Clever puns and witty dialectic. That is what you will encounter while reading Oscar Wilde’s play “The Importance of Being Earnest”. But what makes this play so great is not just the characters but the title itself. The title depicts the whole story and foreshadows the main characters’ journey of self-discovery. With a metaphor and some irony Wilde makes the best pun of all‚ the title itself. In the play‚ Ernest deceives Gwendolen‚ who is the love of his life‚ into thinking that he has a brother
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The Importance of Being Earnest “The Importance of Being Earnest” is a play written by Oscar Wilde in the late 1800s. The story takes place in late Victorian England‚ where two young gentlemen take on the same pseudonym “Earnest” in order to escape reality when needed and to satisfy their lovers. It is a humorous story about how the fake personalities clash with each other and cause complications. A central theme and topic in the play is love and marriage. It is a primary force motivation the plot
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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 4 ANALYSIS OF HUMOR IN THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST The Importance of Being Earnest is replete with two elements: pun and paradox. These two are played up immensely to present a very humorous approach to cultural criticism. In essence‚ it is a satirical comedy on the aristocratic class during the Victorian Era. The text is full of epigrams that expose the characters’ views on lying‚ marriage‚ reputation‚ society‚ gender‚ romance and love. Additionally‚ the play keeps
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Importance of Being Earnest Analysis In true definition of farce‚ Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest incorporates unlikely and improbable situations‚ extravagant characters‚ and the occasional mistaken identity. Wilde’s farce relies on creating absurd situations that characters approach in means they find entirely logical in his parody of high society. His protagonist‚ Algernon is the only character aware of the absurdities of Victorian high society‚ and responds by taking absolutely nothing
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Secrecy In The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde‚ secrecy holds a great significance in allowing Jack and Algernon to retain their double lives. These double lives are used by the two to achieve relationships with the women they desire. Early on‚ the character’s will to retain their double lives empowers the two to develop negative relationships with each other. Eventually however‚ Jack and Algernon realize that through telling the truth‚ true happiness can really be found. Early on in
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After learning about the Victorian Era‚ we watched the film/play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. The Importance of Being Earnest is a satire comedy where the main characters‚ John and Algernon‚ create fictitious people to escape from oppressive social obligations. Before watching the film‚ I had no clue what the play was about. I honestly had never really heard of the characteristics and social classes of the Victorian Era. After watching the play‚ I now have a better understanding
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The Doll House Backlash: Criticism‚ Feminism‚ and Ibsen Author(s): Joan Templeton Source: PMLA‚ Vol. 104‚ No. 1 (Jan.‚ 1989)‚ pp. 28-40 Published by: Modern Language Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/462329 . Accessed: 04/10/2011 23:11 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use‚ available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars‚ researchers‚ and students discover
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women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his.” “The only way to behave to a woman is to make love to her‚ if she is pretty‚ and to some one else‚ if she is plain.” GWENDOLEN FAIRFAX “In matters of grave importance‚ style‚ not sincerity is the vital thing.” “The home seems to me to be the proper sphere for man. And certainly once a man begins to neglect his domestic duties he becomes painfully effeminate‚ does he not?” DR. CHASUBLE “What seem to
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1 Katherine Mansfield “The doll ’s house” The world of the adults seems to be in conflict with the world of the children in Katherine Mansfields “the doll house”. The dolls house represents this conflict by pointing out the divide between the upper and lower class citizen which all the adults clearly understand and the children don’t fully understand or believe in. Throughout the story we see the clear line that has been drawn by the adults in regards to the upper and lower class. The
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result they are rarely given the attention they deserve. In Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest‚” we see cleverly hidden details within the drama that‚ while serving significant roles‚ people may view as inhibitors to understanding the play. Cigarette cases and tea parties are two of the many details within the drama that contain background meanings; their most prominent purpose being to emphasize the importance of propriety within their era. However‚ they also play substitute roles in accentuating
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