Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest follows Jack and Algernon‚ two young men living in Victorian England‚ whose attempts to court Gwendolen and Cecily are complicated by the fictitious identities they have created to escape social obligations. Over the course of the play‚ their various deceptions are exposed and things get further and further out of hand until a timely revelation brings the matter to a resolution. This play is primarily a satire that serves as a vehicle for Wilde to
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To what extent is gender the main comic creator in the play of ‘The Importance of being Earnest’? Comedy originated in the 6th century BC in ancient Greece at the Dionysian festival. Comedy was first designed to provoke laughter and to entertain the audience. The ancient Greeks used the word comedy to describe a play with a happy ending much the same as the play the ‘Importance of being Earnest’. The play uses elements of old comedy for example; it is a satire of the Victorian era that is most
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In Oscar Wilde’s play‚ “The Importance of Being Earnest‚” the traditionally esteemed values of duty‚ honesty‚ and hard work are tossed aside in favor of baser motivations. Pleasure‚ rather than morality‚ is the focus of every decision made by these less than admirable characters. As eloquently stated by Jack‚ “…pleasure‚ pleasure! What else should bring one anywhere?” (1735). The characters treat serious responsibilities such as marriage‚ family‚ and faithfulness as mere trivialities that can be
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Andre Joshua Perez Satire in the Importance of Being Earnest Essay The use of comedy helps bring books‚ movies and plays to life. In some cases‚ it is even written around the idea of comedy itself. The play Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde criticizes the aspect of the aristocratic life in the Victorian era by making fun of them with a term called satire. In the play‚ Wilde creatively uses three different types of irony. These being: verbal‚ dramatic and situational forms of irony
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In the play ’The Importance of Being Earnest’ Wilde effecively uses wit to satirize the idea of earnestness. Victorians have been very fond of the idea of hard work‚ sincerity and an earnest lifestyle which was perfectly ideal for them. However‚ Wilde’s use of irony shows that none of the characters in the play prove to be any of those ideals. He therefore satrizies hypocrisy and false ideals which mock their authentic presence. Wilde mocks the high society with the high status characters which
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of The Importance of Being Earnest is to amuse.” To what extent do you agree? The play The Importance of Being Earnest was written by Oscar Wilde in 1894. It is a farcical comedy in which the main protagonists maintain a fictional persona to escape from social obligations‚ and keep it up throughout the play. It has also been known as ‘A Trivial Comedy For Serious People’. The character of Jack Worthing has the persona of Ernest‚ who is his brother‚ whilst the character of Algernon Moncrieff
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My topic of discussion is the humor and irony that is used in the play The Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde. In the play the comedy and dramatic irony used made the plot and material engaging. By giving a description of comedy and dramatic irony‚ it is hopeful that you can see and understand why I felt his writing provided the characteristics of both in my analysis. The puns and paradox that were used created the comedic aspect within the play and the dramatic irony which was shown
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The Importance of Being Earnest‚ Algernon Moncrieff defies the Victorian upper class society by using his alter egos‚ Bunbury and Ernest‚ to appropriate his bad behavior and ultimately obtain what his desires. Algernon is a reflection of the play’s author Oscar Wilde as he learns about the importance of truth while working through his society-shaped id‚ ego‚ and superego. Faced with making decisions that align with Sigmund Freud’s psyche model‚ Wilde successfully breathes himself into Algernon while
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Joanna Martinez Ms. Tobenkin AP Literature‚ Period 4 7 December 2015 The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde is definitely an odd character and this is present in his play‚ The Importance of Being Earnest. Throughout the play‚ Wilde uses puns and unusual situations so that it could make the play humorous and enjoyable for audience. Each character finds themselves in peculiar situations which becomes unusually strange. Wilde uses comical dialogue to mock society and the higher class. Although
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People are constantly being exposed to societal “trends” and “expectations” around them in their cultures‚ therefore it is difficult for one to stay fully unique. One may choose to diminish societal influence and preserve their individualism by: Restricting standard social influences‚ creating a distinct identity‚ and keeping honesty as best policy. In The Importance of Being Earnest‚ Oscar Wilde‚ satirically illustrates the image of two men Jack and Algernon fighting for the most precious women
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