16.4.21, Oscar Wilde (1899/1990): The Importance of Being Earnest. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People [aka “Bunbury”]

Reclams Universalbibliothek Nr. 9267, Philipp Reclam jun., Stuttgart. Erstausgabe: Leonard Smithers, London 1899.

p.5, Act I. Algernon, Moncrieff’s Flat in Half Moon Street, W.

• Algernon … I don’t play accurately – … but I play with wonderful expression … piano …
• p.12 Jack. … my name is Ernest in town and Jack in the country …

p. 37, Act II. The Garden at the Manor House, Woolton

• p.44 Cecily. … when one is going to lead an entirely new life, one requires regular and wholesome meals …
• p.58 Cecily. … it had always been a girlish dream of mine to love some one whose name was Ernest.

p. 75, Act III. Morning-Room at the Manor House, Woolton.

• p.76 Gwendolen. … In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.
• p.81 Jack (very irritably). …I have also in my possession … certificates of Miss Cardew’s birth, baptism, whooping cough, registration, vaccination, confirmation and the measles, both the German and the English variety.
• p.95 Jack. … I’ve now realized for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest.

p.97 Editorische Notiz

p.99 Anmerkungen

p.103 Literaturhinweise

p.109 Nachwort

• p.111 … war das Räderwerk der Justiz in Gang gesetzt … es stürzte den gefeierten Künstler und umschwärmten Salonlöwen aus der Höhe seines Ruhms in den Abgrund des Holloway Prison …, des Konkursverfahrens und des Paria-Daseins und Todes in Paris fünf Jahre danach.
• p.111-112 Die glitzernde Oberfläche des Possenspiels … ist dünnes Eis, und darunter tun sich … Abgründe auf …
• p.123 … der Titel, der im Gleichklang von “Ernest” und “earnest” deren Sinndifferenz ausspielt …
• p.128 … Die beiden Dandies agieren …durch ihr … Doppelleben die Spannung zwischen Anpassung an viktorianische Normen und und ironischer Distanz zu ihnen aus …

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Importance_of_Being_Earnest: … a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian Londo, … Its … witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde’s most enduringly popular play. The successful opening night marked the climax of Wilde’s career but also heralded his downfall …