Wilde's Puns and Satire in The Importance of Being Earnest

Puns in the Importance of Being Ernest
Wilde uses puns throughout this play, but the major pun is found within the title. In The Importance of Being Earnest, the pun, widely considered to be
the lowest form of verbal wit, is rarely just a play on words. The title, –The Importance of Being Earnest,– insinuates the importance of being honest
and truthful, while playing on the male name, Ernest. The pun in the title is a case in point. The earnest/Ernest joke strikes at the very heart of
Victorian notions of respectability and duty. Gwendolen wants to marry a man called Ernest, and she doesn't care whether the man actually possesses
the qualities that comprise earnestness. She is, after all, quick to forgive Jack's deception. In embodying a man who is initially neither...show more
content...
Aristocracy does not see marriage as an organ of love but rather as a tool for achieving a sustaining social stature. Act I, scene 1, Puns are also used
during the conversation between Algernon and Jack in town. To accuse Algernon a liar just like dentists who lies about cavities, Jack has said,–"My
dear Algy, you talk exactly as if you were a dentist. It is very vulgar to talk like a dentist when one isn't a dentist. It produces a false impression".
This is very funny because we can see that Jack is also lying about his brother, but he is judging Algernon as if he is a very honest person. Later,
when Jack reveals all his truth about the name Ernest, Algernon responds by saying: Algernon: "What you really are is a Bunburyist. You are one
of the most advanced Bunburyist I know. ... "Besides now that I know you to be a confirmed Bunburyist, I naturally want to talk to you about
Bunburying. I want to tell you the rules. This is very funny, because Algernon is trying to be honest to Jack about advising him of an action that in
fact is itself dishonest and false. The pun is when Algernon thinks that Jack deserves to be advised and learn the rules, since he turned out to be a real
Bunburyist, even the most advanced one. This is very ridiculous! As if Jack was discovered to be a man with high principles or qualities. Act I, scene
1 Algernon: "You must be
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The Importance Of Being Earnest Humour Essay
In the comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, an abundance of humor can be found all throughout, in a variety of forms. From
satirizing Victorian norms to dramatizing the relationship between Cecily Cardew and Algernon Moncrieff, Oscar Wilde uses wit and absurdity to
induce a good laughter in his audience. Wilde begins the passage from Act II with an exaggeration on Cecily's part. Cecily, being a young woman
with plenty of time in her hands, possesses a diary in which she record the highlights of her day. As it was in that time, many Victorian women of
higher status kept diaries to keep themselves busy. Wilde takes this characteristic of Victorian women and exaggerates it by having Cecily pause her
conversation with Algernon and ask him if he may repeat himself in order for her to enter his quote in her diary word for word. She also asks him to
continue praising her in order for her to...show more content...
Cecily's confession that she has always wanted to marry a man by the name of Ernest makes Algernon nervous. She pities any woman who does
not have the privilege of being married to a man with the name of Ernest. After inquiring Cecily about loving a man who is not named Ernest, he is
able to learn that she will never love or marry anyone who isn't named Ernest. This scene is humorous for various reasons; first, typically, women do
not base their ideal husbands on a name, but rather by characteristics, physical appearance, and/or personality. Second, her pitying of any woman
who is not married to an Ernest is dramatically ironic since she is not marrying an Ernest, she is marrying Algernon, who is living a second life by
pretending to be a man by the name of Ernest. And lastly, her confession that she could not be with him if his name was Algernon (which is his actual
name), is an exaggeration of how their relationship depends solely on a name, which does not happen in real

