The importance of being earnest and four other plays
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (p. [383]-384).

Oscar Wilde' s legendary wit dazzles in "The Importance of Being Earnest," one of the greatest and most popular works of drama to emerge from Victorian England. A light-hearted satire of the absurdity of all forms and conventions, this comic masterpiece features an unforgettable cast of characters who, as critic Max Beerbohm observed, " speak a kind of beautiful nonsense- the language of high comedy, twisted into fantasy." This collection also includes Oscar Wilde' s most famous comedies, "Lady Windermere' s Fan," "A Woman of No Importance," and "An Ideal Husband," as well as his poetic tragedy "Salom "̌- all written between 1891 and 1895, Wilde' s most creative period. George Bernard Shaw said of Oscar Wilde that he is " our most thorough playwright. He plays with everything: with wit, with philosophy, with drama, with actors and audience, with the whole theater."