The Importance of Being Earnest

common influence on characters seen in literature. Its effects can vary from causing slight tension to destroying lives. The pieces Frankenstein, “The Bloody Chamber”, “Goblin Market”, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Importance of Being Earnest all use development to display the effects of greed on both the individual experiencing it and on those close to him or her. Frankenstein, a novel written by Mary Shelley, describes the life of Victor Frankenstein, a mad scientist, who…

Authenticity, or lack thereof, and artificiality are a big part of the play The Importance of being Earnest. Jack and Algernon, two of the main protagonists who are very present throughout this play, showcase examples of how artificiality is presented in Victorian society and how it is widely expected and accepted. Both Algernon and Jack create alternate personas for themselves which ultimately results in a few undesirable situations, but also aids them through their everyday lives. While this…

different. His determination to marry Gwendolen, and the fights with Algernon Moncrieff and Lady Bracknell’s just to receive her approval, shows how he was chosen as the protagonist. “Earnest” is defined by the characters as someone who is truthful and honest. In my opinion Jack was struggling with “the importance of being earnest”. All he had to do was tell the truth because everything he thought he was lying about, actually turned out to be true. Jack proposed to Gwendolen but while he…

The importance of marriage in Victorian times was much more than in today's society. There weren't many marriages that started with love, but in that era, a woman's life was not filled until she was married. Reaching the married stage is at the bottom of a long list of rules and stages that shall be followed. At a young age, girls would begin to fantasize about their wedding and the man they wished to marry. In the play The Importance of Being Earnest, Cecily and Gwendolyn are obsessed with the…

authored works of literary merit such as The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde was one of the greatest wits of the 20th century because of his intelligence, flamboyancy, and humor. Unfortunately, the Victorian social prejudices surmounted him, when the father of a young man Wilde was romantically involved with left him a homophobic slur. Wilde was convicted of gross indecency, and was sent to two years of hard labor. After being released from prison, he lived for…

The Importance of Being Earnest, holds similarities to Wilde’s original play and likewise include changes from the original play. Overall, Oliver Parker film adaptation takes Wilde’s original concept and brings changes in the characters, setting, and theme of the original play. For the majority of the film, Parker sticks to the dialogue from the original Wilde play, though he does include alterations…

the societal class in which a character was born, or thrust, into is of as much importance, if not more, as a character’s personal sense of self. Both Oscar Wilde’s, “The Importance of Being Earnest” and Robert Louis Stevenson’s, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” develop themes around the central ideology of self-identity versus how an entire society views the individual. “The Importance of Being Earnest” is a sharp, satirical play that quickly and effectively points out the flaws…

properties are added to make the story more realistic, and the list goes on. When I was told that my play, The Importance of Being Earnest, was becoming a movie, I had mixed feelings. I was extremely satisfied that my work was successful enough to become a movie, yet many movie adaptions are often subpar. After watching the movie, I have made my decision. The film version of The Importance of Being Earnest closely resembles the original play and is an impressive drama in regards to dialogue,…

by that culture. These ideals of moral responsibility can be characterized as charitable, respectable, and interest in the well-being of others. The Oxford English Dictionary defines “nobility” as “The quality of having high status or value; renown or distinction arising from excellence.” (n.2). The poem Lanval by Marie de France and the play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde involves the noble class and the manner in which they conduct themselves. The upper class in these two texts…

political decisions for the well being of their families, while women tend to the normal chores of keeping the house clean and the children in check. The ways in which society places value over men and women is also drastically different. Men are generally admired for their intuition, understanding, reasoning and intelligence, while women are extremely enticing to men based on their chastity and elegance. However, in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, critical questions are…