the young people in the play, and the speech of the older generation, represented by Lady Bracknell. Algernon and Jack express themselves in a more careless manner, occasionally using slang words particular to the period, such as for example “old boy” (Act 1 ) and “young scoundrel” (Act 3), both of which are used to refer to a long-time friend. In contrast, Lady Bracknell’s speech appears pretentious and exaggerated, highlighting her self-importance. For instance:
Apprised, sir, of my daughter’s sudden flight by her trusty maid, whose confidence I purchased by means of a small coin, I followed her at once by a luggage train. Her unhappy father is, I am glad to say, under the impression that she is attending a more than usually lengthy lecture by the University Extension Scheme on the Influence of a permanent income on Thought. (Act 3)
The language of the middle class (Miss Prism and Canon Chasuble) appears similarly elaborate, although more pedantic. For instance, Chasuble comments on the “death” of Jack’s brother in the following way: “I fear that hardly points to any very serious state of mind at the last. You would no doubt wish me to make some slight allusion to the tragic domestic affliction next Sunday” (Act 3).
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