Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay

Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde is a legendary author who has composed many great plays including The Green Carnation and A Woman of No Importance, however, The Importance of Being Earnest was undoubtedly the most famous of his works. First published in 1930, yet acknowledged since the late 1800s, The Importance of Being Earnest helped to revive the theater tradition of Congreve and Sheridan. The story is a comedic view of romance and the emphasis we place on seemingly trivial articles, such as a name. In this story, contrary to the typical saying, a rose by any other name would not smell as sweet. Our first scene begins with a confrontation, and the whole story is a man versus confusing women (better†¦show more content†¦During this encounter, both happen to mention that they are engaged to be married to Ernest Worthing. We must recall that to Gwendolyn, Ernest is actually Jack and to Cecily, Ernest is Algy. The girls are only bewildered and upset, so they decide to affront their fiancà ©s. Upon this confrontation, it is revealed that neither Jack nor Algy are Ernest Worthing. Instead of embracing this idea with relief that they are not in battle over the same man, the hopeful wives simply ask where the real Ernest Worthing is because they are both engaged to him, not anyone else. When it is announced that there is no Ernest Worthing, both girls rather haughtily disregard their men to pout over this horrible injustice. This leaves Algy and Jack feeling horribly dejected, so they sit for tea and discuss their possible options. It is decided that the only action that would bring about a resolution is if they are both christened as Ernest. At the occurrence of this declaration, Gwendolyn and Cecily are profoundly relieved and flattered that any man would go through such an ordeal to win their hands in marriage. During this whole encounter, Jack has acquired an understanding of Algy, which he is not too fond of. Since he is Cecily’s legal guardian, with her future in mind, he refuses to give the consent that would allow her toShow MoreRelated Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay576 Words   |  3 Pages In â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† by Oscar Wilde, humor functions through the use of Characterization and the social satire of the Victorian period. Characterization is the method an author uses to reveal or describe characters and their various personalities. Satire is a literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of correcting, or changing, the subject of the satirical attack. These two comical devices are part of the nature of humor, which isRead MoreAnalysis of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest624 Words   |  3 PagesThe Importance of Being Earnest: The Importance of Being Earnest is an unusual romantic comedy that was written by Oscar Wilde during the late 19th Century as an intelligent satire of Victorian society. Since then, the play has proven to be an unchanging hit because it has exceeded its initial demographic to an extent that its regarded as the greatest stage comedy of all time. Wilde wrote the play not only to challenge received ideas in the then Victorian society but also to subvert prevailingRead More Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay3849 Words   |  16 PagesOscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest In the closing lines of the first act of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest, Algernon remarks, I love scrapes. They are the only things that are never serious, to which Jack responds, Oh, thats nonsense Algy. You never talk about anything but nonsense. Algernon caps off this exchange with a proclamation of the purpose of the whole work: Nobody ever does (1642). Wilde never allows anything in the work to conclude on a seriousRead More Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay1375 Words   |  6 PagesOscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Webster’s dictionary defines earnest as â€Å"characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind.† This definition is subject to total upheaval by Oscar Wilde in The Importance of Being Earnest. The title suggests a treatise on the value of solemnity in everyday life. However, Wilde presents us with an ironic play that leaves us with the opposite lesson. None of the characters benefit from propriety. The least serious charactersRead MoreThe Dichotomy of Honesty in Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest553 Words   |  3 PagesOscar Wildes, The Importance of Being Earnest revolves around the dichotomy of the true definition of honesty versus the victorian definition of honesty. It is apparent that Wildes opinion is that true honesty is expressed through being genuine to ones self as opposed to putting on a front as is important in victorian ideals. In this work, Wilde uses humor to off-set the seriousness of the theme of the story. One who has studied this work can also clearly see that Wilde is using sarcasm to sayRead More Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay4865 Words   |  20 PagesOscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Setting: Begins in a flat in London then proceeds to a manor house in the countryside in the late 1800s. Plot: Two men, John Jack Earnest Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, use the deception [a Bunbury] that both their names were Ernest, in order to secure marriage to the women they love, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. Then there is the ultimate unraveling of their lies, which still ends in their impending nuptials.Cast of Key CharactersJohnRead MoreReview of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay634 Words   |  3 PagesReview of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest The play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde definitely proved itself to be â€Å"A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.