Question

Algernon. Lane’s views on marriage seem somewhat lax. Really, if the lower orders don’t set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them? They seem, as a class, to have absolutely no sense of moral responsibility. –The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde Which features of a comedy of manners are present in the passage? Check all that apply.

a. witty wordplay
b. an illustration of class differences
c. an emphasis on appearances over morality
d. a commentary on marriage
e. the differences between country and city life

Answer 1

The correct answers are B) an illustration of class differences and D) a commentary on marriage.

The features of a comedy of manners that are present in the passage are an illustration of class differences and a commentary on marriage.

Oscar Wilde wrote the play "The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People" that has its inaugural date on February 14, 1895. The play refers to the old customs of Victorian manners in London and satirizes formal institutions such as marriage.