The Importance of Being Earnest Essay - 1439 Words

A Trivial Comedy for Serious People Oscar Wilde mocked his audience while he entertained them. Perhaps his most loved and well-known work, The Importance of Being Earnest, satirises the manners and affections of the upper-class Victorian society. Satire is a literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, usually with the intent of changing or correcting the subject of the satirical attack. The play focuses on the elite, while making fun of the ludicrousness and extremity of their behaviour. By employing many different types of humour, including witticisms, sarcasm and irony, Wilde produced, arguably, the most popular and enduring pieces of social satire to ever surface from the Victorian era. The major target†¦show more content†¦Although the characters in The Importance of Being Earnest strive to be respectable, none actually believe in the socially-set standards. As subset of the theme of values, Wilde explores in depth what it means to have a dual identity in Victorian society. Wilde himself knew the nature of the double life, having indulging in activities that were illegal and vilified by â€Å"respectable† society while appearing to be a husband and father in a traditional household. The theme of a double life of outward respectability while secretly transgressing society’s moral code is central to the plot of the Importance of Being Earnest. This is epitomised by the concept of â€Å"Bunburying†. Bunburying is, defined by Algernon, an elaborate lie allowing one to misbehave or escape social obligations while appearing respectable and dutiful. This idea is summed up in the text when Jack quips â€Å"When one is in town one amuses oneself. When one is in the country one amuses other people.† Through Jack’s wit, Wilde suggests that duplicity is an essential part of existence in late-Victorian society. Bot h Jack and Algernon struggle to remain free of the restrictions of Victorian convention.Show MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Being Earnest759 Words   |  4 PagesThe Importance doesn’t Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is a satire, comedy play of the Victorian Age. The Importance of Being Earnest follows two main characters, Earnest and Algernon, who live double lives. During his play Wilde makes fun of some of the standards and the way of life during that time. One of the common traits of the time was deception. Wilde’s play has a common occurrence of deception through the play’s plot line, trivial lies, and a character’s point of view on deception. Wilde’sRead MoreThe Importance of Being Earnest800 Words   |  4 PagesOscar Wilde, the writer of The Importance of Being Earnest, celebrated the Victorian Era society while criticizing it in his play. Through his play, he utilized the humorous literary techniques of pun, irony, and satire to comment on the impact of Victorian Era society left on the characters themselves. These comedic literary devices also help to show how the members of this society in the Victorian Era live by a set of unspoken rules that determine politeness, as well as proper etiquette to liveRead MoreThe Importance Of Being Earnest1041 Words   |  5 PagesFeminist Perspective As seen in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, men and women live in a society of inequality between the two sexes as conveyed through double standards. For instance, there is a double standard regarding men and women flirting as seen when Algernon says â€Å"She will place me next to Mary Farquhar, who always flirts with her own husband across the dinner-table. That is not very pleasant.† While women are shamed for talking to men whom they are married to, men such asRead MoreThe Importance of Being Earnest 526 Words   |  2 Pages In the Importance of Being Earnest, dramatic irony is throughout the play which leads to many humorous events. Dramatic irony is a type of irony where the audience fully understands the situation while the character is unaware of it. The lack of knowledge the character has about their situation is amusing in the play. First example of dramatic irony that turns into humor is when Jack confesses his love to Gwendolen and she also feels the same way but for a different reason than his. She saysRead MoreThe Importance of Being Earnest1284 Words   |  6 PagesIn this Lady bracknell shows no sympathy for Mr.Bunbury and does not exhibit pity for him as he is less privileged then status. It is befitting that how cursory is Victorian values. BUNBARING AS A CENTRAL THEME :- Marriage:- It is of principle importance in the story both as a chief plot and also a topic of debate. The issue of marriage came for the first time when Algernon asks Lane† Is marriage so demoralizing as that ? â€Å"(Pg 7). They discuss the attributes of marriage and discuss whether marriageRead More Not Being Earnest in The Importance of Being Earnest Essay examples858 Words   |  4 PagesNot Being Earnestnbsp;innbsp;The Importance of Being Earnest nbsp;While some critics contend that The Importance of Being Earnest is completely fanciful and has no relation to the real world, others maintain that Oscar Wildes trivial comedy for serious people does make significant comments about social class and the institution of marriage.nbsp; These observations include the prevalent utilization of deceit in everyday affairs.nbsp; Indeed the characters and plot of the play appear to beRead MoreEssay On The Importance Of Being Earnest1087 Words   |  5 PagesThe Importance of Being Earnest The title of the book I read for my summer reading is called The Importance of Being Earnest which is a drama book written by Oscar Wilde. It was set in London in the year of 1895. A constant theme throughout this book was marriage beginning with Lane and Algernon discussion. Everyone has different ideas of what marriage is, Lane believes it is a pleasant state, Algernon and Jack discuss if its for business or pleasure. Lady Bracknell believes that it should be aRead MoreCharacterization in the Importance of Being Earnest987 Words   |  4 Pagesgroup B Characterization in The Importance of Being Earnest Among Oscar Wilde’s varied works, a prominent place has been assumed by a notoriously humorous play The Importance of Being Earnest. Such has been the play’s popularity to this day that countless efforts have been retaken so as to adapting it for modern age due to its scintillating language and the author’s surpassing skill at creating immortal characters. In the attempt to spell out the importance of characterization we shall lookRead More Importance Of Being Earnest Essay1037 Words   |  5 Pages Theatre Studies: Cat One Draft The Importance of Being Earnest is set in late Victorian England, a time of social reform. Society was rediscovering art in its many forms yet as a consequence, The Upper class continued their program of suppressed inferiority. The lower classes were treated with disdain and disgust and the animosity between the groups was easily visible. Essentially, the late Victorian era was the beginning of a mini cultural renaissance, yet Upper Class society, which forms theRead More The Importance of Being Earnest Essay1376 Words   |  6 PagesOscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is a timeless comedy of manners in which two young, light-hearted men, pretend their names are ‘Ernest’ in a bid to impress their love interests, who both believe the name Ernest bestows magical qualities on the possessor. Throughout the play, Wilde uses a mix of social drama, melodrama and farce to appeal to the audience. Through his gentle use of parody Wilde is able to ridicule his con temporaries and attack the values and attitudes of Victorian society