How is language an important source of humour in ''the importance of being earnest?''

The importance of language as an important source of humor
in Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest is based on
Wilde's ubiquitous use of sarcasm, irony, epigrams, paradoxes, and mockery to identify
the unique characteristics of the upper classes of Victorian
London.

Oscar Wilde is represented in character of
Algernon. Wilde uses Algernon as a mouthpiece to voice his own observations about the
qualities of the aristocracy as individuals. Namely, that the aristocrats love to live
above their means and appear to be wealthy, that they are classicist and bigoted, that
they are hypocrites, holier than thou, and swear by prudishness while leading double
lives.

This being said, the dialogues that are intended to
aristocrats such as Lady Bracknell, Algernon, and Gwendolen are filled with
contradictory statements that show the double standards of the rich. Lady Bracknell is
Wilde's focal point as to who will speak the most nonsense, as she clearly tells Jack
upon learning that he is an orphan:

JACK:I have lost both my
parents.
LADY BRACKNELL:Both?…To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be
regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.

This is how
Wilde uses the ignorance of the aristocrats as material for jokes and for basically
laughing at them, while letting them laugh at themselves. That is the basics of Wildean
dialogue in theater.