Consider the theme of marriage; by using textual evidence, create an argument stating what Wilde is trying to say about marriage and why he might be saying this.

The Importance of Being Earnest Theme of Marriage

The big question The Importance of Being Earnest raises is whether marriage is pleasurable or a restrictive social duty. In general, the older generation thinks of marriage as a means to an end, a way of maintaining or bettering your social position. If you want to get married, you submit to an interrogation: "State your name, rank, and serial number." The number that matters in this case, however, is your income; you better have bank. You also need to have an acceptable title, along with the parents to prove it. The hot-blooded youngsters think they are interested in love. One of the huge ironies in the play – and what makes it a satire of Victorian society – is that, in the end, nobody really breaks the rules. They color within the lines, and marry exactly the type of person their society are expects them to.

shmoop has four pages of quotes on marriage with accompanying explanations. I have provided you with the link below;