† I saw the play at State University’s State Theatre. The play was long, in a three-act structure, yet it moved along at a good pace. They did a nice job of preparing the audience, there was an interesting lobby display with sketches of each of the costumes with fabric samples and they played music to fit the timeRead MoreA Critical Analysis of Oscar Wildes Importance of Being Earnest3101 Words   |  12 Pagesthe Aesthete and the Leisure Class 9 The Plot vs. Characterization 9 The Analysis of Character 9 The Structure Analysis of Plot 10 The Title of the play 11 Conclusion 12 Critiquing Play Introduction The play, The Importance of Being Earnest, is written by Oscar Wilde and was first performed in London at St. Jamess Theatre on fourteen February of the year of 1895. In order to escape burdensome social obligations, fictitious personal was maintained by the protagonists in this farcicalRead MoreAn Examination of Oscar Wilde’s Mockery of Victorian Conventions in â€Å"the Importance of Being Earnest†1559 Words   |  7 PagesExamination of Oscar Wilde’s Mockery of Victorian Conventions in â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† In Victorian society, the conventional norms of status, gender roles, and marriage were closely linked by an institution that men and women were placed with unrealistic demands and expectations from society. Women were brought up by their parents to become the perfect housewife, and men were forced into marriages based on status within the society. In Oscar Wilde’s play, â€Å"The Importance of Being EarnestRead MoreRacism and Sexism are Ugly Words in Oscar Wildes Play, The Importance of Being Earnest877 Words   |  4 Pagespowerful and highly hypocritical, appearances were everything. As stated by Gwendolyn Fairfax in the play The Importance of Being Earnest, â€Å"Style, not sincerity, is the vital thing† (783). And it is this play, written by Irish playwright Oscar Wilde, which mocks and exposes the carefully constructed faà §ade of British high society. As with any play, though, The Importance of Being Earnest has two settings: then and now. The challenge for the production team at Ball State University was to center the Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Setting: Begins in a flat in London then proceeds to a manor house in the countryside in the late 1800s. Plot: Two men, John Jack Earnest Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, use the deception [a Bunbury] that both their names were Ernest, in order to secure marriage to the women they love, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. Then there is the ultimate unraveling of their lies, which still ends in their impending nuptials.Cast of Key CharactersJohn Jack Ernest WorthingBon-vivant [Jack to Algernon 2] Algernon is asking Jack what brought him to town. Jack has come to town to get away from his responsibilities in the country, his ward Cecily, and to see Gwendolen, whom he wishes to propose†¦show more content†¦This is Jacks Bunbury to Algy and there are many more to come. Jack hopes that this lie will discourage any further pursuit of his true relation, guardian, to Cecily. Quote: Well if you want to know Cecily happens to be my aunt. Critic [Jack to Algernon 6] Jack has been trying to satisfy Algys fanatic questioning for the explanation of the inscription on Jacks cigarette case. J ack has said that he is Ernest in town and Jack in the country. Jack is not named Ernest. It is a phantom brother he has invented. Jack is going to explain his reason for lying in order to come to town, but he doesnt believe Algernon has a somber personality to comprehend his reasons. Quote: My dear Algy, I dont know whether you will be able to understand my real motives. You are hardly serious enough.Martyr [Jack to Algy 6] Algy has returned the cigarette case to Jack; now, he wishes to hear the reason Jack is Ernest in town and Jack in the country. Jack shows his bunbury to Algy. Jack is Cecilys guardian that is why he is Jack in the country. In order to come to town he has invented a wayward brother named Ernest. Jack explains his reasons for lying about who Cecily really is and who he is to Cecily. He is essentially her immediate forebear and must keep up social standards. It is his responsibility to guard against any degrading of her values. Jack makes sacrifices to be Cecilys protector. One of his sacrifices is that he must lie in orderShow MoreRelated Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay576 Words   |  3 Pages In â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† by Oscar Wilde, humor functions through the use of Characterization and the social satire of the Victorian period. Characterization is the method an author uses to reveal or describe characters and their various personalities. Satire is a literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of correcting, or changing, the subject of the satirical attack. These two comical devices are part of the