Steele 4 Charisma Steele Professor Abbott ENGL 1101 17 SEPTEMBER 2017 The Historical context of “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde It is usually imperative to comprehend the motivation behind a given activity or decision. Most literary pieces have been drafted, but most people do not understand what drove the person to come up with such ideas. Oscar Wilde is among the individuals who have been relevant to the literature circle because of his immense contribution to the sector. He has other pieces that he has published, but one of them: "The Importance of Being Earnest" is legendary. Therefore, the discourse will be explaining the historical context of this masterpiece. The environment where people operate is exceedingly paramount to their existence because most of the things that happen have various degree of influence on the respective individuals. Consequently, people draw inspiration from the events that take place around them. Some people might choose to be silent while others are expressive about their feelings on a given subject. Oscar Wilde belongs to the latter category based on his skills as expressed in “The Importance of Being Earnest" provides a reader with an opportunity of understanding the circumstances that existed during its authorship. The lifestyle of the people during that time gives a clear picture of the characteristics of the society during this period. "The Importance of Being Earnest" was written at the backdrop of political tension in Ireland. Therefore, some of the utterances that have been made on the play provide an overview of the extent of the differences that could have existed among the people. The issue of Home Rule in Ireland was among the controversial issues at the time. Ideally, in 1886, William Gladstone had caused some tension by committing the British Liberal Party to fortify the quests for Ireland's self-rule (Horz, 36). This move was made under the British Empire framework. The House of Lords thwarted any efforts of the Home Rule Bill. Two years after the rejection of the bill, Oscar Wilde came up with "The Importance of Being Earnest." The implication of the differences that were brought about by the Home Rule case has been featured in "The Importance of Being Earnest." Oscar Wilde uses the characters in the play to show the reactions of people during that time. In the play, Lady Bracknell asks Jack about his political inclination when he suggested that he wanted to propose to Gwendolen (Wilde &Bristow, 24). This type of question indicates that politics controlled various aspects of people’s lives during that time. Therefore, Lady Bracknell’s intention for asking that question was driven by the need to determine Jack's political correctness before getting serious with Gwendolen. When Jack confirmed to her that he was a Liberal Unionist, she showed a cognizable degree of relief. The line "Oh, they count as Tories. They dine with us" (Wilde &Bristrow, 24) confirms his reply. T.