Essay On The Importance Of Being Ernest
The definition of "plot" is the authors selection and arrangement of incidents in a story to shape the action and give the story a focus. The plot
consists of a rising action, climax, and finally the falling action. The plot in The Importance of Being Earnest is a unique plot. The rising action
begins early in the play where Algernon discovers the name "Jack" in Jack's cigarette case when he goes by the name of "Ernest". So, Algernon
questions Jack on who the "Jack" is written in his cigarette case. In the climax, Cecily and Gwendolen both find out that Jack and Algernon have been
lying to them about their real name not being "Ernest". In the falling action, Jack discovers who abandon him as a child, and who his brother is.
Starting off with the rising action of the plot, the opening scene of the play takes place in an urban area at Algernon's flat in Half Moon St., London.
Algernon asks Lane, his manservant to retrieve Jack's cigarette case. When Lane gives Algernon the case, Algernon confronts Jack about what is says
in the inside and that the cigarette case is not his. That is shown on page eight when Algernon says, "However, it makes...show more content...
In the part of the falling action, Miss Prism tells what happed with Jack. Miss Prism misplaced the manuscript with Jack. Miss Prism left Jack in a
hand bag, instead of the manuscript, and the manuscript got placed in the stroller instead of Jack. With all that happening, Jack was told that he was
named after his father, who always went by "General". Because his father always went by that name, nobody knew what Jack's real name was. On
page 122 in The Importance of Being Earnest, looked for his father's name in a book that held generals' names. Jack read out loud, "...General 1869,
Christian names, Ernest John. I always told you, Gwendolen, my name was Ernest." (Wilde 122). With that being found, Gwendolen is actually
marrying "Ernest", and all is

A satire is a piece of work that is designed to ridicule or tease a group or organization, generally for the purpose of being humorous. "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 Jack (a notable bachelor) and Algernon (an in debt bachelor, with a laid
back temperament), in which we learn both have made up 'friends,' who are often sick, as to escape from wherever they live whenever they want. We
also learn...show more content...
Gwendolyn and Cecily act as friends until they learn that they are supposedly engaged to the same person. Then they learn neither of them are engaged
to anybody named Ernest, and are friends again. In act three, we discover Jacks history, including that he is Algernon's elder brother. In the end, despite
several lies, arguments, and much turmoil, everybody gets married. There are many examples of satire referring to class. One of the first is the 'fact'
that the side of the street you live on affects how 'fashionable' you are. This is an example of satire because it is not true, and is ridiculing high
class people by pointing out how shallow that they can be. Another example is the statement that sugar is a low class food item. This is a satire for
the same reason as the first example. A third example of class related satire is that high class people always talk about other peoples business. This
ridicules high class people for being churlish and not allowing for other peoples privacy. In all, "Earnest" points out how snobbish and shallow Mr.
Wilde thought high class people are. There are also many examples of gender based satire. The first of these is that only men can have a Bunburry.
This is not true and shows that men think themselves more sophisticated than women. A second example of this type of satire is that women marry
for a name. This is a satire because it ridicules women for being shallow. A final example of gender related satire is that women are

What Is The Importance Of Being Ernest
The Importance of Being Earnest gives the reader an example of what the Victorian upper class was like. Those in the upper class valued wealth,
political power, and high social status. Oscar Wilde was able to write about characters in the upper class in a comedic way, which turned into
exposing their actual flaws to society. Jack Worthing, the protagonist of the story, was viewed to the outside community as a respectable and serious
young man, but he was far from that. He would often pretend and imagine himself to be someone else known as Earnest. His alter ego was anything
but responsible and mature. When he would transform into his second self, he would often disappear and flee to London for days at a time. Wilde uses
extreme humor when

The Importance Of Being Earnest Critical Analysis
The Importance of Being Earnest is a satirical play written in 1895 by renowned author Oscar Wilde. This play has been reviewed by many critics,
two of which being John Drinkwater and Bernard Shaw. Drinkwater views Wilde's plot as a masterpiece, in the sense that it has a way to captivate
the audience using passion; however, Bernard Shaw has his own harsh views on the way the whole storyline is weak and needs a lot of
improvement. In John Drinkwater's "Wilde's `The Importance of Being Earnest'", Drinkwater goes in depth on the intensity of his play. Drinkwater
strongly believes that this is "the only one of Wilde's works that really has its roots in passion" (Drinkwater 1). He has studied many Oscar Wilde plays
and, under his eyes, sees...show more content...
It's almost as if Drinkwater is referring more to Wilde's view of aestheticism, because the praises he is giving Wilde are in the most minute scenes,
which he believe are the most important ones.
In Bernard Shaw's "An Old New Play and a New Old One", he explains how the style of Wilde's play is juvenile and uncultured. Shaw accepts
Wilde as tremendous author, but in The Importance of Being Earnest, he makes a strong claim on how the plot "absolutely scandalizes one in a
play with such an author's name to it" (Shaw 2). Shaw knows that Wilde is exceptional, nevertheless, Shaw feels he could have performed a much
better job in expressing his ideas. Elaborations on the small details would have improved the storyline immensely. This is evident when Lady
Bracknell is explaining to Jack that "[losing] both [parents] looks like carelessness" (Wilde 14). I myself struggle to understand the sanity of this
comment. She is blaming Ernest for something he has no power over and is holding him accountable. And the more absurd response by Lady
Bracknell is when he demands Jack "to make a definite effort to produce at any rate one parent" if he wants to marry her daughter (Wilde 15).
Nobody can simply find two brand new parents at a whim. The farcical comedy of the play makes little sense to me, however, people like Drinkwater
see some kind of hidden humor within it. It seems as though