nature of humor, which isRead MoreAnalysis of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Ea rnest624 Words   |  3 PagesThe Importance of Being Earnest: The Importance of Being Earnest is an unusual romantic comedy that was written by Oscar Wilde during the late 19th Century as an intelligent satire of Victorian society. Since then, the play has proven to be an unchanging hit because it has exceeded its initial demographic to an extent that its regarded as the greatest stage comedy of all time. Wilde wrote the play not only to challenge received ideas in the then Victorian society but also to subvert prevailingRead More Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay3849 Words   |  16 PagesOscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest In the closing lines of the first act of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest, Algernon remarks, I love scrapes. They are the only things that are never serious, to which Jack responds, Oh, thats nonsense Algy. You never talk about anything but nonsense. Algernon caps off this exchange with a proclamation of the purpose of the whole work: Nobody ever does (1642). Wilde never allows anything in the work to conclude on a seriousRead More Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay1375 Words   |  6 PagesOscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Webster’s dictionary defines earnest as â€Å"characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind.† This definition is subject to total upheaval by Oscar Wilde in The Importance of Being Earnest. The title suggests a treatise on the value of solemnity in everyday life. However, Wilde presents us with an ironic play that leaves us with the opposite lesson. None of the characters benefit from propriety. The least serious charactersRead More Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay3078 Words   |  13 PagesOscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde is a legendary author who has composed many great plays including The Green Carnation and A Woman of No Importance, however, The Importance of Being Earnest was undoubtedly the most famous of his works. First published in 1930, yet acknowledged since the late 1800s, The Importance of Being Earnest helped to revive the theater tradition of Congreve and Sheridan. The story is a comedic view of romance and the emphasis we place on seeminglyRead MoreThe Dichotomy of Honesty in Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest553 Words   |  3 PagesOscar Wildes, The Importance of Being Earnest revolves around the dichotomy of the true definition of honesty versus the victorian definition of honesty. It is apparent that Wildes opinion is that true honesty is expressed through being genuine to ones self as opposed to putting on a front as is important in victorian ideals. In this work, Wilde uses humor to off-set the seriousness of the theme of the story. One who has studied this work can also clearly see that Wilde is using sarcasm to sayRead MoreReview of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay634 Words   |  3 PagesReview of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest The play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde definitely proved itself to be â€Å"A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.† I saw the play at State University’s State Theatre. The play was long, in a three-act structure, yet it moved along at a good pace. They did a nice job of preparing the audience, there was an interesting lobby display with sketches of each of the costumes with fabric samples and they played music to fit the timeRead MoreA Critical Analysis of Oscar Wildes Importance of Being Earnest3101 Words   |  12 Pagesthe Aesthete and the Leisure Class 9 The Plot vs. Characterization 9 The Analysis of Character 9 The Structure Analysis of Plot 10 The Title of the play 11 Conclusion 12 Critiquing Play Introduction The play, The Importance of Being Earnest, is written by Oscar Wilde and was first performed in London at St. Jamess Theatre on fourteen February of the year of 1895. In order to escape burdensome social obligations, fictitious personal was maintained by the protagonists in this farcicalRead MoreAn Examination of Oscar Wilde’s Mockery of Victorian Conventions in â€Å"the Importance of Being Earnest†1559 Words   |  7 PagesExamination of Oscar Wilde’s Mockery of Victorian Conventions in â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† In Victorian society, the conventional norms of status, gender roles, and marriage were closely linked by an institution that men and women were placed with unrealistic demands and expectations from society. Women were brought up by their parents to become the perfect housewife, and men were forced into marriages based on status within the society. In Oscar Wilde’s play, â€Å"The Importance of Being EarnestRead MoreRacism and Sexism are Ugly Words in Oscar Wildes Play, The Importance of Being Earnest877 Words   |  4 Pagespowerful and highly hypocritical, appearances were everything. As stated by Gwendolyn Fairfax in the play The Importance of Being Earnest, â€Å"Style, not sincerity, is the vital thing† (783). And it is this play, written by Irish playwright Oscar Wilde, which mocks and exposes the carefully constructed faà §ade of British high society. As with any play, though, The Importance of Being Earnest has two settings: then and now. The challenge for the production team at Ball State University was to center the Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest In the closing lines of the first act of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest, Algernon remarks, I love scrapes. They are the only things that are never serious, to which Jack responds, Oh, thats nonsense Algy. You never talk about anything but nonsense. Algernon caps off this exchange with a proclamation of the purpose of the whole work: Nobody ever does (1642). Wilde never allows anything in the work to conclude on a serious note. While Wilde repeatedly proclaims this direction for the play through his characters, he does not tell us the motivation for this direction. He never explains why there is this avoidance of earnestness. The most apparent answer lies in†¦show more content†¦While Wildes ironic look at nineteenth-century Victorian England is funny, it is on the higher, abstract level that Wildes work is unified and gains lasting and a-historical significance. The paradox is not something that is easily sustained or drawn out because of its inherent contradiction. Wilde relies upon fine tuned pacing to sustain his use of paradox and to allow for a vehicle between paradox. Wildes use of these techniques is especially exaggerated in the first scenes of the first and third acts, where the characters of Jack and Lady Bracknell (Aunt Augusta) are particularly utilized by Wilde. The most fundamental element of Wildes use of paradox lies in the paradoxical epigrams that pepper the work. In the first act we immediately see these in use. Jack tells Algernon that when he is in the country he amuses his neighbors, but then volunteers, [I] Never speak to one of them, to which Alegernon responds, How immensely you must amuse them (1630). The idea of amusing someone to whom you do not even talk is quickly dismissed as Wilde moves on. A few minutes later in the action, Algernon warns Jack to take care in his marital plans: Well, in the first place girls never marry the men they flirt with. Girls dont think it right. Before answering who exactly it is that girls do marry, Wilde moves the characters to a new scenario that brings Algernon toShow MoreRelated Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay576 Words   |  3 Pages In â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† by Oscar Wilde, humor functions through the use of Characterization and the social satire of the Victorian period. Characterization is the method an author uses to reveal or describe characters and their various personalities. Satire is a literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of correcting, or changing, the subject of the satirical attack. These two comical devices are part of the nature of humor, which isRead MoreAnalysis of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest624 Words   |  3 PagesThe Importance of Being Earnest: The Importance of Being Earnest is an unusual romantic comedy that was written by Oscar Wilde during the late 19th Century as an intelligent satire of Victorian society. Since then, the play has proven to be an unchanging hit because it has exceeded its initial demographic to an extent that its regarded as the greatest stage comedy of all time. Wilde wrote the play not only to challenge received ideas in the then Victorian society but also to subvert prevailingRead More Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay1375 Words   |  6 PagesOscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Webster’s dictionary defines earnest as â€Å"characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind.† This definition is subject to total upheaval by Oscar Wilde in The Importance of Being Earnest. The title suggests a treatise on the value of solemnity in everyday life. However, Wilde presents us with an ironic play that leaves us with the opposite lesson. None of the characters benefit from propriety. The least serious charactersRead More Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay3078 Words   |  13 PagesOscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde is a legendary author who has composed many great plays including The Green Carnation and A Woman of No Importance, however, The Importance of Being Earnest was undoubtedly the most famous of his works. First published in 1930, yet acknowledged since the late 1800s, The Importance of Being Earnest helped to revive the theater tradition of Congreve and Sheridan. The story is a comedic view of romance and the emphasis we place on seeminglyRead MoreThe Dichotomy of Honesty in Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest553 Words   |  3 PagesOscar Wildes, The Importance of Being Earnest revolves around the dichotomy of the true definition of honesty versus the victorian definition of honesty. It is apparent that Wildes opinion is that true honesty is expressed through being genuine to ones self as opposed to putting on a front as is important in victorian ideals. In this work, Wilde uses humor to off-set the seriousness of the theme of the story. One who has studied this work can also clearly see that Wilde is using sarcasm to sayRead More Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay4865 Words   |  20 PagesOscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Setting: Begins in a flat in London then proceeds to a manor house in the countryside in the late 1800s. Plot: Two men, John Jack Earnest Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, use the deception [a Bunbury] that both their names were Ernest, in order to secure marriage to the women they love, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. Then there is the ultimate unraveling of their lies, which still ends in their impending nuptials.Cast of Key CharactersJohnRead MoreReview of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay634 Words   |  3 PagesReview of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest The play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde definitely proved itself to be â€Å"A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.