Why is "The Importance of Being Earnest" important? Why does "The Importance of Being Earnest" reject gender norms? All the characters in the play are deliberately sacrificed to the farcical situations they are forced to land on. Algernon proclaims his undying affection while Cecily copies his words in her diary. Is Lane in "The Importance of Being Earnest" black? The Importance of Being Earnest is a true farce and such it lays stress on the comic, or rather absurd, the most incredible situations as detailed above. Jstor. The hidden and repressed sexual nature of Victorian society is emphasized in Act II. A satire of Victorian social hypocrisy, the witty play is considered Wilde's greatest dramatic achievement. Algernon could be interpreted as a recreation of Wilde himself due to his flamboyancy, dandy-like characteristics and being discreet in an indiscreet way with regards to his idea of Bunburying. Because it uses satire to ridicule these instituitions, it shows the deviance from the social order by making ridiculous the ideas of standards, morals and manners. Although the themes in The Importance of Being Earnest address Victorian social issues, the structure of the play was largely influenced by French theatre, melodrama, social drama, and farce. It is celebrated as a masterwork of comedy, and its name, comedy of errors, is often used as a catch-all turn for farcical stories. Much worldlier than Cecily, the canon and Miss Prism flirt outrageously and make innuendoes about desire and lust. This essay has been submitted by a student. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. It was a virtual garden of delights, and the patrons could understand the need for married men to invent Ernests and Bunburys so that they could frolic in this world. Comically, she mentions in passing that Ernest has beautiful words but that they are "badly spelled." Again, Wilde is satirizing the institution of marriage, as it is not based on love, but on more vain superficial criteria. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. While it seems like a stuffy, self-righteous play, it is really simply a mockery of the people who truly feel that way about themselves. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae to escape burdensome social obligations. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. She hopes Ernest looks like a "wicked person," although she is not sure what one looks like. Miss Prism must earn her living as a governess, and she too is a servant of the wealthy. Cecily is over protected lest her imagination run wild. As the local canon, Chasuble is at Jack's beck and call and takes his orders from Jack and the local magistrate. Oscar Wildes play The Important of Being Earnest can be seen as a comedy of manners. Language English. Algernon declares to Cecily that he would never let Jack pick his clothing because, "He has no taste in neckties at all." This irony provides a complex interpretation of the play and implies it to be more complex than a simple farce. Farces were usually done in three acts and often included changes of identity, stock characters, and lovers misunderstanding each other. Oscar Wildes Great Farce: The Importance of Being Earnest. Modern Language Quarterly 35 (1974): 173-86. There are also implicit double entendres in the word Bunbury and cucumber sandwiches. The Importance of Being Earnest opened at George Alexander's St. James Theatre on February 14, 1895. This name is a parody of the long names of various societies that the wealthy dallied with in their quest for redemption. The play concludes with Gwendolen insisting that she can only marry a man named Ernest and Jack discovering that his fathers real name, for which he was supposedly named, was Ernest all along. Algernon comes in, pretending to be Jack's brother, Ernest. When I married to Lord Bracknell I had no fortune of any kind. She furthermore thinks that her status gives her the right to approve of the marriage between Cecily and Algernon without asking Jack what he thinks. He is a bit confused when she explains that they have already been engaged for three months, starting last February 14 at least that is how she recorded her fantasy in her diary. How to Market Your Business with Webinars? The Victorian mania to exclude anyone and everyone who did not conform to social norms is touched on by Wilde's satire of reform movements. This follows the comic structure of a comedy of manners. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! It uses physical humor, low-brow jokes, and other slapstick elements. How do places contrast in "The Importance of Being Earnest"? It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. The Importance of [], People like to say that the conflict is between good and evil. Explore the main themes and read a summary of the play, and then discover how Wilde included literary elements like irony and satire to heighten its comedic effect. Available from: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/beyond-farce/. Cecily's schooling is a perfect opportunity for Wilde to comment on the grim, unimaginative education of England. Wilde married Dublin heiress Constance Lloyd in 1884. Appearance was everything, and style was much more important than substance. How important are dreams in Death of a Salesman? The Importance of Being Earnest draws on elements of farce and melodrama in its depiction of a particular social world. Why did Oscar Wilde write 'The Importance of Being Earnest'? copyright 2003-2023 Homework.Study.com. As if to follow through on her duty to raise Cecily with rigid values, she says, "What a lesson for him! Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# Does "The Importance of Being Earnest" have a moral? It is quite evident that Farquhar and Vanbrugh are more farcical than Congreve, The Taming of the Shrew and The Merry Wives of Windsor are more farcical than Twelfth Night. There is more than meets the eye here, and Wilde is clearly pointing out the sexual repression of his society and satirizing the societal concern for correct and proper appearances, regardless of what simmers under the surface. Does "The Importance of Being Earnest" positively portray aestheticism? It is the foundation for a long-lasting and meaningful relationship, and it is expected to be practiced in almost every social interaction. Thus we find. Two major issues predominate much of The Importance of Being Earnest 's criticism. The name Cecily is believed to have been slang for male prostitute as Algernon professes his love for her, could be seen as a metaphor for Wildes own love for Lord Alfred Douglas. The Importance of Being Earnest/Playwrights To emphasize this absurdity, Algernon comments on the weather in the same breath as their engagement. He continues to put his foot in his mouth by saying, "I spoke metaphorically. Is "The Importance of Being Earnest" Victorian? Let us write you an essay from scratch, Order a custom essay from our writers and get it on time, Benefits of Frugality: a Condemnation of the Upper-class Society by Oscar Wilde Essay, The Theme of Triviality as Brought Out in "The Importance of Being Earnest" Essay, The Aftermath Of A Lie In The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde Essay, "The Importance of Being Earnest": Movie Vs Play Essay, Wilde's Critique Of Victorian Society In The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay, How Blanche and Stella Rely on Self-delusion in A Streetcar Named Desire Essay, The Theme of Abandonment and Brutality in a Streetcar Named Desire Essay, How Femininity and Masculinity Are Presented in Ariel and a Streetcar Named Desire Essay, First Impression Lies: The Power and Masculinity Exuded by Stanley Kolawski Essay. When Algernon remarks, "Divorces are made in Heaven," he . How does satire focus on conduct in a secular society? The Aesthetic Relationship between Wilde's and Strauss's Salome Reconsidered, Cosmopolitan Criticism: Oscar Wilde's Philosophy of Art Wilde's Intentions: The Artist in His Criticism Revising Wilde: Society and Subversion in the Plays of Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde and the Poetics of Ambiguity, Junot Dazs Search for Decolonial Aesthetics and Love, Tales of the Avunculate The Importance of Being Earnest. The more rapidly he can pile absurdity upon absurdity without completely alienating our common sense, the more brilliantly successful he is. Idleness, duty, and marriage are brought together in the conversations of several characters. Previous What is the importance of Tom in "The Glass Menagerie"? The play is a comic masterpiece. The coded conversation between Miss Prism and Chasuble eventually turns to the discussion of the canon's celibacy, which becomes a joke throughout the act. Their banter with one another is one of the main comedic elements at the heart of the play. The Importance of Being Earnest Must Victorian-era social interactions involved a dichotomy between what people said and how they acted in public and what they truly thought. Wilde, the Irish outsider, was dramatically accepted by upper-class London, who loved his wit and daring, even when laughing about themselves. It uses mistaken identity and slapstick humor. What does Cecily want in The Importance of Being Earnest? Though unsure of Wilde's seriousness as a dramatist, they recognised the play's cleverness, humour, and popularity with audiences. What makes The Importance of Being Earnest a comedy of manners? Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/genre/farce/. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! When Jack attempts to tell Gwendolen that his name is really Jack and not Ernest she replies saying, Jack No, there is very little music in the name Jack, if any at all, indeed. (Wilde,537) The only really safe name is Ernest. Wilde deliberately uses farce in the play to exaggerate the mind frame of the upper class. That also shows some level of vanity in the men as they are not even slightly perturbed that the women place so much emphasis on their names. We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. This practice ended in the late 1800s. The use of epigrams in reference to the topic of marriage illustrates a reversal in the social norms of the times as they both are equal in wit even though Lane is of an inferior social position. In his review, William Archer wrote that he found the play empty of meaning, What can a poor critic do with a play which raises no principle, whether of art or morals and claimed it to only be a play of irrepressibly witty personality. Although linguistic humour is a strong feature in the play, the notion that it raises no principle is erroneous as the play does raise the principle, although perhaps discreet, of hypocrisy in Victorian times and the value of being earnest. The structure of the play and comic climaxes, however illustrate that the play, in the structural aspect, is a comedy of manners and a farce, but this fusion of genres adds to the complexity of the play.

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