The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay
In the short story, The Importance of Being Earnest, written by Oscar Wilde there are three major elements, which help form the main idea of being
earnest. The main character, Jack, originally lives in the countryside, but chooses to go to the city to live a double life. Throughout the story, Jack
struggles to be honest with the girl he loves and wants to marry. Jack is afraid the woman will not love him if she knows his real name is not Earnest,
but is actually Jack. From the drama, the main idea of being earnest is clear when understanding the theme, dramatic irony, and symbolism, which are
apparent throughout the story. The first clear element in the story is the theme, which is about being earnest. Throughout the story, Jack and Algernon,
his male friend, both struggle with being earnest to the women they both love, Gwendolen and Cecily. An example of this struggle...show more content...
The author uses a black leather bag to represent Jack's underlying need to be apart of a family. The black bag is important to Jack because it was the
bag he was put into as a baby, which he kept. When Jack and lady Bracknell a conversation, jack tells her how he was found "Yes lady Bracknell. I was
in a hand–bag– somewhat large, black leather hand–bag, with handles to it–an ordinary hand–bag in fact" (Wilde 1948) . The author makes Jack aware
of the meaning of the black bag by having Jack keep the bag throughout his entire life. Jack brings down the bag and says to Ms. Prism "Is this the
hand–bag, Miss Prism? Examine it carefully before you speak. The happiness of more than one life depends on your answer"(Wilde 1977). The bag
played an important role because without the bag, Jack would have never discovered he had family. The bag kept a goal for Jack to reach so he
could find out who he was as an individual looking for a family. Wilde uses this last element to put his story

The Importance Of Being Earnest, Funny Or Witty
La'Zhala Hodges
Miss Sibbach
English IV
10 December, 2014
The Importance of Being Earnest, Funny or Witty
Lies and betrayal through the story of the four lovers becomes a witty or funny look through life. There remains an argument about the author
transpiring between funny or witty. The Importance of Being Earnest goes through hidden identities of lovers and all the reason for the love of the name
Earnest. Also, going through the play wondering who will tell the truth first about their actual identities. Going through the play learning the truth about
all four lovers, analyzing the whole the truth of The Importance of Being Earnest such as, why did he lie about his true identity, difference between
witty and funny, also what the story examples...show more content...
Seeing the orthodox through the play and the part of Wilde no one has ever seen shown through the writing of The Importance of Being Earnest. " The
Importance of Being Earnest is his exuberant parody of the 'trivial comidies' (his own amongest them) which the 'serious people' had established in the
english theatre" (Allingham). The show of comedy throughout the play even when performed in the english theater shows the true joy in the authors
writing. Comedy shown even with how the characters speak or act to one another in the play such as the two women act toward each other. " You
have filled my tea with lumps of sugar, and though I asked you most distinctly for bread and butter, you have given me cake. I am known for the
gentleness of my dispostion, and the extraordinary sweetness of my nature, but I warn you, Miss Cardew, you may go too far" (Wilde 63). The
comedy comes from them showing there actual dislike between each other but doing it through comedy of messing up things she asks for. The relief of
comedy throughout the play can become touching also very

