How Does Social Class Affect Relationships?

Social class today does not affect our relationships as it did back then. In As You Like it by William Shakespeare and The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, plays that are set in the past it has an evident impact on the relationships of some of the characters, while others totally defy it. In the plays As You Like It and The Importance of Being Earnest it is evident how social class has a negative impact on relationships. Where the characters lived and who their family was and the way they acted based on class affected whether or not people could have a relationship.
In The Importance of Being Earnest Lady Bracknell questioned Jack in order to find out about him as a person. His social status was determined by who his parents were, so in order
for Lady Bracknell to find out his status she asked him who they were. When she found out he did not know who they were, that completely terminated his chances of being with her daughter Gwendolen as he wished. She did not want her daughter marrying into a cloak room. It would negatively affect society's view on her and their family and she did not want that. Social status was very important to her and affected everything in society. She said “... But it could hardly be regarded as an assured basis for a recognized position in good society.” (Wilde, 311) In contrast to this, in As You Like It, Rosalind did not care about Orlando’s social status. Both Rosalind and Orlando were so clouded by their lust for one another that they did not care about each other’s social status. It was just important for them to be with one another. They did not let society pressure them into worrying about their status. Another way a family member’s status affected relationships was the way Duke Frederick, Celia’s father acted towards Celia and Rosalind’s relationship. He did not like their relationship and attempted to terminate it by banishing Rosalind, but Celia rebelled and would not allow it. She followed her to the forest and left her father so she would not lose someone who was like a sister to her her whole life.

The relationship of servants, farmers and the upper class was also impacted negatively by social class. In As You Like It, Touchstone and Corin have a conversation, Touchstone said to Corin “In respect that it is solitary, I like it very well; but in respect that it is private, it is a very vile life.” (3.2.15-16) He is degrading his lifestyle and how he chooses to live all the while they could have been friends. Touchstone is of a higher class, therefore he felt the need to act as if he was better than him. Similarly in The Importance Of Being Earnest Algernon always spoke down to his servants. He never spoke to them as if they were equal. He could have a good rapport with them but because he was a higher class than them, he spoke down to them. The way these characters chose to act towards the lower class affected their abilities to be friends.
In both plays where a person lives is something to say about their class.
Where Jack lives has an impact of Lady Bracknell’s opinion of him and whether he was going to be able to marry her or not. When she was questioning him to determine if he could be a contender for a future husband for Gwendolen, she asked him where he lived. When he responded she responded “ The unfashionable side. I thought there was something. However, that could easily be altered.” (Wilde, 310) As if to say if he continued living on this side there would be an issue. But, if necessary, and he did become Gwendolen’s husband they could move houses. His house says something about his status, which had an impact on his relationship with Gwendolen. Lady Bracknell saying this is implying how they are of a high social class and live in a fashionable area and she expects the same for her daughter’s future. Similarly, in As You like It Audrey let social class affect who she had relations with. Audrey wanted to be with Touchstone solely for the reason of it would allow her to live in court. It brings her into a higher social class because as of now she lives in the forest and needs him to get into the court, which is higher class than the
forest
Social class impacted these plays negatively, because it ruined relationships but also drove others closer. As You Like It and The Importance Of Being Earnest show social class has a large impact on the lives of the characters of the plays. Where they lived impacted their social class and relationships, who their family was affected relationships, and the relationships of servants, farmers and the upper class.