The Importance of Being Earnest as Timeless Social and Political Satire [For All Generations] The Importance of Being Earnest was written in 1896 by famous playwright, Oscar Wilde, and is a timeless masterpiece that transcends time because it has satirical elements that target social and political issues that are still invariably controversial in today’s society. The play consistently parodies issues such as the relationship between romance and marriage and one’s socioeconomic status and marriage. In the traditional sense, romance and marriage probably should fall hand-in-hand, and though one’s socioeconomic status probably should not be the decided factor of a marriage, it is the play’s mission to satirically suggest otherwise. While romance and marriage should inherently fall hand-in-hand, looming faithfully overhead is the idea that romance suddenly disappears shortly after the wedding. Perhaps the inevitable experience of coming to terms with the thought of living together forever procures an uneasy feeling and puts an impression on newlyweds that marriage turns into a series of routines and monotony.
A Society Satirized in a Wonderful Play “Ignorance is like an exotic fruit…” writes Oscar Wilde as he sets the literary table with a rich display of Victorian satire. “The Importance of Being Earnest is obviously a comic critic of late Victorian value (Schmidt 5). Born in Dublin, Ireland, to affluent parents in 1854, Wilde experienced a social advantage when graduating from Oxford after receiving a scholarship (Moss 179) that gave him more than a taste of indulgent upper class life to ridicule. Wilde shows his characters as if they actually knew that they were in play and making them feel and realize all the absurdities they are saying (Foster 19). Both Jack and Algernon are admired by two young ladies who mistakenly believe the men's names to be Ernest, and who adore the men for this very reason.
“Romeo and Juliet” is considered by many one of the greatest love stories to have ever been written. However, the tale is not one of love but a story of a young girl whose whims led her to be manipulated by a boy who was seeking out sex. The scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet demonstrates how fickle their infatuation is. The story begins with Romeo wailing over his lost love Rosaline, saying “And, in strong proof of chastity well-armed, from love’s weak childish bow, she lives uncharmed.” He continues his outburst by saying how useless Rosaline is if she is not willing to sleep with him. Benvoilo feels sympathy for the young brokenhearted man and encourages him to go to the Capulet’s party so he will forget the girl.
“Reason versus passion” is one of the main pillars of the literary movement known as Neoclassicism and Racine’s Phaedra is one of the most famous and representative works that came out during this period (17th century and beginning of 18th) for it explains how love and passion can be dangerous for the life of human beings. The play shows evidence that Phaedra looses her reason when hit by Eros’ curse, and falls in love with Hippolytus, her stepson. When thinking ‘passionately’ she can’t see ‘the truth’, namely, that being in love with Theseus’ son is wrong. This unreciprocated love leads to Phaedra’s irrational behavior, such as to convince Oenone, her nurse, to accuse Hippolytus of abusing her, to prevent Theseus from finding out about her love for his son. This ultimately leads to Hippolytus’ death, because he doesn’t want to put shame on his father for having abused his wife.
Shakespeare quite obviously plays with the conventions of Petrarchan characters and their views of desire throughout the play but most significantly towards the beginning. Romeo is introduced as a character that seems to be blinded by love, his desire for Rosaline is over powering, shallow and foolish – “He that is strucken blind cannot forget / The precious treasure of his eyesight lost” (1.1.225-226). Shakespeare has created Romeo to resemble the typical ‘Petrarchan lover’ speakers that are found in Petrarch’s sonnets, we hear Romeo obsessing over Rosaline whom like ‘Laura’ from Petrarch’s sonnets is unattainable to Romeo, as she is choosing to remain celibate - "She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow / Do I live dead that live to tell it now” (1.1.216-217) Shakespeare has purposefully created Romeo and Rosaline with these similarities to Petrarchan conventions in mind as he is able to successfully critique the discourse of desire through the growth of Romeo in the play and the introduction of Juliet. Shakespeare also relies on the fact that his audience are aware of ‘what’s in store’ for Romeo, allowing him to create a clichéd and conventional character - “The theatre audience knows that
I believe Gertrude from Hamlet, is a depthless individual who only thinks about her body and external pleasures. Like a child, she longs to be charmed and delighted by the men in her life. Gertrude is also a very sexual woman, and her sexuality may have been the reason that Hamlet turned so violently against her. Hamlet was already outraged with his mother for her marrying his uncle just a short time after his father's death. “Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, with witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts, -- O wicked wit, and gifts that have the power so to seduce!--won to his shameful lust the will of my most seeming-virtuous queen.”
It is suggested by this then that the play holds no deeper meaning or message of morality; it is simply designed to fulfill a purpose through usage of traditional comedic techniques. However, some have interpretated themes of sexuality and a gentle mocking of Victorian customs ultimately leaving the play open to assumption. The Importance of being Earnest certainly maintains many traits of a great comedy of manners, "A comedy that satirizes behaviour in a particular social group"(dictionary.com). In fact many people have hailed it as "the greatest stage comedy of all time", this triumph supports the viewpoint that Wilde merely succeeded in entertaining his audience rather than channeling a deeper understanding. The use of slapstick by Wilde produces a contrived and absurd plotline that is in every way unrealistic.
Already, there is a clear pattern shown in these poems in the relationships between men and women; the man has little respect for the female. In Marvell’s poem the man is making sexual advances to the woman, and in Browning’s poem the Duke talks about how the Duchess annoyed him with her personality and flirting nature when he says She had A heart how shall I say? too soon made glad, Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. and then how he ordered her death, and now how he is trying to get someone else to find him another wife. The speaker
In the novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there are numerous examples of failed relationships throughout the novel which supports the statement that “love is presented as an unobtainable fantasy”. One example of a failed relationship in The Great Gatsby is the affair between Tom Buchanan and his mistress Myrtle Wilson. Their affair is based on mutual exploitation as Tom uses Myrtle for sex while Myrtle receives gifts and money in return. The fact that Myrtle believes that Tom will leave Daisy and marry her is a clear example of unobtainable love as Tom does not see Myrtle as a person but rather as a sexual object. This is made clean by his degrading treatment of Myrtle at one of their parties, when he breaks her nose for mentioning his wife's name.
History Boys Essay – Second Draft ‘Heterosexuality and homosexuality are a type of psychosis and the truth is somewhere in the middle’ Evaluate Bennett’s comic and philosophical approaches to sexuality in The History Boys It can be argued that homosexuality is a state of mind which implies either the temporariness of it or it being a conscious decision, however sexuality could also be central to the way you behave; an unconscious aspect of your identity that acts as a clear indication to others to how you are sexually inclined. In the History Boys, sexuality is a running theme that is seen more prominently in the characters of Dakin, Irwin and Posner, the latter being the only one who is ‘open’ with his sexuality, whereas there is a great deal of ambiguity when it comes to deciphering the sexuality of the others. This could be intended by Bennett to show that sexuality is not a fixed state but in fact quite fluid depending on the people you meet as you grow as a person. Through the analysis of Dakin we see the representation of most heterosexual teenage boys in the way he talks about Fiona in his conceit calling her his ‘western front’ indicating she is a territory to be taken over. This clearly presents his heterosexual lust for her; he also refers to her as ‘the Hun’ indicating that she is the enemy so as to speak, and is standing in between his ‘further deployments’ portraying how superficial his love for Fiona is, as he is obviously disappointed with her not allowing him to advance and is more concerned for his own needs.