Importance Of Being Earnest
'The Importance of Being Ernest' is a comedic play written by Oscar Wilde. It was set and written during the Victorian Era, and is a parody of the
Victorian culture. In the play, there are many different contrasting characters, including the main character Jack, and Algernon, who we find is his
brother later in the play. Algernon is a very unserious person, who is also quite irresponsible, and just wants things in life to be fun. We see this a few
times throughout the play. For example, when there has been a big argument between Jack and Algernon and their fiancГ©s, he eats muffins, and says,
when asked about it "Well, I can't eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would get on my cuffs. One should always eat muffins calmly." This
shows...show more content...
One similarity is that they're both quite deceptive in order to achieve what they want. The reason we know this is because they both "Bunbury". One
point where we see Algernon reveal that he thinks "Bunburying", or using a fake identity or person, is an okay and a normal things to do is where he
says "I naturally want to talk to you about Bunburying. I want to tell you all of the rules." From this, we know that he thinks it's a fine thing to do, and
we know that he himself is also quite deceitful in that way. Also, it shows us that he's happy to find out that Jack does the same as him, and him not
finding it strange means that he thinks it's quite a common thing to be done. Both characters are untruthful about their true identities at different points
in the play, with them both pretending to be Ernest

Gwendolen Importance Of Being Earnest Essay
What would a quixotic obsession on a name suggest about the character? In the play the Importance of being earnest, written by Oscar Wilde in the
1895, Gwendolen, the daughter of Augusta Bracknell, becomes fixated to the name Ernest. The play itself focuses on two men, Jack and Algernon,
who have created false identities and eventually get stuck up in their own lies when the truth is revealed. Gwendolen represents her mother in some
approach, as both are strong–minded and sophisticated, thus she evolves a quixotic obsession over the name Earnest
Although Gwendolen is occasionally rebellious towards her mother she shows the quantities of her mother, lady Bracknell; a strong–minded woman. In
the first act Jack questions Algernon about the possibility...show more content...
Most of the time she apprises of her cleverness: "I am always smart! Am I not Mr. Worthing?". Being the first line she said in the play states
something of her representation and it represents immediately that she has a way of acting out overly confident. Additionally she has a demeanor
way of saying things upright: "I know we are going to be great friends Additionally she has a demeanor way of saying things upright, so frequently,
she has to decline her last words. Furthermore she had a presumptuous manner, especially towards whom she opposed, and she often had to decline her
pas dialogue, since she was so straightforward.
Gwendolen was occasionally rebellious towards her mother but still had her quantities even when she did not follow her mother's footsteps. Her first
line,"I am always smart! Am I not Mr. Worthing?", stated that she had a manner of being overly confident and straightforward in her speech. She often
approached those whom she disliked nearly in an arrogant manner apprising the other person of her sophisticated background. In conclusion she had
similar traits of her mother and through the play she has a goal, marrying a man named

Morality And The Importance Of Being Ernest
Morality and the Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde's short play "The Importance of Being Earnest" was written during the Victorian Era. This was a time when strict moral values were
emphasized. On the cover of "The Importance of Being Earnest" there is a subtitle "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People." Despite using the word
"trivial," the play is important because it reflects the Victorian Era's significance of social hierarchy. When Wilde refers to "serious" people, he means
the ones that followed the Victorian morals in order to be presented in the highest fashion. "Serious" people during the Victorian Era were able to read
this work without feeling as though their beliefs are threatened. The title of the play is to the true meaning,...show more content...
To her, style is much more important than substance. She is a stereo typical women of her time following all the codes of conduct for a women in
the Victorian age. She is very well mannered and takes pride in being the best Victorian women she can be. When she hears of Jack's proposal she is
quick to question his desire to marry Gwendolyn– taking a more practical approach to the situation. Lady Bracknell is superficial, which is clear when
she refuses to give her approval to Jack because he was adopted, which goes against "the ordinary decencies of family life" (495). Lady Bracknell's
opinion on marriage does not revolve around love itself but the image that is created by the couple. To her, social status is everything. Doctor
Chasuble and Miss Prism are in love. They both suppress how they feel about each other because it is not proper to show in the eyes of the Victorian
standard. Their relationship greatly contrasts with that of Jack and Gwendolyn who are not shy about their feelings. Jack and Gwendolyn are
passionate towards one another, saying things like "I knew I was destined to love you" (12).
In act three the audience is shocked when we learn that Miss Prism is a mother who has never been married. This goes against the beliefs of Victorian
acceptability because she should have been married before engaging in any adult activities. In spite of her nonconformities Doctor Chasuble

