The Importance Of Being Ernest Rhetorical Analysis
"The tone says life is fun. The undertone suggests life is a catastrophe." How far do you agree with this model of comedy in relation for The Importance of Being Earnest?- Edward Braddock.
The Importance of Being Earnest has been described in many ways, some believing that its dialogue is "wittily allusive and understated rather than downright comic" , whereas others believe it is simply a narrative driven by Wilde's deep roots in the Aestheticism movement. Despite the play being a comedy where the status quo remains when the curtain falls, the jovial and fun tones the play appears to have are paralleled by dark undertones- some more subtle than others.
In the very first scene, specifically the first few lines, Algernon and Lane are conversing about the servant's consumption of alcohol, to which …show more content…
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. The execution was important, she didn't mean to do what she did, but as long as she kept her style while it was executed, she cares not. The undertone pushes the aspect of bad morality into the mouths of the audience, moreover, how utterly catastrophic lacking morals can be to a
The Importance of Being Earnest has been described in many ways, some believing that its dialogue is "wittily allusive and understated rather than downright comic" , whereas others believe it is simply a narrative driven by Wilde's deep roots in the Aestheticism movement. Despite the play being a comedy where the status quo remains when the curtain falls, the jovial and fun tones the play appears to have are paralleled by dark undertones- some more subtle than others.
In the very first scene, specifically the first few lines, Algernon and Lane are conversing about the servant's consumption of alcohol, to which …show more content…
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. The execution was important, she didn't mean to do what she did, but as long as she kept her style while it was executed, she cares not. The undertone pushes the aspect of bad morality into the mouths of the audience, moreover, how utterly catastrophic lacking morals can be to a