Another of Wilde’s plays‚ and perhaps his most famous‚ The Importance of Being Earnest‚ is a comedy‚ and so it is easy for the audience to become entranced by the humor of the show without examining the underlying symbolism and satire that makes it so funny. The play is‚ at its core‚ about the mischief that can ensure when names are given too much importance. The name Ernest‚ in particular‚ is coveted by the two main male characters‚ Jack and Algernon‚ but also by the two main female characters‚
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The Canterville Ghost By Oscar Wilde CHAPTER I When the American‚ Mr. Otis‚ bought Canterville Castle‚ everyone told him that this was his foolishness‚ As the place was haunted. But Mr. Otis answered‚ ’I come from a modern country‚ where we Have everything that money can buy. And if there were such a thing as a ghost in Europe‚ we would Have it at home in one of our museums. ’ A few weeks later‚ on a lovely July evening‚ Mr Otis‚ his wife and their children‚ Washington‚ Virginia And the
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Explore the presentation of Nora Helmer as a deceitful female character in “A doll’s house.” Compare and contrast your findings with the way Wilde presents his female protagonist Mrs. Arbuthnot in “A woman of no importance.” By Gheirey Mulliken Both “A doll’s house” by Henrik Ibsen and “A woman of no importance” by Oscar Wilde were about Nora Helmer and Rachel Arbuthnot (protagonists) and their role as; mothers‚ wives‚ and new women. They were written and performed in Victorian times‚ for a Victorian
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How is the upper class society satirised by Wilde? In ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’‚ a play by Oscar Wilde‚ Lady Bracknell and Algernon have been described as what Wilde believed to be typical members of upper class from the Victorian Society. There over exaggerated personalities are demonstrated through their Manners and Sincerity. Wilde believed that in an overly sincere and polite way but had a very manipulate and cruel attitudes. Also‚ the characters of Lady Bracknell and Algernon are
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attractive to the Victorian audience was the way human fears and societal tensions were reflected in the deliberately fictionalised literary works. Themes such as the human greed for immortality and eternal beauty that underlie key gothic texts such as Oscar Wilde’s only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray have incited modern adaptations and the appropriation of these texts into modern culture. This text display cultural and literary disciplines entrenched in superficial concepts that have since become common
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A Balancing Act: Innocence & Satanic Evil In a society where beauty trumps a moral conscience there is an unnerving balance of understanding right from wrong. In The Pictures of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde‚ the author writes of a story featuring a young man‚ Dorian‚ who finds himself selling his soul for eternal youth and beauty while getting painted by an upper-class artist‚ Basil. He sells his soul to a friend of Basil‚ Lord Henry. In the novel‚ Basil and Lord Henry emphasizes Dorian’s inner conflict
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Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was one of the most successful authors of the late Victorian Age. Wilde was involved in the aestheticism movement‚ which attempted to establish art as just pieces of beauty. Many people of the Victorian Era believed all works of art had a deeper meaning and purpose other than for pleasure‚ but Wilde worked to disprove this idea. He believed that art is self sufficient and it does not have to teach morals or to show political commitment to society‚ and that the artist is
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Sibyl Vane’s Symbolic Role In “The Picture Of Dorian Gray”‚ By Oscar Wilde Sibyl Vane plays a symbolic role in The Picture of Dorian Gray; moreover‚ she plays a symbolic role in Dorian Gray’s life. This essay will explore how Sybil’s character initially influences Dorian in a positive way‚ giving him the motive to turn away from decadence but subsequently brings about his downfall. Recurring themes will be discussed such as the aesthetic and references will be given to show examples of Sybil’s
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A Woman of No Importance – Pre 1945 Drama “Rachel‚ Gerald knows everything about you and me now‚ so some arrangement must be come to that will suit us all three. I assure you‚ he will find in me the most charming and generous of fathers.” This extract is about Lord Illingworth attempting to make Gerald his heir and offering to marry Mrs Arbuthnot. Lord Illingworth is at a disadvantage from the beginning‚ he has had to sneak past the maid‚ only to be spotted in the mirror. Mrs Arbuthnot even speaks
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Oscar Wilde’s use of satire in The Importance of Being Earnest “Ignorance is like an exotic fruit…” writes Oscar Wilde as he sets the literary table with a rich display of Victorian satire (Wilde). Born in Dublin to affluent parents‚ Wilde experienced a social advantage that gave him more than a taste of indulgent upper class life to ridicule. He attended Oxford on a scholarship and was considered a genius. Wilde was characterized as humorous‚ frank‚ and showy. Writing novels‚ poems‚ and essays
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