In his play "The Importance of Being Earnest", Oscar Wilde satirizes social norms; these norms include marriage, class, and gender. Good satire
makes you laugh, but also makes you think about the subject being satirized. Wilde satirized upper class English culture so the audience could see
how society holds trivial norms in high regard. In many older generations, marriage was something that you do; it was the next step in life. In the
play, Wilde uses witty dialogue to poke fun at the institution of marriage by having the character of Algernon express skepticism toward the act.
Algernon and Jack have a rather funny exchange, "Jack: I have come up to town expressly to propose to her. Algernon: I thought you had come up
for pleasure? . . . I call that business." (Wilde, 1). He uses Algernon once again to comment on class, "Lane's views on marriage seem somewhat lax.
Really, if the lower orders don't set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them? They seem, as a class, to have absolutely no sense of
moral responsibility." (Wilde, 1). Here Wilde is satirizing the class system of late 1800's English society. This is funny because the upper class,
particularly in 1800's England, usually viewed themselves as being better than most especially the lower classes. The characters that Oscar Wilde
created are indeed stock characters. They are based on stereotypical English "upper crust" folk. Wilde uses the stock characters to mine humor and
shine a light on the culture of that time. Lady Bracknell represents the English social elite, and everyone knows it, "I feel bound to tell you that you
are not down on my list of eligible young men, although I have the same list as the dear Duchess of Bolton has. We work together, in fact. However,
I am quite ready to enter your name, should your answers be what a really affectionate mother requires. Do you smoke?" (Wilde, 1). This line of
dialogue is very British, well–spoken and straight forward. Lady Bracknell is giving Jack the riot act, as any older English elite considering her
daughters suiter would, but adding the question about smoking adds humor of everyday life. Oscar Wilde uses stock characters but he adds satire to
bring them to life, and to add comedy makes

"The Importance of Being Earnest"
In the book "The Importance of Being Earnest", A man named Jack and a man named Algernon get involved with bunburying. Bunburying is when a
someone creates a fictitious invalid friend that basically gets them out of doing activities or events someone else invites them to. Throughout the story
the two men use their bunburyist friends to get closer to the girls they are in love with. The girl's names are Gwendolen and Cecily; both women are
determined and set on marrying a man named Ernest. Since Ernest is the only name they will be married to, both Algy and Jack pretend to both be
Ernest. That's the significance of this entire play. Earnest is when someone results from or shows sincere and intense conviction. In other words, telling
the truth. That's the significance of the play, so the question asked is, "Is Ernest actually earnest?"...show more content...
He had no clue about where he came from or what his real name actually was. Towards the end of the book, after his foolish bunburying, he realizes
that Algernon is actually his real brother, and his last name is Moncrieff. Then, he finds out that he shares the same name as his father, and that name
just so happened to be Ernest. As these events unfold, it makes the reader question the meaning of the title. "The Importance of Being Earnest" has a
central theme throughout the book revolving around the word earnest. Being earnest is the same as being truthful and trustworthy, and Jack and Algy
both get caught in lies. Irony is present when we find out that Jack's lies were actually the truth the entire

It is a well known phenomenon that many authors' lives are reflected through a character in their work. In Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being
Earnest, the double life, or double identity, can be seen as the central metaphor in the play, epitomized in Algernon's creation of "Bunbury" or
"Bunburying". As this term is the only fictitious word employed throughout the text, it is crucial to critically analyze not only its use and implications,
but more importantly, the character who coins the term; Algernon Moncrieff. In addition, it is also significant to note the marked differences between
Algernon and Jack's perceptions of the notion of bunburying, as it further develops Algernon's character within the text. But perhaps the single most
...show more content...
It is as though Wilde, through the vehicle of Algernon, is trying to make a point about the difference in severity between the two cases of dual
identity. Algernon never once tries to deceive others into thinking he is Bunburry, whereas Jack literally embodies a different persona depending on
his location. Jack does not admit to being a Bunburyist, even after he is exposed as such, while Algernon not only admits his wrongdoings but also
takes pleasure in it. Algernon's enjoyment stems from his own cleverness and ingenuity with his philosophy on life being blatantly apparent in his
statement, "one must be serious about something, if one wants to have any amusement in life. I happen to be serious about Bunburying..." (Wilde,
40) Still, Jack takes the idea of Bunburrying too far, and even though Algernon states to him, "I naturally want to talk to you about Bunburrying. I
want to tell you the rules," Jack has no interest in hearing about these rules and thus acts as a prime example of the consequences of the general
hypocrisy of the Victorian mindset which Wilde seems to comment on in this case. The character of Algernon is clearly complex in nature, if one can
get past all of the apparent superficialities. Despite this, Algernon's significance most notably lays in the fact that his idea of bunburying can be seen
as a deeper metaphor for Wilde's own double

