Both Jack and Algernon lead a double life, known as ‘Bunburying’, the practice of creating an elaborate deception so as to misbehave whilst maintaining expected social standards of duty and responsibility, essentially, pretending to be earnest. Ernest is Jack’s imaginary wayward brother and a means of escaping social functions and duties; Algernon too behaves in a similar fashion. The play, although a comedy, has a sober tone; to be earnest is to be
Shakespeare manipulates our response to Richard by implying in the text that he poisoned his wife Anne in order to gain a political marriage to his niece, Elizabeth of York. He is a master of dissembling and a man undeniably without charm, regardless his physical deformity. Finally, he possesses a sense of irony and a sardonic wit, which extensively explains his connection with audiences and readers. Shakespeare’s use of soliloquies enables us to see Richard’s duplicitous nature. He masterfully manipulates our response into having a grudging admiration for his skilful use of language.
On one level The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald comments on the careless gaiety and moral decadence of the period in which it was set. It contains innumerable references to the contemporary scene. The wild extravagance of Gatsby's parties, the shallowness and aimlessness of the guests and the hint of Gatsby's involvement in crime all identify the period and the American setting. But as a piece of social commentary The Great Gatsby also describes the failure of the American dream, from the point of view that American political ideals conflict with the actual social conditions that exist. For whereas American democracy is based on the idea of equality among people, the truth is that social discrimination still exists and the divisions among the classes cannot be overcome.
Ibsen however takes a more moralistic approach to portraying Victorian society; by doing this he makes the characters more realistic.Both writers position the argument that marriage was being undermined as increasingly society seemed to show a lack of trust and respect within marriage. Wilde uses the character of Mrs Allonby as a vehicle to satirize this lack of respect. In conversation with the other ladies, Mrs Allonby openly admits to being bored by her husband "my husband s a sort of promissory note; I am tired of meeting him" and that as a result she thinks that it is
The paradox is a statement or argument that seems to be prima facie self-contradictory. However, between the two self-contradictory poles lies some vestige of truth, the mutual hostage of the two opposing sides. Coe's satire is achieved as he points out the absurdities of life at the political fringes, and the dialectic synthesis occurs in the reader's mind as he reconciles the two sides, those being the thesis and antithesis. The Winshaw family, representing an outrageous contemporary group of capitalist élites, is so absurd that the magnitude of its members' absurdity crushes their believability as characters. In that sense, then, the Winshaws are allegorical of larger sectors of society that possess similar, but less absurd, characteristics.
Quince’s pun, ‘for it is nothing but roaring’ (when in conversation with Snug) alludes quick-witted humour. Quince’s double-entendres are also amusing, ‘some of your French crowns have no hair at all…’ Quince’s repartee particularly displays the typical features of a comedy. Thirdly, the use of sarcasm and insults also enforce my expectations of the play being a dramatic comedy. ‘You have your father’s love, Demetrius’ is one example of sarcasm, as said by Lysander. His comment comes across as sarcastic as he is mindful, and perhaps jealous, of the fact that his lover’s father wishes her to marry another man - Demetrius.
While Falstaff’s ideals are pernicious, Henry’s condition is “to cold and temperate” and it is this very unsuitability to the throne that leads England to decay under his rule. He speaks contemptuously of “vulgar company,” “gibing boys” and “vile participation” in everyday life, illustrating his disdain for the common man. Simultaneously, he also idolizes Hotspur as “gallant,” “the theme of honours toungue,” and the “straightest plant…amongst a grove”. Yet in reality, Henry and Falstaff are both flawed role models, while Hotspur is also proven to be an inadequate leader. His ideas are deemed “dangerous,” “hare-brained,” and “uncertain” confirming that honour is not confined to valorous fighting.
The moral of being human is to necessarily be flawed, and to strive for perfection is to deny one’s own morality. The themes of both narratives can be understood as morality. The morality of Aylmer in “The Birth-Mark” can be seen through his journals. “The volume, rich with achievements that had won renown for its author, was yet as melancholy as record as ever mortal hand had penned” (Hawthorne 220). This example shows the reader that Aylmer is trying to hide his imperfections by trying to make his wife completely perfect.
Commentary by Cervantes is both biting and affectionate, but ultimately a criticism of idealism. Quixotism, a word derived from Don Quixote, is defined as the impractical pursuit of ideals. Quixote was once a gentleman from La Mancha, but books of chivalry have corrupted his mind, making him temporarily mad. In the book Don Quixote, Quixote’s misadventures are described in detail. One of the first indicators of the depth of Quixote’s madness is his attempt to fight a field of windmills he mistakes for giants, declaring, “Do you see over yonder my friend Sancho Panza, thirty or more huge giants?” (Cervantes 36).
He claims Othello was responsible for his own downfall and demotes Iago to the role of just catalyst. “I told him what I thought and told no more than what he found was apt and true” Equivocations like the witches in Macbeth. Leavis comments on Othello’s perceived ‘self centeredness’ and his ‘pride, sensual possessiveness, appetite and love of loving.’ Quotes to illustrate his pomposity and arrogance, ‘Let him (Brabantio) do his spite (in response to Othello’s rather alarming lack of judgement in secretly marrying a senator’s daughter), my services (things done for Venice) will out-tongue his complaints (over-ride) Desdemona asks, ‘to whom?..with whom?..How?’ (am I a whore?) Othello just responds with ‘Away, away,