What is the subtitle of the play?

• A. A Trvial Comedy for Serious People
• B. A Trivial Comedy for Earnest People
• C. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People
• D. A Trivial Farce for Serious People

Answer: (A)

The subtitle signals Wilde’s ironic, satirical approach. The play is a light, entertaining comedy, but the subtitle—A Trivial Comedy for Serious People—puts a wink into it: what seems trivial in plot actually exposes how eagerly seemingly serious, respectable people treat small matters as though they’re of great importance. The humor comes from characters fussing over names, engagements, and social rules as if they were monumental, while the situations themselves are quite trivial.

This line also underscores the playful pun at the heart of the title The Importance of Being Earnest: the contrast between earnestness (seriousness) and trivial comedy is central to the satire. The subtitle uses “Serious People” rather than implying anything about being earnest, and it names “Comedy” rather than “Farce,” signaling Wilde’s refined, witty style rather than a broad slapstick.

So the correct subtitle is the one that reads A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, aligning with Wilde’s tone and the play’s thematic irony.