† I saw the play at State University’s State Theatre. The play was long, in a three-act structure, yet it moved along at a good pace. They did a nice job of preparing the audience, there was an interesting lobby display with sketches of each of the costumes with fabric samples and they played music to fit the timeRead MoreA Critical Analysis of Oscar Wildes Importance of Being Earnest3101 Words   |  12 Pagesthe Aesthete and the Leisure Class 9 The Plot vs. Characterization 9 The Analysis of Character 9 The Structure Analysis of Plot 10 The Title of the play 11 Conclusion 12 Critiquing Play Introduction The play, The Importance of Being Earnest, is written by Oscar Wilde and was first performed in London at St. Jamess Theatre on fourteen February of the year of 1895. In order to escape burdensome social obligations, fictitious personal was maintained by the protagonists in this farcicalRead MoreAn Examination of Oscar Wilde’s Mockery of Victorian Conventions in â€Å"the Importance of Being Earnest†1559 Words   |  7 PagesExamination of Oscar Wilde’s Mockery of Victorian Conventions in â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† In Victorian society, the conventional norms of status, gender roles, and marriage were closely linked by an institution that men and women were placed with unrealistic demands and expectations from society. Women were brought up by their parents to become the perfect housewife, and men were forced into marriages based on status within the society. In Oscar Wilde’s play, â€Å"The Importance of Being EarnestRead MoreRacism and Sexism are Ugly Words in Oscar Wildes Play, The Importance of Being Earnest877 Words   |  4 Pagespowerful and highly hypocritical, appearances were everything. As stated by Gwendolyn Fairfax in the play The Importance of Being Earnest, â€Å"Style, not sincerity, is the vital thing† (783). And it is this play, written by Irish playwright Oscar Wilde, which mocks and exposes the carefully constructed faà §ade of British high society. As with any play, though, The Importance of Being Earnest has two settings: then and now. The challenge for the production team at Ball State University was to center the Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Webster’s dictionary defines earnest as â€Å"characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind.† This definition is subject to total upheaval by Oscar Wilde in The Importance of Being Earnest. The title suggests a treatise on the value of solemnity in everyday life. However, Wilde presents us with an ironic play that leaves us with the opposite lesson. None of the characters benefit from propriety. The least serious characters, Algernon and Jack are rewarded in the end for their frivolous behavior throughout the play, implying that there is very little, if any, importance to being earnest, excepting that you give the appearance of such, for example the name.†¦show more content†¦Since his name is not in fact Ernest the value of the word begins to lose its meaning. If Jack is the most earnest looking person, the most serious person, and lies about even his name, then who can in fact have an earnest personality? As if to add to the absu rdity of the name and its connotation, Jack tells Algernon, â€Å"It is very vulgar to talk like a dentist when one isn’t a dentist. It produces a false impression.† (Act I p.15) The explicit nature of Jack’s statement, that it is vulgar to give the impression of someone who you are not, for example claiming your name is Ernest, contributes to the impression that both men are invested in taking themselves and, perhaps their lives as lightly as possible. As the play goes on, the audience, or reader quickly comes to understand that nothing that claims to be serious can actually be considered so. The word and its definition can not be applied to any person or situation. Jack’s explanation of his dual personality does nothing to lessen the irony of his situation. When he is in the city, wooing Gwendolen, his name, but not his demeanor, is Ernest. However, when he is at home where â€Å"one has to adopt a very moral tone on all subjects† (Act I, p. 18) he keeps the name Jack, which has no relation to the propriety he says he must assume. Gwendolen later tells his ward, (the reason for his country demeanor) that â€Å"Ernest has a strong upright nature. He is the very soul of truth and honour. DisloyaltyShow MoreRelated Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay576 Words   |  3 Pages In â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† by Oscar Wilde, humor functions through the use of Characterization and the social satire of the Victorian period. Characterization is the method an author uses to reveal or describe characters and their various personalities. Satire is a literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of correcting, or changing, the subject of the satirical attack. These two comical devices are part of the nature of humor, which isRead