Which statement about tone and style is accurate?

• A. The work is a grim tragedy with heavy pathos.
• B. The work uses naturalistic dialogue and somber realism.
• C. The work is light, witty, satirical, and farcical.
• D. The work focuses on existential questions with scientific rhetoric.

Answer: (C)

The tone and style of this work come across as light, witty, satirical, and farcical. Oscar Wilde crafts sparkling dialogue filled with epigrams, paradoxes, and quick reversals that reward clever wordplay and social irony. The humor often comes from mistaken identities, exaggerated manners, and rapid-fire exchanges, which create a playful, theatrical gaiety rather than a somber mood.

This approach contrasts with grim tragedy, which would emphasize heavy emotion and serious stakes; with naturalistic realism, which aims for everyday, unadorned portrayal; and with existential or scientifically argued rhetoric, which would foreground philosophical or technical language. Instead, the play treats serious social concerns—boasting, class pretensions, and romance—as subjects for satire and farce, making the overall effect light and entertaining while still critiquing Victorian society.