The Importance of Being Earnest General information Play in three acts written by Oscar Wilde, published in 1898 Satirical comedy about paradoxes and double identities Plot Based on a pun: earnest means sincere and is a male name Jack and Algernon change their identity into Earnest. As Earnest, they fall in love respectively with Gwendolen and Cecily After a long succession of humoristic misunderstandings, they finally reveal their real identities and get married Quotations from the play The play is satirical and ridicules Victorian hypocrisy and conventions Aboriginal Australian Culture Origins It dates back to between 60,000 and 80,000 years ago No written language Traditions have been passed on through storytelling 120 Dreamtime and Dreaming Dreamtime explains the existence of the Aboriginal people and how things were created by spirits at the beginning of the universe Dreaming commands the rules for Aboriginal people Symbolism The flow of water: it symbolises the importance of water in Australian dry areas The Goanna: ancient reptile The snake: the symbol of strength The waterhole: a sacred place The Mimih spirits: original spirits who taught people many things