Victorian Drama

All About Etiquette

Etiquette refers to the established rules of behavior in social situations. For example, when you eat in a restaurant, you probably know that you should not talk with food in your mouth or that it is rude to put your elbows on the table while eating. However, did you know that you are supposed to put your silverware on your plate and not back on the table once you have finished? Where do you put your napkin while you are eating? Or when you need to leave the table?

Although some people may not bother with so many detailed rules for behavior, social etiquette was of the utmost importance during the Victorian Age. In The Importance of Being Earnest, there is a scene in which a lady objects to putting sugar in tea and professes that eating cake (instead of bread and butter) is quite unfashionable. In this interactivity, think about how important etiquette is to you personally as you test your knowledge of a formal table setting. Click the player button to begin.