Author(s)

Juan Wang

Corresponding Author

Juan Wang

ABSTRACT

Wilde subtitled the importance of being earnest “a trivial comedy for serious people” and describe is as “exquisitely trivial, a delicate bubble of fancy.” Wilde once remarked to a reporter, but “it has its philosophy.” The philosophy is “that we should treat all the trivial things of life seriously, and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality.” Wilde’s characters embody paradoxes as they reflect the philosophy of the play. This thesis examines the union of seriousness and triviality from cleanth brooks’s theory of paradox and the paradox’s function in the importance of being earnest. This paper mainly focuses on the analysis characters in the play.

KEYWORDS

The Importance of Being Earnest, Paradox, Seriousness, Triviality