Preview

The Importance of Being Earnest

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1312 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest The Importance of Being Earnest a play written by Oscar Wilde is set in England in the late Victorian era. Wilde uses obvious situational and dramatic irony within the play to satirize his time period. According to Roger Sale in “Being Ernest” the title has a double meaning to it and is certainly another example of satire used by Wilde. With a comedic approach, Wilde ridicules the absurdities of the character’s courtship rituals, their false faces, and their secrets (478). In the Victorian era, courtship rituals were slightly different from modern time courtships. It started with couples speaking first, going out together, and finally they would keep each other company after mutual attraction was confirmed. The character Jack, in all his seriousness, refutes these rituals. Gwendolyn says “I adore you. But you haven’t proposed to me yet. Nothing has been said at all about marriage. The subject has not even been touched on” (622). This shows that Jack is ignoring the stages of courting and jumping right into marriage. Wilde is certainly satirically commenting on courting and how there really just has to be a mutual attraction. Upon Gwendolyn’s acceptance of his proposal, the problems with different social affairs begin to be unraveled. Gwendolyn says “I am told; and my ideal has always been to love some one of the name of Ernest. There is something in that name that inspires absolute confidence…” (622) In fact, Ernest 's love for Gwendolyn seems rather arbitrary while Gwendolyn indirectly admits that she loves Ernest only for his name. This just adds to the satirizing of courtship because the girl only will marry him because he has the name Ernest. The characters Lady Bracknell’s and Algernon’s objections are prime examples of dating issues during this era. Otto Reinhart in Satiric Strategy in the Importance of Being Earnest says that Wilde viewed marriage to be full of hypocrisy and used to achieve social status which these two


Cited: Christ, Carol. “The Importance of Being Earnest.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th Edition. Vol. 2. Print. Reinert, Otto. “Satiric Strategy in the Importance of Being Earnest.” College English 18.1 (1956); 14-18. JSTOR. Oct. 1956. Web. 09 Apr. 2013 Sale, Roger. “Being Earnest” The Hudson Review 56.3 475-84. JSTOR. Autumn 2003.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Comedic Conventions Used in the Importance of Being Earnest
    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Comedic Conventions Used in the Importance of Being Earnest

    Wilde also loosely follows the schematics of the `green world’. To fully use the green world theory the end of the play would have to end in the town, not the country, as that is where the beginning took place. However he follows the rest of the theory perfectly; order – Jack being the only Ernest with no one knowing that they are the same person; chaos – Algernon pretending to be Ernest asking Cecily to marry him and Gwendolyn who Jack asked to marry him as Earnest comes to the country; resolution – when both male characters have been discovered and identities revealed.…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hypocrisy In The Importance Of Being Earnest
    • 201 Words
    • 1 Page

    Hypocrisy In The Importance Of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde is known as a comedic playwright to much of the world, although his plays address issues with contemporary society in a nonchalant way by turning these issues into a joke. In The Importance Of Being Earnest Wilde uses irony and mockery to ridicule the narcissistic attitude of the victorian aristocracy as well as to expose their hypocrisy, ridiculous social norms, and their sheer stupidity that results in a myriad of silly and funny situations.…

    • 201 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Penny Gay Defines Comedy as a Genre Where Words Are More Important Than Actions, How Far Does Wilde’s the Importance of Being Earnest Support This View.
    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Penny Gay Defines Comedy as a Genre Where Words Are More Important Than Actions, How Far Does Wilde’s the Importance of Being Earnest Support This View.

