The Importance of Being More Than Earnest Essay - 1715 Words

Every line, every character, and every stage direction in The Importance of Being Earnest is set on supporting Oscar Wilde’s want for social change. The Importance of Being Earnest was written during the late period of the Victorian era. During this period social classification was taken very seriously. It could affect working and living conditions, education, religion, and marriage. Wilde explores the issues of social class and turns it into a comedic play. He humorously criticizes Victorian manners and attacking the society of the luxurious life. The audience becomes self-aware as the characters reflect on themselves. Plays such as this become successful because of the backgrounds the writers come from and the experiences they have had.†¦show more content†¦In other words, Wilde saw the hidden connection between facts and personal opinions; and how to combine the two in the play. By doing this, he attacks serious issues of society and twists them into a comedic view . This is an appropriate theme for Wilde to select because of his experience among upper class people. The main purpose of this theme is to stimulate laughter from the audience. Wilde is able to satirize the upper classes by placing this play in an upper class social setting. This â€Å"†¦requires the audience to accept the world presented on the stage as a real world, a possible world; and its human foibles, even if heightened and exaggerated in the play’s satirical exposure of them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Foster 19). Then he fills the characters language with sayings, which make them seem ridiculous. The characters constantly contradict the basic values in their speech. This works to Wilde’s advantage because he wants his play to be funny and not offensive. Raby states â€Å"†¦ [i]n his political and aesthetic theory Wilde was both romantic and cynical. In his drama he was both sentimental and satirical† (Raby 26). He could manipulate the audience to think that the play was just a storyline but in reality it was mocking them. Which includes the theme of the ir rational upper class; the question arises: what is the importance of being earnest. Webster’s dictionary defines â€Å"earnest† as â€Å"characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind.† Lady Bracknell is a goodShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde1364 Words   |  6 PagesIn order to fully understand the meaning of â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† and its importance in its time, one must look at Oscar Wilde’s background in relation to the Victorian time period. Biography.com states that Wilde had a very social life, growing up among influential Victorians and intellectuals of the time. As he grew older and became a successful writer, he began engaging in homosexual affairs which was a crime during the 19th century. He eventually started a relationship with AlfredRead MoreEssay on The Comedic Element in The Importance of Earnest582 Words   |  3 Pagesshould have more importance in the world than they do. On any given night if someone were to watch the news or read the news paper they would see just how dire and depressing the world actually is. It is important to take the time now and then and have a good laugh to ease the tension that the news can cause. Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest is a witty and amusing comedy which conveys real life everyday themes such as real love as opposed to selfish love, religion, marriage, being truthfulRead MoreThe Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde1300 Words   |  5 PagesThe play, The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde was written in the Victorian Age of England. During this time morality was connected with sexual restraint and strict codes of conduct in public. 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Regarded as one ofRead MoreSatire in â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† by Oscar Wilde Essay example716 Words   |  3 Pagespiece of work that is designed to ridicule or tease a group or organization, generally for the purpose of being humorous. â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest,† a play by Oscar Wilde, is a satire, ridiculing class, gender, and marriage. This essay will describe some points from each of these sections, as well as give a brief synopsis of the play these examples come from. The Importance of being Earnest includes three acts, with seven major characters. In act one, we start with a conversation between JackRead MoreThe Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde980 Words   |  4 PagesEarnest Hypocrisy In Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, two gentlemen exemplify the result of dishonesty and hypocrisy. Set in Victorian England, the two bachelors, Algernon and Jack, fight over which one of them will take the name Ernest in order to win their own girl. Wilde circumvents conventionalism and employs superior satirical strategy to not only teach the importance of being earnest, a characteristic held dear by Victorian society, but he also chastises his world for the hypocrisyRead MoreThe Influence Of Victorian Society On Relationships And Marriage1642 Words   |  7 Pagesof Victorian Society on Relationships and Marriage Marriage was of utmost importance during the 1830’s to the 1900’s. The â€Å"ideal† relationship had been searched for by both men and women using the standards that the commonwealth had created. When reading Oscar Wilde’s â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† and associating it to society’s expectations for both genders throughout the Victorian era, people are depicted as being very effected and influenced by the set rules and boundaries. 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Wilde suggests that keeping up appearances was so significant during the Victorian ages that men engaged in bunburying: the idea that people take on a different persona, whether real or imagined, as an escape from their current life or in order to portray themselves in a better light. Wilde uses satirical