Stokes 165). Wilde cleverly contrasted the concepts of being earnest and of being deceptive within the play; as the title sang the praises of earnesty, very little of the dialogue was sincere. Confusion over names, family lineage, and even allegiances pervaded the plot due to the insincerity and outright prevarication of the characters. Despite the dishonesty within the play, Wildes hidden emotions regarding his relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas and his public image were woven sincerely throughout the work. Frequent references to the flaws of marriage, such as Algernons statement that "divorces are made in Heaven" (Wilde 70), revealed Wildes bitterness towards the institution. Despite the overtly happy ending, The Importance of Being Earnest contained so much deception and bitterness expressed through wit to create a sense of incompletion, dissatisfaction, and precariousness regarding the relationships between the characters, showing Wildes obvious struggle in his life with deception and relationships. The deception in Oscar Wildes personal life certainly had an impact on the themes for his plays. Wilde married Constance Lloyd in 1884, apparently quite in love; he wrote to her shortly after their marriage, telling her that "the air is full of the music of your voice, my body and soul no longer seem mine, but mingled in some exquisite ecstasy with yours. I feel incomplete without you" (qtd. Holland 113). This love seemed to fade, however; as Constance drew further into the world of motherhood, Wilde "still needed constant intellectual stimulus which as a bachelor he had found easily enough among the literary and artistic circles he frequented" (Holland 122), and Wilde turned to Lord Alfred Douglas for that stimulus. The illicit affair between Douglas and Wilde certainly provided inspiration for the playwright; the need to hide their relationship, stemming from not only Wildes marital vows but also the laws in England prohibiting...