    The comedy of the Importance of Being Earnest uses spoken language to convey comical actions rather than physical actions. The Importance of Being Ernest is a drama because of its origins as a play, but also a contextual comedy as the characters follow the general format of falling in love with each other and ending with the idea of marriage. However, the play is also very satirical, making light of the aristocratic classes, exaggerating the upper-class morals and the frivolity of the characters.…

    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Importance Of Being Ernest Rhetorical Analysis
    • 1579 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Importance Of Being Ernest Rhetorical Analysis

    Arguably the most remarkable quotation of Wilde's writing comes from here, when Gwendolen casually states that "in matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing". The tone of this saying would have been amusing, being brushed off casually as it came from a deluded character. However, the undertone remains important- that in life nothing is important but "style", as long as the presentation is correctly executed then sincerity and meaning is useless. This perfectly reflects Gwendolen's actions- she rejects Jack and consequently leads to Cecily's rejection of Algernon because she was mislead about something as unimportant as a name. In turn, she refuses to speak with either male in a stereotypically indignant fashion- yet welcomes Jack back with open arms.…

    • 1579 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Importance Of Being Earnest Satire Analysis
    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Importance Of Being Earnest Satire Analysis

    Both Jack and Algernon pretend to be a man named Ernest to satisfy their love interest's wish, reflecting the Victorian obsession of social appearance and standing. This obsession may have lead to this hypocritical nature of lying and cheating in order to look truthful and honest. There is also the way marriage is handled within the play that contrasts with Victorian society. Marriage in the play is treated as a simple process, with a simple proposal, then engagement, and then marriage. This view pokes fun at how Victorian parent plan in great detail about their children’s marriage, shown especially with Lady Bracknell, who questions Jack after his proposal to Gwendolen, and scrutinizing every aspect of his status. During the questioning, she is quick to judge the status of Jack’s finances, occupation, and housing, describing the concerns of many upper class Victorians of the time. Also, this play allows the couples wins their marriage, even with the disapproval with their guardians.. Likewise, despite the truth eventually coming out, all the main characters get their happy ending, which in essence illustrate that although Victorian society discourages dishonesty, the individuals of the Victorian time will allow it to pass if it is going to benefits them in some way, either now or later.…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnes
    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnes

    Another of Wilde’s plays, and perhaps his most famous, The Importance of Being Earnest, is a comedy, and so it is easy for the audience to become entranced by the humor of the show without examining the underlying symbolism and satire that makes it so funny. The play is, at its core, about the mischief that can ensure when names are given too much importance. The name Ernest, in particular, is coveted by the two main male characters, Jack and Algernon, but also by the two main female characters, Cecily and Gwendolen (Garland 272). But it is not just the name Ernest that is given special significance in the play: other names and terms of address come to represent the dominance that characters are able to exert over each other (Garland 272),…

    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analyzing Earnest's 'Parent Meddling'
    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Analyzing Earnest's 'Parent Meddling'

    Firstly, Earnest Act 1 Victorian age ideals oppose intellectually stimulating and emotionally-driven modern love. Marriage revolved around class structure, style, and prosperity. Parents practiced complete control over romantic relationships in the Victorian era. Epitomization of this includes Lady Bracknell’s conversation with Gwendolen over Earnest’s proposal.…

    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Honesty In Oscar Wild's The Importance Of Being E
    • 78 Words
    • 1 Page

    Honesty In Oscar Wild's The Importance Of Being E

    This satire written in the 1800s revolves around how important it is to be called Earnest even if the characters pretending to be him are ironically not acting as the name suggests. This play about an imaginary man created by Jack and Algernon symbolizes the empty promises or deceit that was upheld in Victorian standards. Oscar Wild’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” focuses on the comparison of what true honesty means and how the Victorian Era upheld honesty.…

    • 78 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Marriage In The Importance Of Being Earnest
    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Marriage In The Importance Of Being Earnest

    Marriage is one of the main messages portrayed in the dialogue, being mentioned numerous times throughout The Importance of Being Earnest. The topic of marriage is used to motivate the plot and as a subject for philosophical and debate. The question of the nature of marriage is first debated in the opening conversation between Algernon and Lane, his butler. Not long after, Algernon and Jack discuss the nature of marriage…

    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Do You Think Oscar Wilde's Views on the Role of Marriage in the English Upper Classes Is in the Book a Woman of No Importance?
    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages

    What Do You Think Oscar Wilde's Views on the Role of Marriage in the English Upper Classes Is in the Book a Woman of No Importance?

