Satire in the Importance of Being Ernest
Satire in The Importance of Being Ernest
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is truly a satire. In The Importance of Being Ernest, Wilde mocks the society in Britain, and the rules it followed in the 1800s. He uses satire in the description of every character and other themes like marriage, intelligence, morality, and lifestyle primarily aimed at the upper class of the time. At the turn of every page the use of satire proves again and again to be ideal when questioning the morals and values of people.
Wilde uses satire especially with the idea of marriage. In the society that he lived in, marriage is seen as a business arrangement. When Lady Bracknell questioned Jack to determine if he is suitable for her daughter, she primarily asked him about his income and wealth, and when she heard about Algernon’s engagement to Cecily, she immediately disagreed to it until she heard about her 130,000 pounds. In addition, Lady Bracknell has absurd views on engagements for marriage. "I am not in favour of long engagements. They give people the opportunity of finding out each other's character before marriage, which I think is never advisable."Also, Algernon criticizes the way that married couples behaved towards each other and scorns the act of marriage.
Algernon: My dear fellow, the way you flirt with Gwendolen is perfectly disgraceful. It is almost as bad as the way Gwendolen flirts with you.
Jack: I am in love with Gwendolen. I have come up to town expressly to propose to her.
Algernon: I thought you had come up for pleasure? … I call that business.
Jack: How utterly unromantic you are!
Algernon: I really don't see anything romantic in proposing. It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal. Why, one may be accepted. One usually is, I believe. Then the excitement is all over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If ever I get married, I'll certainly try to forget the fact.
Satire is particularly
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is truly a satire. In The Importance of Being Ernest, Wilde mocks the society in Britain, and the rules it followed in the 1800s. He uses satire in the description of every character and other themes like marriage, intelligence, morality, and lifestyle primarily aimed at the upper class of the time. At the turn of every page the use of satire proves again and again to be ideal when questioning the morals and values of people.
Wilde uses satire especially with the idea of marriage. In the society that he lived in, marriage is seen as a business arrangement. When Lady Bracknell questioned Jack to determine if he is suitable for her daughter, she primarily asked him about his income and wealth, and when she heard about Algernon’s engagement to Cecily, she immediately disagreed to it until she heard about her 130,000 pounds. In addition, Lady Bracknell has absurd views on engagements for marriage. "I am not in favour of long engagements. They give people the opportunity of finding out each other's character before marriage, which I think is never advisable."Also, Algernon criticizes the way that married couples behaved towards each other and scorns the act of marriage.
Algernon: My dear fellow, the way you flirt with Gwendolen is perfectly disgraceful. It is almost as bad as the way Gwendolen flirts with you.
Jack: I am in love with Gwendolen. I have come up to town expressly to propose to her.
Algernon: I thought you had come up for pleasure? … I call that business.
Jack: How utterly unromantic you are!
Algernon: I really don't see anything romantic in proposing. It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal. Why, one may be accepted. One usually is, I believe. Then the excitement is all over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If ever I get married, I'll certainly try to forget the fact.
Satire is particularly