Liminal being

a sinful and unnatural practice to be condemned by the law. Wilde himself was arrested on charges of “gross indecency” after his affair with a young man came to light (Biography). With this knowledge, The Importance of Being Earnest takes on an entirely new meaning aside from being a mere farce. The play revolves around the idea of identity, and the process of coming to terms with that identity. Two men who adopt the persona of “Ernest” both lie about…

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…

Oscar Wilde is well known for the satire involved within his plays. The Importance of Being Earnest is not an exception to this. Wilde created a brilliant comedy that mocked different aspects of the Victorian lifestyle and unrealistic ideals. Part of the brilliance within this satirical piece is that Wilde mocked the very people that constructed his audience. While the play may be mocking of its own audience, it also draws them in by creating a relatable unrealistic world. In order to…

She represents women of the Victorian upper class society and believes that those of high class should be the ones in power. She has very little opinion of those with no title, or money and views the upper class society as being a `closed club.' In other words, most people don't deserve to be in it unless they were born into it. She appears as a guardian of society in that she forcefully dictates who should marry who in the play. In the first scene, Gwendolen is unable to…

Being My Own Best Friend: Isolation in The Perks of Being a Wallflower Loneliness is something that many teenagers experience during their time in high school. Loneliness can shape one’s character in drastic ways, and can even dictate their personal decisions. The impact of loneliness is something that is explored in detail in The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Through the depiction of unhealthy relationships, irrational character behaviour, and declines in mental health,…

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…

dramatists in England, and especially to Congreve and Wycherley; but it is a type of comedy which can flourish in any civilized urban society, and we see it again in Sheridan (1751-1816). This kind of comedy makes fun not so much of individual human beings and their humors as of social groups and their fashionable manners. It is general satirical, though in a good-natured way. The comedy of manners is a highly artificial form of drama and is generally full of verbal wit. So, like…

Also Victor is deciding his friend about how he looks. After his friend shows him how to scowl he thinks it is not him. This shows Victor needs to stop being subjective towards people.The author states, “‘..., Victor tried scowling. He felt foolish, until out of the corner of his eye he saw a girl looking at him.”’ (Soto 23) This shows how Victor instead of deciding what Micheal (his friend) did he tested…

The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde, ca. 1894 “Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.” - Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan Oscar Wilde liked to write plays that pointed at the aristocracy and nouveau riche in a critical way, but of course, written in a funny way so that his work became satirical. Oscar Wilde was therefore a brilliant writer of comedies of manners, the entertainment form that satirizes the manners of a social class, in Wilde’s case, the high…

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…