    The first opinion we get of Wilde view on marriage is when Miss Worsley and Lady Caroline are having a conversation where Lady Caroline explains to Miss Worsley that the English tradition does not allow unmarried young women should 'conceal their feelings till after they are married.' This suggests that Wilde is mocking the English upper class because even having a friendly comment of the opposite sex is thought of as immoral whereas, the opposite have every right to speak the way they feel about women married or unmarried. Oscar Wilde's view also comes across to us as readers when Lord Illingworth says a woman that is been married for too long is perceived as 'a public building' or an, this suggests that Oscar Wilde believes that a woman should not be kept a prisoner in her marriage.…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Does Wilde Treat Victorian Values Were Perpetuated Through Courtship And Marriage
    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Does Wilde Treat Victorian Values Were Perpetuated Through Courtship And Marriage

    Topic #1: Oscar Wilde felt Victorian values were perpetuated through courtship and marriage, both of which had their own rules and rituals. Marriage was a careful selection process. It is presented as a legal contract between consenting families of similar fortunes; background, love, and happiness have little to do with it. How does Wilde treat the Victorian marriage values?…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Is The Fact That Wilde Creates Female Characters Who Refuse To Conform To Stereotypes
    • 769 Words
    • 4 Pages

    What Is The Fact That Wilde Creates Female Characters Who Refuse To Conform To Stereotypes

    The stereotypical view of the woman in late Victorian London was that they were to be married to who their parents decided they’d be married to, and not have an opinion on the matter that differed from their parent’s. This expected behaviour was not what was displayed by such female characters in Oscar Wilde’s, “The Importance of being Earnest”.…

    • 769 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Importance of Being Earnest- Women
    • 1509 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Importance of Being Earnest- Women

    A way that Wilde challenges the typical Victorian society is by the way he presents women similarly to men. The female characters in ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, Lady Bracknell in particular, are much more dominant than expected for the time and tend to take control over most situations. Within the Bracknell household, Lord Bracknell is known to be ‘under the thumb’ of the women and Gwendolen even remarks that “Outside the family circle, papa, I am glad to say, is entirely unknown. I think that is quite as it should be” (Act 2). Here, Gwendolen shows reversing the traditional roles of men and women. Gwendolen challenges the conventional idea that women should be the ones at home cooking, cleaning, and raising children. Wilde overtly shows that woman can occupy positions of power and usurp the traditional gender roles. He uses the comedic device of role reversal to highlight the importance of traditional roles in Victorian society. The humour comes from the ridiculousness of women being the dominant gender and taking charge of others, when it is well known this was not the case at the time.…

    • 1509 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Importance of Being Earnest Satire Essay Example
    • 1166 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Importance of Being Earnest Satire Essay Example

    “Gwendolen. […] and my ideal has always been to love some one of the name of Ernest. There is something in that name that inspires absolute confidence. The moment Algernon first mentioned to me that he had a friend called Ernest, I knew I was destined to love you. […] Jack?… No, there is very little music in the name Jack, if any at all, indeed. It does not thrill. It produces absolutely no vibrations… I have known several Jacks, and they all, without exception, were more than usually plain. Besides, Jack is a notorious domesticity for John! And I pity any woman who is married to a man called John. She would probably…

    • 1166 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Satire in the Importance of Being Earnest
    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Satire in the Importance of Being Earnest

    The use of comedy helps bring books, movies and plays to life. In some cases, it is even written around the idea of comedy itself. The play Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde criticizes the aspect of the aristocratic life in the Victorian era by making fun of them with a term called satire. In the play, Wilde creatively uses three different types of irony. These being: verbal, dramatic and situational forms of irony. Each form of irony is used to mock the behavior and status of the characters, depending on their character and position in the society.…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics