One of the most prominent central themes of The Importance of Being Earnest is dishonesty. Which is ironic seeing as the title is The Importance of Being Earnest, a characteristic meaning you're sincere, stern, serious, and truthful. Ernest (Jack or Algernon, take your pick) is a person based completely on lies who is created by those two lovely gentlemen for one reason alone: the pursuit of pleasure... this again is an example of Wilde's use of irony because one who is earnest is serious and well mannered. Aside from his clever play on words and Jack and Algy's bunburying (which one can only assume will eventually lead to a complicated web of lies that can only be upheld for so long), Wilde utilizes this play to project his feelings on Victorian social institutions. He portrays the upper class (such as Lady Bracknell) to be self absorbed with little concern for anyone of lower class, and whose only goal in life is to remain as high standing as possible (ex. Lady Bracknell refuses to let her daughter, Gwendolen, marry someone whose background is not necessarily with a long line of upper class people). He also has lines throughout the play implying that once one is married, they lose all of life's pleasure. All of these ideas are shown through his quick-witted, somewhat dry (but still quite amusing) sense of humor.
What Wilde is saying about lies can be taken in many directions. Although lying is generally frowned upon, it can be a way to keep situations under control and keep yourself from living a life you don't wish to lead. Take Jack for example: he is expected to be responsible for the sake of his young ward, Cecily. But one cannot be expected to be utterly stern and mature all day every day, so Ernest gives him an outlet to be irresponsible without effecting his friend's and family's impression on him as well as staying a good example for Cecily. But his lying has a major downside. He has made himself a lovely little alias that is now in love with Gwendolen. Because this is an alias and not his actual self, he now is constantly lying to someone he loves, he cannot marry her when everyone else is under the impression that he is Jack Worthing, not Ernest, and now his friend Algernon is taking this as a way to get to his ward that he is trying so hard to protect. So really whether the good out-weighs the bad is subjective... I suppose we'll all have to see how the story turns out.