Love in The Importance of Being Earnest Essay
Love in The Importance of Being Earnest
Love is perhaps the most actively sought moral objective of one's life. And though marriage is often thought to be the logical consequence of love, it is
Oscar Wilde's contention in his satire, The Importance of Being Earnest, that love begets bliss and marriage thwarts this course of bliss. Algernon
Moncrieff spends very little time falling in love and the rest of the time striving toward engagement. Wilde demonstrates through him that once one
becomes intent upon achieving a goal, the individual's motivation becomes a matter of action rather than truth. Algernon is no longer driven by a moral
objective; instead, he becomes intent upon achieving a societal standard. "The truth is rarely pure,...show more content...
Upon initially hearing about Cicely, Algernon is intrigued. She is no more than a name on a cigarette case. After intense probing, Jack discloses
Cicely's identity. Algernon then tells Jack, "I would rather like to see Cicely" (51). She suddenly becomes more of a name to Algernon, and he begins
to pursue her as more than a person; she becomes his moral objective. When Jack reveals to Gwendolen his address in the country, Algernon secretly
"writes the address on his shirt–cuff" (53) in hopes of going to meet Cicely. Shortly after his first encounter with her, he reveals to Jack, "I am in love
with Cicely, and that is everything" (71). This newfound love is his truth. He admits to her, "Cicely, ever since I first looked upon your wonderful
and incomparable beauty, I have dared to love you wildly, passionately, devotedly, hopelessly" (73). Yet Algernon quickly abandons the truth
imbedded in love, his moral objective, and instead opts for convention. "I don't care for anybody in the whole world but you. I love you, Cecily. You
will marry me, won't you?" (74). The irony displayed through Algernon's self–contradiction is the pivotal progression that eventually results in Wilde's
intended resolution of the play Algernon reveals he "simply wanted to be engaged to Cecily" (88) to Jack, who quickly dismisses him. "There is

Deception In The Importance Of Being Ernest
The Purpose of Deception Today, deceitfulness is portrayed as a negative trait for anyone to have; society looks down on deceptive people. As a
result, many fail to realize that deception does have a valuable purpose, and they are forced to choose between being accepted in society or being
themselves. In the Importance of Being Earnest, Jack, Algernon, and Cecily reveal that the true purpose of deception is to help one escape societal
roles while still being acceptable in society. Jack illustrates the purpose of deception by using Earnest to escape his role of warden to Cecily. When
Algernon finds Jack's cigarette case, he is shocked to find the name Jack graven inside. Jack attempts to explain by saying, "[M]y name is Ernest...show
more content...
During her German lesson with Mrs. Prism, Cecily states that, "I keep a diary in order to enter the wonderful secrets of my life" (Wilde 24)
Although Cecily never takes another name, she bunburies in her own mind and flees from her overcontrolled life through her diary. After Algernon
comes to Jack's house pretending to be Earnest and proposes to Cecily, Cecily reveals that they "have been engaged for the last three months"
(Wilde 35). She then reads to him parts of her diary to confirm the engagement. Cecily makes herself believe in the engagement so that she can lead
a more interesting life. She is tired of her daily routine and her German lessons with Miss. Prism. Additionally, when Algernon tells Cecily that he did
not write any letters to her, Cecily replies, "I was forced to write your letters for you" (Wilde 36). Cecily writes theselove letters from Algie in an
attempt to further break free from the boring, trapped lifestyle of a young heiress. Through these letters, she is able to deceive herself and Algernon
into believing that they are in a true relationship.
Deception is not necessarily a bad thing. It can enhance one's life, allowing a person to escape the responsibilities of their job or social status. By
understanding the purpose of deception in The Importance of Being Earnest, the reader realizes that deception is not always a detrimental thing. It can

The Deception of Ernest In the play, "The Importance of being Earnest," Jack and Algernon use deception to live two separate lives and avoid what
they believe to be unpleasant situations. Jack creates his brother "Ernest," so that he can leave the country, where he is guardian over Cecily, when he
wishes to visit the city. Algernon creates his friend "Bunbury," so that he can leave the city when he does not care to participate in family dining and
activities. The play also has a few other characters that live a life with a secret past, that play an important role in the ending. Although Jack and
Algernon use deception to live a separate life outside of their normal life, they use it to win the hearts and become engaged to their loves. What about
other characters' deception? Jack and Algernon start their friendship with deception and lies. In the beginning of the play, they are alone in the
morning–room and the lies, between the two friends, is are brought to the table. They have both been great friends for some time now. Jack visits
with Algernon in the city where he goes by the name "Ernest". He feels that going by a different name will let him live and experience a different
lifestyle. When visiting with Algernon, Jack has become very interested in Gwendolen. Jack is expressing his love for Algernon's cousin, Gwendolen,
and tells how he wishes to marry her. Before Algernon gives his consent, he wants to know who Cecily is. Cecily is the name engraved on the cigarette

Importance Of Being Earnest Essay
Theatre Studies: Cat One Draft
The Importance of Being Earnest is set in late Victorian England, a time of social reform. Society was rediscovering art in its many forms yet as a
consequence, The Upper class continued their program of suppressed inferiority. The lower classes were treated with disdain and disgust and the
animosity between the groups was easily visible. Essentially, the late Victorian era was the beginning of a mini cultural renaissance, yetUpper Class
society, which forms the basis of the play was rigidly controlled by a set of unwritten rules, a code of conduct as it may, in which all were expected to
conform with. This code referred to a number of things, including the way they ate, dressed, and spoke. The 19th...show more content...
This satirical view is closely bound to the atmosphere of the time. The play itself deals itself with a typical Comedy of Manners storyline, the
trivial social standards, love affairs and the aim of gaining the most money with the least effort. These subject matters are transfixed into a witty
dialogue of which is usually a focal point of Comedy of Manners material. The play criticizes and upholds the Upper classes ideals at the same time.
Oscar Wilde's satirical view of the Upper class is a paradox in itself as he was part of it. The Importance of Being Earnest also supports elements of the
well–made play.
Original productions of The Importance of Being Earnest were staged in conventional theatres in the confines of the Proscenium Arch. The actors
performed in a fourth wall style, where essential the Actor/Audience is non existent, and the actors play only to themselves, as if there is a wall
between them and the audience. The Importance of Being Earnest used the ideas of realism and thrust them upon the stage. Ultra realistic props were
used to create a world in which nothing seems out of place. Scenery was so intricately painted that the world seems unbelievably real.
The Importance of Being Earnest has often being criticized for its emphasis on language, even to the stage where it could best be presented with
minimal or no actor movement whatsoever.

The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde
The Hidden Symbols in The Importance of Being Earnest The Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde takes place in 1895 and exposes
the hypocritical social expectations of the end of the Victorian era. During the Victorian period, marriage was about protecting your resources and
keeping socially unacceptable impulses under control. The play undeniable reveals and focuses satire around differences between the behaviors of the
upper class and that of the lower class. Oscar Wilde uses comedic symbolism of specific objects and witty satire to uncover a flawed society and its
views on marriage. In order to fully appreciate the symbolism in this play, you must be acquainted with a little background information of Oscar
Wilde and the Era in which he lived. Oscar Fingal O 'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. According to his
biography "Around the same time that he was enjoying his greatest literary success, Wilde commenced an affair with a young man named Lord
Alfred Douglas. On February 18, 1895, Douglas 's father, the Marquis of Queensberry, who had gotten wind of the affair, left a calling card at
Wilde 's home addressed to "Oscar Wilde: Posing Sodomite," Although Wilde 's homosexuality was something of an open secret, he was so outraged
by Queensberry 's note that he sued him for libel. The decision ruined his life." (Bio) He was most known for his fictional writing making point of
social disparages. Wilde wrote in the preface to

Wilde's Puns and Satire in The Importance of Being Earnest

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Wilde's Puns and Satire in The Importance of Being Earnest