The Importance of Being Earnest: Context: The UK in the 1890s

General Political and Social Climate:

The 1890s was a period of significant social and political change in the UK. The end of Victorianism was on the horizon, yielding to new sentiments and desires for change.
As the Industrial Revolution had drastically transformed the economic and social landscapes, class divisions were more starkly highlighted with the increase of the urban working class and an entrenched and affluent upper class.
Aestheticism and Decadence, movements that championed beauty and art for art’s sake, questioned materialism and conventional Victorian values. The slogan of the Aesthetic Movement was “Art for Art’s Sake”.

Role of Women:

The role of women was slowly transforming during this period due to the rise of the suffragette movement, although this was most prominent in the 1900s. The concept of the ‘new woman’, educated and desiring more freedom, was becoming more popular.
The Victorian ideal of womanhood was still prevalent, with women expected to be domestic, modest, pure and submissive. This is seen in Wilde’s play through Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen’s characters.

Importance of Social Class:

Social status was of utmost significance in the 1890s. The divisions between the working, middle, and upper classes were clearly demarcated, and social mobility was infrequent and difficult.
The aristocracy was mainly concerned with preserving its status and social standing, often through arranged marriages rather than marriages based on love, as reflected in Wilde’s play.

Victorian Morality and Hypocrisy:

While the surface of the 1890s society appeared rigidly moral with strict social norms and mores, much of this was faced with criticism due to widespread hypocrisy.
The Victorian society’s obsession with propriety and decorum often led people to lead double lives, a concept brilliantly encapsulated in Wilde’s use of the motif of ‘Bunburying’ in the play.

The LGBTQ+ Community in the Late 1800s:

Homosexuality was illegal in the UK during the 1890s, punishable by imprisonment. This harsh reality is reflected in Wilde’s own life as he was sentenced to two years’ hard labour after his homosexuality was revealed.
Wilde’s play, while superficially farcical and humorous, subtly challenges the orthodox norms of sexuality and the rampant homophobia of Victorian society. The concealed identities of Jack and Algernon could serve as a metaphor for the hidden lives of queer individuals in this repressive society.