Wilde also creates an unrelatable world within Algernon’s views on marriage and divorce, “Good heavens! Is marriage as demoralising as that?” Algernon expresses his oblivious views that are considered as unrealistic compared to Lane’s views of marriage for example. Wilde uses epigrams to suggest Algernon’s views in the opening scene, Wilde also humorously explores the use of epigrams in his play to give a comedic vibe during the scene, Wilde takes everyday sayings and plays with the arrangement of its words, “divorces are made in heaven”, despite the fact that it shows the audience how the character feels, the epigram also suggests the farcical world that Wilde has created.
Wilde continues to create a farcical world as Lane and Algernon’s conversation carries on, the perepiteia of social class bewilders and confuses the audience-“if the lower orders don’t set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them?”. The audience are extremely foreign to Algernon’s attitudes towards the lowest group in the social hierarchy as traditionally the rich are seen as more superior than the lower class and the rich look down at the poor. In reality the rich should be setting an example for the lower class; however the reversal of fortune creates a grotesque world.
The subject of ‘Bunbury’ alongside the use of anagnorisis creates an unrelatable world for the audience; both Jack and the audience discover this peculiar word that Wilde has created. Furthermore, the anagnorisis of ‘Bunbury’ creates comedy for the audience. The absurdity of this newly discovered word creates an entertaining aspect for the audience. Also Jack learned that he was in fact a ‘Bunburyist’; again this creates a comedic element within the opening scene, not only does Jack have no concept of what a ‘Bunbury’ is; Jack has discovered that he is one.
To conclude, Wilde creates a farcical and unrelatable world with the use of comedic devices, such as: anagnorisis, perepiteia and epigrams. Wilde uses these comedic devices to emphasise on the absurd views of Algernon, the small conflict between Jack and Algernon and the peculiar relationship between Lane and Algernon; making the audience realize that the world created by Wilde isn't similar to a typical Victorian society. The two characters interact with each other the way we wouldn't expect in the Victorian era; they also don’t have typical upper class Victorian views. Therefore, this shows the farcical world that Wilde created in the opening scene.
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