Oscar Wilde’s satirical depiction of Victorian Society in The Important of Being Earnest comments on the absurdity of their inability to recognize the difference between the important and unimportant. Characters in the play often make trivial matters into serious matters and vice versa‚ although there are times where issues are treated appropriately. However‚ the whole idea of what is important is subjective‚ and in a Victorian Era context‚ matters such as social status and proper etiquette were
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What good does always being earnest do you if you are not "Ernest"? Oscar Wilde’s play‚ "The Importance of Being Earnest"‚ explores exactly this notion‚ following two men who readily abandon their namesakes in order to win the affections of their respective fair ladies. The play opens in London with a conversation held between these two men‚ Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff. However‚ at the play’s origin‚ Algernon only knows his friend as "Ernest". This rapidly changes with the aid of a cigarette
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Views on Marriage The Importance of Being Earnest is a comical drama using multiple types of irony to ridicule marriage‚ death‚ and birth. In the Victorian age‚ family was a major influence in choosing one’s offspring’s mate. Lady Bracknell accepted all Jack’s characteristics except the fact‚ he had inconsiderate parents. “To lose one parent‚ Mr.Worthing‚ may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness (1.1.1421). Gwendolen was willing to marry Jack regardless of his social
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they had their first international hockey match: Wales v. Ireland; also‚ they had the lowest ever temperature of −27.2 F‚ and the premier of Oscar Wilde’s latest play‚ The Importance of Being Earnest‚ at the St. James’ Theatre‚ in London. During this time‚ social class was very important. Oscar Wilde’s explores the importance of how social class affects the lives of the characters in his play during the Victorian era. During the Victorian era‚ appearance‚ style‚ reputation‚ respect‚ and wealth were
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Oscar Wilde’s play “The Importance of Being Earnest” is a play that epitomizes the Victorian age. “The Importance of Being Earnest” a man named Jack who goes by the alias Earnest‚ and Algernon who goes by Bunbury. These men are living double lives‚ and by them doing so‚ they would not be considered an ideal Victorian man. Earnest and Algernon come up with these names so that they can get away from their daily lives to be along in the country. During the Victorian age‚ it was common for women to
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Marriage is often depicted as a sacred union of love‚ communication‚ loyalty and companionship. For some it is simply a legal contract or social institution that binds two people together for a “lifetime commitment”. Oscar’s Wilde’s “The importance of being earnest”‚ deconstructs the former interpretation of marriage‚ highlighting its trivialities and the comedic journey to finding a spouse. Likewise‚ Samuel Beckett’s “Happy Days” suggests that marriage is not all a bed of roses by highlighting the
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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
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The Importance Of Being Earnest “Women’s roles are often tokenistic in dramatic comedy” To what extent do you believe this to be the case in relation to the play you have been studying? In dramatic comedy it can often be said that women’s roles are ‘tokenistic’ which essentially means: that women are there to serve a little more than the minimum‚ or may not serve much of a purpose at all‚ they may also follow social stereotypes during the era of this literary piece. In this essay I will be
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ESSAY – THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Writers are often influenced by the ideologies upheld by society during the historical context in which they were writing in and texts can often challenge these ideologies‚ or uphold them‚ or even do both. Oscar Wilde’s‚ The Importance of Being Earnest‚ is a dramatic comedy of manners that takes place in polite wealthy Victorian society. Wilde successfully funnels the snobbery and superficiality of London’s elite during the 1890’s and has both challenged
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The “Importance of Being Earnest” is a story of full of deceit and a twisted and tangled tale about love. The story is about a man‚ named Jack that forms a fake identity to escape the country life; his false persona is named Ernest. Jack tells his family about his “brother” named Ernest and often goes to “visit him” when he needs to get away. Now‚ Ernest is in fact not a real person but a made up one. When Jack goes to the city and pretends to be Ernest‚ he goes to meet the love of his life‚ Gwendolyn
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