'The Importance of Being Earnest' has been described as a 'timeless play,' How do you account for its continuing success?

Repetition of funny words in a single speech also makes the play more humorous. An example of this is 'Bunbury', which sounds funny and is repeated several times at one part for example 'Bunbury' and 'Bunburyist' in total are repeated heavily through out the play. It makes the dialogue sound very funny. Another example is 'handbag' which within six lines is repeated six times when Jack is explaining to Lady Bracknell that he was found in a handbag, it is very funny because every time the word handbag is mentioned one might imagine a baby in a handbag. This is also an example of periphrastic speech, which is also humorous, as shows the characters in nervous situations, talking, rambling on about pointless facts. This is relevant to a modern day audience, as Oscar Wilde is making humour out of everyday happenings.

Lots of the humour in 'The Importance of Being Earnest' relies upon the characters contradicting themselves in speech. For example Algernon tells Cecily that he is hungry and when she offers him something to eat he replies "Thank you. May I have a buttonhole first? I never have any appetite unless I have a buttonhole first." Another example of characters contradicting what they say is when Cecily and Gwendolen have found out the truth about neither of their fiancée being called Ernest and decide not to speak to them. Gwendolen says that they will not be the "first to speak" and then they do anyway.

Humour also comes from dramatic irony in the play. Wilde uses it cleverly so that it is shown when one character is trying to lie to another and the reader knows the truth. An example is in the first act when Algernon has Jack's cigarette case and has read the description " From little Cecily, with her fondest love to her dear Uncle Jack." Jack will not admit the truth and instead attempts to deliver a series of untruths. We know from the script that Jack's name isn't Ernest as Algernon thinks it is and it is obvious that Jack is telling a lie about who Cecily is. After denying that he knows any Cecily he then says that she is his aunt. When Algy objects to an aunt calling herself 'little' Jack replies that height "...is a matter an aunt may be allowed to decide for herself." This conversation between Algy and Jack is one of the funniest parts of the play and is excellent as the opening scene because it sets the plot, which is absurd but very amusing. Although the play was not based in our time, this leading of a double life is found in modern comedies too.

The notion of 'Bunburying' is also very funny because the name is absurd and is another element of dramatic irony. The readers know that there is no Bunbury and no brother Ernest and when either of the imaginary people are discussed the reader will find it funny because they know that it is made up. For example the when Jack is in mourning for Ernest is very funny because the readers know that there is no Ernest so he hasn't died at all. Also Algernon is in his house pretending to be the imaginary Ernest and so is going to make Jack look like a fool.

The ordeal with Gwendolen and Cecily having a dream to marry someone of the name of Ernest is also very funny because it is ridiculous. Both of them have an idea that a Christian name is more important than anything else about a husband, which is absurd. Gwendolen says "The only really safe name is Ernest" in conversation with Jack. It is absurd to think that a Christian name denotes safety. This is yet another example of dramatic irony because we know that Jack must be worried that Gwendolen will find out that he is not called Ernest. The same thing happens again in act two between Algy and Cecily. This conversation is even more unbelievable because Cecily admits to keeping a diary in which events that haven't happened and couldn't possibly have happened are written down in it. She tells Algy that they, her and Ernest, have been engaged for the last three months even though there is no Ernest and she had never met Algy. What makes the scene all the more absurd is that Algy simply goes along with it and no comment is made about her obsession with a fictitious man called Ernest. In reality if one were to discover this then they would most likely question Cecily's mental health. It is the characters' seriousness with what they are saying that makes the play funny also. For example when Jack is telling Lady Bracknell about the handbag he was found in the subtext says that Jack is completely serious; Jack, 'In a handbag', Lady Bracknell, ' A handbag.' Jack once again, 'Yes Lady Bracknell. I was in a handbag- a somewhat large, black leather handbag, with handles to it- an ordinary handbag in fact.' The fact that the characters are very sincere about what they have to say even though what they say is mostly absurd makes the play extremely funny.

Oscar Wilde is mocking the Victorian upper-class manners and values. The notion that members of the upper-class society give great importance to manners and style gives the play much humour. One manner in particular that occurs more than once is the way they feel they have to restrain themselves from natural reactions to their emotions. For example in act two when Gwendolen and Cecily are taking tea together both under the wrong impression that they are engaged to the same man, Ernest. Naturally they would probably respond by having an out and out argument over the situation but instead, as their upper-class society supposedly dictates, they remain very calm and restraint and subtly insult each other very politely. For example Cecily 'Sweetly' offers sugar and Gwendolen replies that "Sugar is unfashionable" hinting that the country is not up to date with London's style, the remark is absurd because society doesn't really take their tea to conform with society's style. Wilde here is hinting that upper-class society values fashion too high. Wilde however intends the comment to be funny. Cecily gets Gwendolen back by giving her four lumps of which creates humour. This is reflected on modern snobbery, social status, similar happenings.

The plot of course is completely absurd and so very funny. It is absurd that a baby was left in a handbag in mistake for a novel. Even more absurd is two different women fall in love with two different men purely because they believe their names are Ernest. The different themes are very similar to modern comedies, so the humour is still relevant, therefore making this play so popular and timeless.