MoreAnalysis of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest624 Words   |  3 PagesThe Importance of Being Earnest: The Importance of Being Earnest is an unusual romantic comedy that was written by Oscar Wilde during the late 19th Century as an intelligent satire of Victorian society. Since then, the play has proven to be an unchanging hit because it has exceeded its initial demographic to an extent that its regarded as the greatest stage comedy of all time. Wilde wrote the play not only to challenge received ideas in the then Victorian society but also to subvert prevailingRead More Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay3849 Words   |  16 PagesOscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest In the closing lines of the first act of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest, Algernon remarks, I love scrapes. They are the only things that are never serious, to which Jack responds, Oh, thats nonsense Algy. You never talk about anything but nonsense. Algernon caps off this exchange with a proclamation of the purpose of the whole work: Nobody ever does (1642). Wilde never allows anything in the work to conclude on a seriousRead More Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay3078 Words   |  13 PagesOscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde is a legendary author who has composed many great plays including The Green Carnation and A Woman of No Importance, however, The Importance of Being Earnest was undoubtedly the most famous of his works. First published in 1930, yet acknowledged since the late 1800s, The Importance of Being Earnest helped to revive the theater tradition of Congreve and Sheridan. The story is a comedic view of romance and the emphasis we place on seeminglyRead MoreThe Dichotomy of Honesty in Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest553 Words   |  3 PagesOscar Wildes, The Importance of Being Earnest revolves around the dichotomy of the true definition of honesty versus the victorian definition of honesty. It is apparent that Wildes opinion is that true honesty is expressed through being genuine to ones self as opposed to putting on a front as is important in victorian ideals. In this work, Wilde uses humor to off-set the seriousness of the theme of the story. One who has studied this work can also clearly see that Wilde is using sarcasm to sayRead More Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay4865 Words   |  20 PagesOscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest Setting: Begins in a flat in London then proceeds to a manor house in the countryside in the late 1800s. Plot: Two men, John Jack Earnest Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, use the deception [a Bunbury] that both their names were Ernest, in order to secure marriage to the women they love, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. Then there is the ultimate unraveling of their lies, which still ends in their impending nuptials.Cast of Key CharactersJohnRead MoreReview of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay634 Words   |  3 PagesReview of Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest The play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde definitely proved itself to be â€Å"A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.† I saw the play at State University’s State Theatre. The play was long, in a three-act structure, yet it moved along at a good pace. They did a nice job of preparing the audience, there was an interesting lobby display with sketches of each of the costumes with fabric samples and they played music to fit the timeRead MoreA Critical Analysis of Oscar Wildes Importance of Being Earnest3101 Words   |  12 Pagesthe Aesthete and the Leisure Class 9 The Plot vs. Characterization 9 The Analysis of Character 9 The Structure Analysis of Plot 10 The Title of the play 11 Conclusion 12 Critiquing Play Introduction The play, The Importance of Being Earnest, is written by Oscar Wilde and was first performed in London at St. Jamess Theatre on fourteen February of the year of 1895. In order to escape burdensome social obligations, fictitious personal was maintained by the protagonists in this farcicalRead MoreAn Examination of Oscar Wilde’s Mockery of Victorian Conventions in â€Å"the Importance of Being Earnest†1559 Words   |  7 PagesExamination of Oscar Wilde’s Mockery of Victorian Conventions in â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† In Victorian society, the conventional norms of status, gender roles, and marriage were closely linked by an institution that men and women were placed with unrealistic demands and expectations from society. Women were brought up by their parents to become the perfect housewife, and men were forced into marriages based on status within the society. In Oscar Wilde’s play, â€Å"The Importance of Being EarnestRead MoreRacism and Sexism are Ugly Words in Oscar Wildes Play, The Importance of Being Earnest877 Words   |  4 Pagespowerful and highly hypocritical, appearances were everything. As stated by Gwendolyn Fairfax in the play The Importance of Being Earnest, â€Å"Style, not sincerity, is the vital thing† (783). And it is this play, written by Irish playwright Oscar Wilde, which mocks and exposes the carefully constructed faà §ade of British high society. As with any play, though, The Importance of Being Earnest has two settings: then and now. The challenge for the production team at Ball State University was to center the