'It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.'
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) proclaims that it is 'A Trivial Play for Serious
People'. In fact collected here alongside Lady Windermere's Fan (1892) Salome (1891 1894) A
Woman of No Importance (1893) and An Ideal Husband (1895) Earnest shows that the questions
raised by Wilde's plays are anything but trivial. Witty and radical they elegantly challenge
Victorian social proprieties featuring lies blackmail illicit desires seductions and
double lives. This volume edited by Kate Hext positions Wilde's major plays in the context
of Wilde's life career and late-Victorian culture. Its introduction provides a readable
overview with stylistic analyses to help readers understand the plays and why they are still
fresh and relevant today followed by sections on each play which explain key figures plot
devices and Wilde's evolution as a dramatist. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford
World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each
affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text
plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities
helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study and much more.
