The Importance of Being Ernest Essay

Honesty is an important aspect of many agreements in everyday life. It is important in school, work and other aspects, like marriage. In Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, the satire of an upper-class Victorian marriage can also be seen as a parody of the noble Victorian society as a whole. Wilde uses short dialogue to mock upper-class marriage in order to highlight and ridicule the flashbacks of society as a whole during this Victorian era. Wilde’s clever mind comes up with the…

“I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being good all the time. That would-be hypocrisy.” (Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest) Jamie Lessells Life in the 21st century has moved on from past events and stereotypes, and celebrities have never been more in the spotlight. Despite all this change, some ideas, attitudes and values constructed in The Importance of Being Earnest are still relevant in society today. Themes such as marriage and living double…

Frog Prince put on by Missoula Children’s Theatre. Though I still knew virtually nothing about theatre, there was no doubt in my mind that I had to do it more. And that I did. I have chosen to write about Oscar Wilde’s famous play The Importance of Being Earnest. This play is near and dear to my heart because I was in a production of the show in 2014 at my community theatre, the Barrow-Civic…

Student name Professor Course Date The Importance of Being Earnest: Honesty vs. Lies “The Importance of Being Ernest” by Oscar Wilde was first played in 1895 at the St James’s Theatre in London. The major theme that the play revolves around is trivial notions that critical institutions like marriages are being shown. In other words, it was a satire of the Victorian ways. The play is a farcical comedy, and the protagonists of the play employ made-up personalities to escape their lives. The lies…

have a husband called "Ernest." They both place emphasis on such a trivial matter as a name. When Jack attempts to tell Gwendolen that his name is really "Jack" and not "Ernest" she replies saying, "Jack?... No, there is very little music in the name Jack, if any at all, indeed. The only really safe name is Ernest." Wilde deliberately uses farce in the play to exaggerate the mind frame of the upper class. It is seen here that Gwendolen loves Jack, but she places greater importance on silly,…

Have you ever noticed something that seemed ridiculous or petty but everyone never said anything bad about it? Well, that is exactly how Oscar Wilde felt about the Victorian upper class. In the play “The Importance of Being Earnest”, Oscar Wilde uses the characters to portray how he viewed the Victorian upper class. Wilde satirizes the Victorian upper class by using understatements about serious matters, bringing attention to the comedic behaviors of the characters, and portraying the humourous…

Individuality in The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest takes place in the Victorian Era in Europe, showcasing the strict societal rules and the pressure they cause to attempt to remove individuality from the society by having characters follow the proper upper class stereotypes (being rude to lower class, choosing marriages for money, etc.) By showing the upper class standards and stereotypical snobby behavior through multiple characters, Wilde highlights…

Characters: Jack Worthing- In the importance of being Ernest, the play’s main character, Jack has two imaginary roles. Jack himself and Ernest, his made up brother. In the city, Jack is himself, Jack. In the country, he switches and calls himself Ernest, his made up brother. He uses the character of Ernest to get away from issues he does not want to be in, like he can say, “Sorry my brother Ernest is sick, I have to go.” Jack is an orphan that was found in a silver handbag in the cloakroom of…

always wanting to miss important business meetings and poking fun at the extreme properness. He lives a very open bachelor life style and talks bad of marriage. He is also very confident in his looks and his physical possessions. Oscar Wilde’s Importance of Being Earnest, is a satire poking fun at Victorian society and Algernon Moncrieff plays a big role in showing this. Algernon Moncreiff is one of the main characters and Jack’s best friend. He is a very good example of satire against…

In Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde uses satire to ridicule the strict expectations of marriage and the Victorian aristocracy. He breaks from what is socially acceptable by creating extravagant situations and including eccentric characters. With its outlandish scenarios, “Wilde now uses, as plot, a purely farcical intrigue” (135 Roditi). The play involves changing of identity, misunderstanding lovers, and unexpected surprises. Each act leads to the events of the next act…