What characterizes Wilde's aesthetic of wit in the play?

• A. It relies on verbose sermons that weigh down action.
• B. It uses crisp, balanced, epigrammatic lines to create humor while critiquing social pretensions.
• C. It avoids witty language and relies on slapstick.
• D. It uses musical interludes rather than dialogue.

Answer: (B)

Wilde’s wit in this play hinges on crisp, balanced epigrams—short, pointed lines that land as humor while exposing social pretensions. The joke comes from sharp wordplay, paradox, and the way characters perform social masks in dialogue. A single, well-crafted line can reveal hypocrisy or moral fussiness while also being delightfully quotable, so humor arises from language itself rather than from long sermons or broad physical gags. For example, a quip like “The truth is rarely pure and never simple” functions on multiple levels: it’s funny in its concision, and it simultaneously critiques earnest moralizing. The effect is to mock Victorian manners and pretensions through stylish, bite‑sized observations, keeping the audience laughing while nudging them to question social conventions.