George Bernard Shaw criticized The Importance of Being Earnest for:

A.) Being too long

B.) Lacking true substance

C.) Not being funny

Answer:- B.) Lacking true substance

The Importance of Being Earnest was criticized by George Bernard Shaw, a prominent literary critic of the early 19th century, for lacking content. He meant that although Wilde attempted to depict the elitism that prevailed among the ruling class at the time, it appeared to have little relevance to current affairs (at the time).

He continued by stating that the play was Oscar Wilde’s “first genuinely callous play” and that he personally felt as though he had “wasted his evening” after reading it.

The play, he claimed, lacked concrete references to social and political themes, despite the play’s occasional funny and relevant moments.

Shaw believed that the play’s “sarcasm” had been exchanged for its “humanity.”