One famous play Wilde wrote was The Importance of Being Earnest which is a widely known play for its sarcastic plot of Victorian life. The play is about two seemingly good willed friends who have an addiction to what they describe as “bunbury”, which is treated almost similarly to a sport. The two men, Algernon and Jack, go through a series of lies, or bunburying, by fabricating fake lives to their family and friends to live a double life. Incidentally, they both meet women who wishes to marry each of the two men, but their bunburying has cause complications in their chances for a successful marriage. The rest of the play is humorous in all and highly advised for readers to also explore to fully visualize Wilde’s interpretation of the Victorian era.
In 1758, Ben Franklin summarized his own work, Poor Richard’s Almanac, in The Way to Wealth. This writing both encouraged and outlined the reader to use certain noble characteristics while on the road to wealth. One of his notable phrases states, “Many of one, for the sake of Finery on the Back, have gone hungry Belly, and half-starved their families; Silk and Satins, Scarlet and Velvets, put out the kitchen fire.” Examining this phrase you see that Franklin addresses a person’s own hindering indulgences with comical consequence at the end. Franklin even foresees his audiences’ true disregard by concluding “The People heard it, and approved the Doctrine, and immediately practiced the contrary…”
Wilde: Flaunting Societal Flaws with Literary Device The Importance of Being Earnest is a product of the “sober and dutiful earnestness” that (Tosh 12) commanded the times coupled with the author's palpable disdain for the same. Like his main characters Jack/Ernest Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, Oscar Wilde relies heavily on a purposeful duality; as an effective mechanism of humor, he stands the societal mores of the day on end, while the subtext beneath the comedy, fluff and wit, fingers the despicable hypocrisy of Victorian Society that ultimately brought Wilde to personal ruin (Grill 7). Wilde's writing reflects his own philosophies, namely his devotion to art above truth, and his highly prized individualism (Gale 1201). He himself has described The Importance of Being Earnest as "about characters who trivialize serious matters and solemnize trivial matters,” the very epitome of Victorian manners (Mitchell 262). Along this vein, Wilde calls on an arsenal of literary devices with which he reproaches a puerile Victorian society for holding ideals absent of sincerity, it's use of marriage as the currency of social status, and for maintaining the class divide.
When Lady Bracknell returns she is shocked that Gwendolen is now engaged to jack and tells her she will not get married without her approval. Lady Bracknell Promptly interviews jack and is pleased until she hears that he was found in a train station by his adoptive father. Back at Algernon’s flat Jack and Algernon are getting ready for a night on the town when Gwendolen enters and tells jack she cannot marry him but would still like to visit his home in the country. When jack is telling gwendolen his address Algernon quickly writes it down. As the play progresses Algernon and Cecily meet eachother and Algernon proposes to her while she is under the impression that he his Jacks brother Ernest who she has had a crush on for ages.
15.01.2013 The Importance of Being Earnest (1885) Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) * Irish writer and poet * Known for his epigrams and plays (became one of London's most popular playwrights in the 1890s) * Leader of the Aesthetic Movement -> concept of Art for Art‘s Sake * In 1895 Wilde was convicted of “gross indecency“ -> sentenced to two years‘ imprisonment with hard labor Plot Overview – Important Information * Jack Worthing, the play’s protagonist, is a major landowner, who pretends to have a brother named Ernest who leads a scandalous life in pursuit of pleasure -> alibi to disappear * Jack is in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, the cousin of his best friend, Algernon Moncrieff * Algernon pretends to have a nonexistent friend named Bunbury who he pretends to visit whenever he wants to get out of some boring social obligation -> alibi to disappear * Liar – Bunburyist; lying – bunburying * Algernon is in love with Jack’s ward Cecily Cardew Plot Overview – Act I * Jack visits Algernon in his flat in London‘s fashionable West End and tells him about his plans to propose to Gwendolen * Jack explains to be calling himself Ernest in town and Jack in the country; Algernon reveals the lie about his non-existing friend Bunbury * Lady Bracknell and her daughter, Gwendolen, arrive * Jack proposes to Gwendolen -> Gwendolen accepts his proposal but explains that she only wants to marry a man called Ernest -> Jack decides to arrange a christening to become Ernest * Lady Bracknell denies the engagement and interrogates Jack to find out about his suitability * Jack explains he was found in a handbag in a cloak room and adopted -> Gwendolen tells Jack she will always love him, but they can never marry (except if she could change her mother‘s mind) Plot Overview – Act II
Oscar Wilde, the author of The Importance of Being Earnest, was most definitely a peculiar character. This is present in his writings, particularly in the aforementioned work. The Importance of Being Earnest uses unusual situations and striking puns to produce a humor that would be enjoyed by nearly all peoples. The Importance of Being Earnest was nearly a Victorian example of an episode of 'Seinfeld. '; The characters contained within often find themselves in the most peculiar of situations, so strange that we can find them humorous.
He laid particular stress on your German, as he was leaving for town yesterday. Indeed, he always lays stress on your German when he is leaving for town.” She is the opposite of Gwendolen Fairfax which is sophisticated well educated and lives her life according to society rules of the time, but yet Cecily seems the most realistic person on the play, she even has an imaginary relationship with Earnest, Jack’s imaginary brother at the country and Jack’s name in London. Both Gwendolen and Cecily fall in love with Earnest but here once again we can see the difference between them, Cecily loved him because he was wicked as Jack described him, and Gwendolen on the other hand loved him because of his christian name. Cecilys simplicity is noticed one the way how she dresses as well even why she was wealthy and she could live the same way as Gwendolen, her dress is pretty simple and her hair very natural as Lady Barcknell describes her look in ACT 3 ( Lady Bracknell. [Sitting down again.]
We begin with Jack and Algernon are having a chat about ‘Bunburying’ where both show conflicting views on the subject. The conversation moves onto the matter of love and how they have both fallen in love and subsequently both arranged to be christened in the evening of the name Ernest to impress their ladies. Gwendolen and Cecily then question Jack and Algernon on their deception as Ernest. The ladies are satisfied with their answers and they fall into each other’s arms just as Lady Bracknell walks in. Cecily tells Lady Bracknell how she is engaged to Algernon and after much questioning gives her consent to the marriage.
The Importance of Being Earnest Paper The Importance of Being Earnest is a play by Oscar Wilde that is comical and absurd in its plot and its characters. Much of the humor in Wilde’s play covertly makes fun of the social establishments and institutions of the time. This downplayed humor adds to the plot and makes it more surreal yet entertaining. One of the topics made fun of in Wilde’s play is girls’ treatment of each other during his time. The scene in which this is expressed represents women of the late 19th century in a proper but ridiculous manner.
Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance Of Being Earnest’ Within this essay, the themes of sexism, hierarchy and the importance of marriage will be explored. These are key themes to understand when reading ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ by Oscar Wilde because it gives the reader insight into this age of literature. Referencing will be in accordance to ‘The Collected Works of Oscar Wilde’. By putting Lady Bracknell into a position of power at the beginning of the play and by showing that through their white lies and double life Jack and Algernon as men, can even make foolish mistakes are exceptions when it comes to the over all message that men at the time were actually of more social importance. Men were in the position to make the political decisions, women did not drive, men worked and woman stayed at home to bring up the children and preparing more and more social gatherings whilst being visited by ‘friends’ of theirs.