The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and Don Juan by Lord Byron are two distinctive pieces of British literature. In both stories the male characters take center stage. Jack Worthing's character in The Importance of Being Earnest and Juan's character in Don Juan share many similarities. Both men are upper class, both have an avid interest in the opposite sex, and both are controlled by the women in their lives. The difference between these two characters lies in their achievements and may stem from the fact that each author comes from a distinct literary era. Lord Byron's work is associated with the Romantic movement, a movement concerned with bringing authentic characteristics to the fore to break down barriers between classes. In Don Juan, Juan, after having an affair with a married woman, is sent on a trip by his mother, perhaps so as not to have to face society after such a scandal. His relationship and submission show that he is weak. Despite his aristocracy, Bryon shows Juan as a flawed character to make him relatable to all classes. Oscar Wilde's work is considered part of the late Victorian era, a time when everything was about appearances. At the end of The Importance of Being Earnest, Jack blackmails his way into marrying a girl of equal status, Gwendolen. This act shows that he is manipulative: everything he does is for his own benefit. Jack is shown to be concerned with his own appearance and does not care who he hurts in the process. Each author describes the outcome of each male character in relation to the literary movement to which he was linked. One similarity that Jack and Juan share is that they both come from the upper class. In DonJuan, Lord Byron provides the au...... middle of paper ......Works CitedCraft, Christopher. “Alias ​​Bunbury: Desire and Cessation in the Importance of Being Serious.” Jstor.org. University of California Press, 1990. 19-46 Web. May 1, 2012Clubbe, John. Keats-Shelley's Diary vol. 24.1975.152-55. PrintLauber, John. "Don Juan as Anti-Epic" Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 vol. 8, No.4, 19th century (Autumn, 1968), pp. 607-619Lord Byron. "Don Giovanni." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. vol. D. New York. Norton. 2006. 670-697. Print "Romanticism". The free dictionary. Farlex. Web. April 30, 2012. “Sigmund Freud Quotes." Sigmund Freud Quotes (author of The Interpretation of Dreams). Goodreads Inc. Web. May 01, 2012. Wilde, Oscar. “The Importance of Being Earnest.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature .8th ed.Vol E.New York 2006. 1698-1740Print.