100+ Importance Of Being Earnest Quotes

A man who desires to get married should know everything or nothing.

- George Bernard Shaw

topic: Men, Desire, Importance Of Being Earnest

Quotes

It is awfully hard work doing nothing.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (1899). “The Importance of Being Earnest”, p.46

topic: Hard Work, Doing Nothing, Importance Of Being Earnest

I could deny it if I liked. I could deny anything if I liked.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (1997). “Collected Works of Oscar Wilde: The Plays, the Poems, the Stories and the Essays Including De Profundis”, p.701, Wordsworth Editions

topic: Importance Of Being Earnest, Deny, Earnest

Oh! I don't think I would like to catch a sensible man. I shouldn't know what to talk to him about.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde, Alyssa Harad (2005). “The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays”, p.42, Simon and Schuster

topic: Men, Thinking, Importance Of Being Earnest

And certainly once a man begins to neglect his domestic duties he becomes painfully effeminate, does he not? And I don't like that. It makes men so very attractive.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (1994). “The Importance of Being Earnest”, p.44, Heinemann

topic: Men, Doe, Importance Of Being Earnest

Never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon. Only people who can’t get into it do that.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (1984). “The Importance of Being Earnest”, p.65, Dramatic Publishing

topic: People, Society, Importance Of Being Earnest

Cecily. This is no time for wearing the shallow mask of manners. When I see a spade I call it a spade. Gwendolen. [Satirically.] I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade. It is obvious that our social spheres have been widely different.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (1994). “The Importance of Being Earnest”, p.47, Heinemann

topic: Spheres, Different, Importance Of Being Earnest

I am not in favour of this modern mania for turning bad people into good people at a moment's notice.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (1984). “The Importance of Being Earnest”, p.33, Dramatic Publishing

topic: People, Favour, Importance Of Being Earnest, Mania

A man who marries without knowing Bunbury has a very tedious time of it.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (2007). “The Collected Works of Oscar Wilde”, p.672, Wordsworth Editions

topic: Men, Knowing, Importance Of Being Earnest

Well, I can't eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would probably get on my cuffs.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Charles Osborne, Oscar Wilde (2015). “The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Novel for Serious People”, p.100, St. Martin's Press

topic: Cuffs, Muffins, Importance Of Being Earnest, Heartlessness

I've now realised for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (2015). “The Importance of Being Earnest”, p.60, Xist Publishing

topic: Firsts, Importance Of Being Earnest, First Time, Ideal Husband

My dear Algy, you talk exactly as if you were a dentist. It is very vulgar to talk like a dentist when one isn't a dentist. It produces false impression

- Oscar Wilde

source: 'The Importance of Being Earnest' (1895) act 1

topic: Importance Of Being Earnest, Dentist, Produce

I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone. The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square.

- Oscar Wilde

topic: Education, Ignorance, Class, Upper Class, Modern Education

Well, in the first place girls never marry the men they flirt with. Girls don't think it right.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde, General Press (2016). “The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: Novel, Short Stories, Poetry, Essays and Plays”, p.1343, GENERAL PRESS

topic: Girl, Flirting, Men, Importance Of Being Earnest

When one is in town one amuses oneself. When one is in the country one amuses other people. It is excessively boring.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (2016). “The Importance of Being Earnest: Revised Edition”, p.7, Bloomsbury Publishing

topic: Country, People, Towns, Importance Of Being Earnest

I have always been of opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing.

- Oscar Wilde

topic: Funny, Husband, Men, Importance Of Being Earnest

The modern sympathy with invalids is morbid. Illness of any kind is hardly a thing to be encouraged in others.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde, Alyssa Harad (2005). “The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays”, p.17, Simon and Schuster

topic: Sympathy, Kindness, Health, Importance Of Being Earnest

I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever nowadays.

- Oscar Wilde

topic: Clever, Sick, Cleverness, Importance Of Being Earnest

An engagement should come on a young girl as a surprise, pleasant or unpleasant as the case may be.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (2016). “The Importance of Being Earnest: Revised Edition”, p.25, Bloomsbury Publishing

topic: Girl, Engagement, May, Importance Of Being Earnest

Really, if the lower orders don't set a good example, what on earth is the use of them?

- Oscar Wilde

source: 'The Importance of Being Earnest' (1895) act 1

topic: Funny, Sarcastic, Order, Lower Class, Importance Of Being Earnest

JACK That is nonsense. If I marry a charming girl like Gwendolen, and she is the only girl I ever saw in my life that I would marry, I certainly won't want to know Bunbury. ALGERNON Then your wife will. You don't seem to realize, that in married life three is company and two is none. JACK That, my dear young friend, is the theory that the corrupt French Drama has been propounding for the last fifty years. ALGERNON Yes; and that the happy English home has proved in half the time.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde, Peter Raby (2008). “The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays: Lady Windermere's Fan; Salome; A Woman of No Importance; An Ideal Husband; The Importance of Being Earnest”, p.259, Oxford Paperbacks

topic: Girl, Drama, Home, Married Life, Young Friends

I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being good all the time. That would be hypocrisy.

- Oscar Wilde

source: 'The Importance of Being Earnest' (1895) act 2

topic: Hypocrisy, Wicked, Would Be, Double Life, Importance Of Being Earnest

To speak frankly, I am not in favour of long engagements. They give people the opportunity of finding out each other's character before marriage, which I think is never advisable.

- Oscar Wilde

source: "The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People. The Original Four-act Version".

topic: Marriage, Character, Opportunity, Modern Journalism, Before Marriage

In England ... education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and would probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (1994). “The Importance of Being Earnest”, p.16, Heinemann

topic: Education, Squares, Class, Upper Class, Acts Of Violence

Good heavens, I suppose a man may eat his own muffins in his own garden." "But you have just said it was perfectly heartless to eat muffins!" "I said it was perfectly heartless of YOU under the circumstances. That is a very different thing." "That may be, but the muffins are the same!

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (1956). “Annotated The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People with English Grammar Exercises: by Oscar Wilde (Author), Robert Powell (Editor)”, p.72, Powell Publications, LLC

topic: Men, Garden, Heaven, Importance Of Being Earnest

I have invented an invaluable permanent invalid called Bunbury, in order that I may be able to go down into the country whenever I choose.

- Oscar Wilde

source: The Importance of Being Earnest act 1 (1895)

topic: Country, Order, May, Importance Of Being Earnest

I really don't see anything romantic in proposing. It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal. Why, one may be accepted. One usually is, I believe. Then the excitement is all over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If ever I get married, I'll certainly try to forget the fact.

- Oscar Wilde

topic: Believe, Essence, Romance, Very Romantic, Really Romantic

I hate people who are not serious about meals. It is so shallow of them.

- Oscar Wilde

topic: Hate, People, Meals, I Hate People, Importance Of Being Earnest

I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.