Wilde's genre of choice for The Importance of Being Earnest is the Victorian melodrama, or "sentimental comedy," derived from the French variety of "well-made play". ... In The Importance of Being Earnest, however, this is not always the case, as gender role reversal is a common theme throughout the play, which naturally leads to comedy, as during the Victorian Era in the Aristocratic part of society, gender roles were very firmly set, so when this is reversed an audience would find it funny as it is completely out of social norms. The characters who are used to imple...

• Word Count: 2043
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate