Lady Bracknell Character Analysis
analytical Essay
1092 words
The Importance of Being Earnest is a play written by Oscar Wilde during the Victorian era. It is a farcical comedy in which the main characters live and maintain a fictional persona to escape their responsibilities. To which Oscar Wilde uses secondary characters within the play such as Lady Bracknell to humorously make her the tool of the conflict and much of the satire. She is the first and foremost a symbol of Victorian earnests and the unhappiness it brings as a result. Lady Bracknell was specially designed to represent Wilde’s opinion of the upper Victorian class repressiveness and traditional negativity. Hence minor characters such as Lady Bracknell play essential roles as they help both the plot and support the themes with assistance …show more content…
Wilde purposely used her role to portray how closed minded the society was, with her opinions and mannerism betraying a carefully calculated speaking pattern with witty epigrams and social wordplay to tear other characters apart. As a ruthless social climber and spokesperson for the status quo, she was not always part of the upper class but rather married into aristocracy, as she previously represent the formerly excluded. However, now that she is Lady Bracknell, she has opinions on just about everything and with her behavior enforcing social discrimination and exclusion for the outsiders from her class; she is an invention of Wilde’s to present his satire on these subjects. For example, when Jack proposed to her daughter Gwendolen, this was the moment that Lady Bracknell was able to “flex” her muscles and bend the rules to suit her pleasure as she saw marriage of more of an alliance for property and social security than love or passion. Thus Jack was placed on her list of eligible suitors if only he could pass her series of challenging tests. Yet at the same time Lady Bracknell relentlessly gives Jack “correct” but immoral advice on finding his parents. "I would strongly advise you, Mr. Worthing, to try and acquire …show more content…
“I attribute it to the superior quality of the wine, sir. I have often observed that in married households the champagne is rarely of a first-rate brand.” Algernon. “Good heavens! Is marriage so demoralizing as that?”(Wilde, 13) The idea of connecting champagne to marriage is to bring out the irony behind the courtship and how the feeling of love is caused by the drunkenness of alcohol, with the question coming to play is love a real feeling or a passing emotion? (Succur, 2015) Throughout the discussion of marriage, it is clear that Algernon is too immature to go into the real world, as he tends to go out of town whenever responsibilities reach him. With conclusion that Lane is the only manservant Algernon can afford. Therefore the fact that both men are unfit for each other makes their relationship work as Algernon does not care for Lane anymore than Lane cares for Algernon. Algernon. [Languidly.] “I don’t know that I am much interested in your family life, Lane”. Lane. “ No, sir; it is not a very interesting subject. I never think of it myself” (Wilde, 14). Another role that Lane fulfills is being an accomplice, as Lane is so attuned to Algy that he finished the lies that Algernon starts. For example when Algernon ate all the cucumber sandwiches that was intended for Lady Bracknell, “Algernon. [Picking up empty plate in horror.] Good heavens! Lane! Why are there no cucumber sandwiches? I ordered them specially”. Lane. [Gravely.] There were no cucumbers in
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest is a farcical comedy in which the main characters live and maintain their fictional persona to escape their responsibilities.
- Analyzes how wilde used lady bracknell's character to portray the closed-minded victorian society. she was a ruthless social climber and spokesperson for the status quo.
- Analyzes how wilde creates patterns of language with characters that compliment and oppose each other, such as algernon and his complementary manservant lane.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest is a farcical comedy in which the main characters live and maintain their fictional persona to escape their responsibilities.
- Analyzes how wilde used lady bracknell's character to portray the closed-minded victorian society. she was a ruthless social climber and spokesperson for the status quo.
- Analyzes how wilde creates patterns of language with characters that compliment and oppose each other, such as algernon and his complementary manservant lane.
- Analyzes how the idea of connecting champagne to marriage is to bring out the irony behind the courtship and how love is caused by the drunkenness of alcohol.
- Analyzes how the two men are awkwardly matched in terms of age, lifestyle, and experience. without minor characters, neither the plot nor the main characters develop throughout the story.
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- The Influence Of Being Lent: The Importance Of Being Earnestanalytical essayOscar Wilde was written during the Victorian era. The statement that “A text reflects the dominant ideologies of the time in which it was written” in reference to The Importance of Being Earnest is completely untrue. The play explores the inner workings of the Victorian upper class and challenges the attitudes and ideologies which society at the time was based. In particular Wilde criticised the certain social and financial expectations to marry in an upper-class or aristocratic society. Wilde also portrays women to have greater social and moral responsibility and power than men contrary to the ideology that “a woman was inferior to a man” and thus should be powerless. Also critiqued is the immorality of upper class society through their behaviour. Contrary to this the only characters in which are moral are the working class represented by Merriman.Therefore Wilde comprehensively challenges what were dominant ideologies in Victorian England through the use of characters and themes.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest challenges the dominant ideologies of victorian society through characters and themes.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest critiques the inequality of patriarchy and the aristocracy in the victorian era.
- Analyzes how wilde challenges and critiques the victorian attitudes towards marriage.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest challenges the dominant ideologies of victorian society through characters and themes.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest critiques the inequality of patriarchy and the aristocracy in the victorian era.
- Analyzes how wilde challenges and critiques the victorian attitudes towards marriage.
- Analyzes wilde's portrayal of women in victorian england as having greater social and moral responsibility and power than the male characters.
- Analyzes how wilde's female characters hold greater social and moral responsibility than the male characters challenging the ideologies of a patriarchal victorian england.
911 wordsRead More - The Importance Of Being Earnestanalytical essayMen of the time were held to the standard of being active in society. They were expected to be active in politics and social activities outside of the home. Expectations for men were also for them to be respectful and proper, especially when women were present. The character, Jack Worthing, in The Importance of Being Earnest, is the representation of the perfect Victorian gentleman. For example, Jack says to Algernon in Act I, “...My dear fellow, the truth isn’t quite the sort of thing one tells to a nice, sweet, refined girl. What extraordinary ideas you have about the way to behave to a woman!” (Wilde 1.2.236). In this simple quote, Jack describes the high standards and expectations that Victorian gentlemen were held to. But not only men were held to high standards, women were expected to hold themselves in the most proper way as well. The point of a Victorian woman’s life was to marry and domestically support her family. Women had little rights and in fact, prior to the Married Women’s Property Acts of 1870, women were forced to give up all property that they held to their husbands upon marriage. (Appell 1). Within the play, Lady Bracknell, Gwendolen 's mother, is provided as a tool to explain the oppression put upon women of the time.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that every text is an argument to the audience and every argument is influenced by a text. the importance of being earnest was written by oscar wilde and first performed in 1895.
- Analyzes how wilde's portrayal of the victorian era in the importance of being earnest portrays the high standards and expectations that victorian gentlemen were held to.
- Explains that oscar wilde was influenced by the values held by his audience, but unlike other members of victorian society, he refused to accept them.
- Explains that every text is an argument to the audience and every argument is influenced by a text. the importance of being earnest was written by oscar wilde and first performed in 1895.
- Analyzes how wilde's portrayal of the victorian era in the importance of being earnest portrays the high standards and expectations that victorian gentlemen were held to.
- Explains that oscar wilde was influenced by the values held by his audience, but unlike other members of victorian society, he refused to accept them.
- Analyzes wilde's use of absurd and ironic comedy in the play to illustrate the absurdity of victorian society.
- Analyzes how an audience and context influence an author creating a triangle of impact. oscar wilde uses the ideas of his time period, comparing them to his own, and criticizing them in his play.
1120 wordsRead More - Theme Of Death In The Importance Of Being Earnestanalytical essayThroughout The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde plays around with the standard expectations along with the absence of compassion of a Victorian society in the 1890’s, he demonstrates this through several genres of comedy such as Melodrama, Comedy of Manners, Farce, dark humour and Irony, as well as portraying the themes, death and illness, in this play in a brilliance of unusual amount of references.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oscar wilde plays around with the standard expectations and the absence of compassion of a victorian society in the 1890’s in the importance of being earnest.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde delivers the ever present looming topic of death as if it held the same gravity in his comedic play, the importance of being earnest.
- Analyzes how the victorians demonstrated little sympathy or compassion in the themes of illness and death. lady bracknell apologises for being late for tea due to her being 'obliged to call on dear lady harbury'.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde plays around with the standard expectations and the absence of compassion of a victorian society in the 1890’s in the importance of being earnest.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde delivers the ever present looming topic of death as if it held the same gravity in his comedic play, the importance of being earnest.
- Analyzes how the victorians demonstrated little sympathy or compassion in the themes of illness and death. lady bracknell apologises for being late for tea due to her being 'obliged to call on dear lady harbury'.
- Analyzes how wilde proves the lack of importance of compassion in this era through lady bracknell dismissing her reasoning of absence.
- Analyzes how wilde's characters show no sympathy to victims of sickness and illness as the conversation between algernon and lady bracknell progresses and shifts slightly.
- Analyzes how wilde plots attention on the matter of life and death, but disposes the notion that life is sacred by flippant comments and offhand jokes.
- Analyzes how wilde has purposely linked algernon's offhand remark through a type of comedy referred to as tragicomedy to suggest light-heartedness.
- Opines that wilde created jack's character with the intention of his whole life revolving around the hypocrisy of a double-life, even to the extent of other stock characters he encounters in the play.
- Analyzes how act iii highlights the contrast of a person's life, bunbury, to an inanimate object, suggesting that miss prisms lost black bag and the discovery of that bag, is more important than being ‘dead’.
- Analyzes how wilde's the importance of being earnest brings up suffocating themes such as illness and death. the unusualness isn't surprising in terms of the distinctive amount of references.
1354 wordsRead More - Importance Of Being Earnestanalytical essayThe absurdity of Lady Bracknell’s views are apparent during the opening of the scene. Lady Bracknell asks “do you smoke?” to Jack and upon his answer of yes, Wilde has crafted it so Lady Bracknell replies “I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind” which would make the audience laugh as we know that smoking is not an
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's 'the importance of being earnest' can be perceived as either satirical or a play aimed at the upper class society of the 1890s.
- Analyzes the absurdity of lady bracknell's views during the opening of the scene.
- Analyzes how wilde's clever use of farce creates irony as the audience know that education does have an effect and the absurdity continues to go further as she suggests it would probably lead to "acts of violence".
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's 'the importance of being earnest' can be perceived as either satirical or a play aimed at the upper class society of the 1890s.
- Analyzes the absurdity of lady bracknell's views during the opening of the scene.
- Analyzes how wilde's clever use of farce creates irony as the audience know that education does have an effect and the absurdity continues to go further as she suggests it would probably lead to "acts of violence".
- Analyzes how jack's admission to having a house in belgrave square adds to the melodrama of the scene. wilde implies that lady bracknell thinks that this could be "easily altered" if he wishes to marry her daughter.
- Analyzes how wilde writes lady bracknell as taking the word "lost" literally adds to the comedic elements of the play.
- Analyzes the ludicrous situation of being found focusing on how jack was found in a handbag. wilde's description "yes...in fact" adds to the comedy of the scene.
- Analyzes how wilde's satirical views are being weaved into the play, showing just how shocking the upper classes could be.
- Analyzes how lady bracknell has a clear misconception of gwendolen which is ironic as the audience knows full well that she is neither of these things.
- Analyzes how wilde uses many features of comedy throughout the play, but during the interview scene, he focuses on the outrageous and ridiculous situation’s his character jack, has managed to get himself into.
1219 wordsRead More - The Importance of Being More Than Earnestanalytical essayEvery 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. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde satirizes the Victorian society and the ironic differences between the lower and upper class.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest satirizes the victorian society and the ironic differences between the lower and upper classes.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest satirizes the life of the wealthy.
- Analyzes how wilde satirizes the upper classes by placing the play in an upper class social setting.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest satirizes the victorian society and the ironic differences between the lower and upper classes.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest satirizes the life of the wealthy.
- Analyzes how wilde satirizes the upper classes by placing the play in an upper class social setting.
- Analyzes how lady bracknell represents the archetypal aristocrat and controlling mother who forces marriage based on wealth or status rather than love.
- Opines that when a young girl becomes engaged to someone, she or her father, should inform them of the fact. engagement should come on her surprise or unpleasant, as the case may be.
- Analyzes how wilde satirizes aristocratic foolish beliefs through exaggeration. lady bracknell is superlative and feels that her daughter has had the highest level of upbringing.
- Analyzes how lady bracknell represents the views of aristocrats in the film, the importance of being earnest.
- Analyzes how lady bracknell believes the upper class to be much more educated than the lower class because of social status alone.
- Analyzes how wilde demonstrates the extremes of lady bracknell by comparing her to miss prism. the irony of these ideals symbolizes the ridiculousness of the time.
- Analyzes wilde's play, the importance of being earnest, as one of the first plays to deal with modern issues, such as the importance of social status.
- Explains that oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest was performed at gainesville state college ed cabell theatre.
- Explains that the national council of teachers of english was established in 1956. the literature network, jalic inc., 2008.
- Explains that wilde, oscar, and woods, robert. the demography of victorian england and wales.
1726 wordsRead More - Unit 1 TEstanalytical essayThe idea of absurdity in Victorian times was embraced by some writers and looked down upon by others. Oscar Wilde embraced the absurd whole-heartedly. This is obvious, if not even the theme, of The Importance of Being Earnest. Not only is the word "absurd" used many times in the story, but the ridiculousness of the characters and their roles conveys the ideas of absurdity in the Victorian Era.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's "the importance of being earnest" mocks the upper-class of the victorian era. without comprehending and embracing the symbolism, the story cannot make sense.
- Analyzes how wilde uses food as the most vivid icon of all the signs in the story. in act ii, algernon shows that he's in a controlling position while everyone thinks him to be earnest.
- Analyzes how wilde's character, lady bracknell, is the symbol of the high-class in all its pride. she believes that a well-respected, dignified marriage is key to more power.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's "the importance of being earnest" mocks the upper-class of the victorian era. without comprehending and embracing the symbolism, the story cannot make sense.
- Analyzes how wilde uses food as the most vivid icon of all the signs in the story. in act ii, algernon shows that he's in a controlling position while everyone thinks him to be earnest.
- Analyzes how wilde's character, lady bracknell, is the symbol of the high-class in all its pride. she believes that a well-respected, dignified marriage is key to more power.
- Analyzes how algernon uses his fake alias, mr. bunbury, to escape responsibilities and uncomfortable events. "bunbuying" is symbolic because it represents dodging situations expected of a person that he doesn't actually care for.
- Analyzes the symbolism in the importance of being earnest. relating the symbols to real-life situations yields ironic results to compare with the story.
- Analyzes how the importance of being earnest pokes fun at the high-class of the day and makes the important things unapologetically severe in its significance.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest embraces the idea of absurdity in victorian times.
- Analyzes the role of miss prism and chasuble in the story is to have an air of responsibility, but in reality be nearly, if not as, absurd as the other characters.
667 wordsRead More - Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnestanalytical essayAccording to two female characters in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Ernest is a name that is typically desirable for a husband and represents high social status and wealth. Earnest, on the contrary, according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, means to be “serious, sincere”, or, in other words, honest (“Earnest”). Within the irony of the title of Wilde’s play itself, the hypocrisy of the high social class of the Victorian era is revealed. Wilde himself said of the play in one of his letters to Lord Alfred Douglas from Worthing, “The real charm of the play, if it is to have a charm, must be in the dialogue. The plot is slight…but…adequate” (Ericksen, 145).
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest portrays the hypocrisy of the high social class of victorian era.
- Analyzes how the importance of being earnest is a comedy of manners, revealing the shallow mindset of victorian high society through satirical, yet critical tone.
- Analyzes how wilde reveals victorian high society's false sincerity and shallowness through the dialogue between characters.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest portrays the hypocrisy of the high social class of victorian era.
- Analyzes how the importance of being earnest is a comedy of manners, revealing the shallow mindset of victorian high society through satirical, yet critical tone.
- Analyzes how wilde reveals victorian high society's false sincerity and shallowness through the dialogue between characters.
- Analyzes how lady bracknell's values are not held in the character of the individual, but in silly things like wealth and status.
- Analyzes how gwendolen fairfax and cecily cardew defy victorian ideals for women of modesty, unassertiveness, and naivety.
- Analyzes how wilde exposes the prevailing class prejudices of nineteenth century england through the character, values, and dialogue of the characters.
1137 wordsRead More - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wildeanalytical essay...ble life that has been led by Jack and Algernon is one of the leading symbols in the play. It is the central metaphor in the play. Both Jack and Algernon’s fake personas are their way of escaping from the burdensome responsibility of the society. They also helps them to appear far more moral and responsible than they can ever be.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's "the importance of being earnest" was written during the summer of 1894 at worthing, england, and first performed on 14 february 1895 at the st james’s theatre, london.
- Analyzes how jack's relatives and neighbors believe him to be well-mannered, productive member of a polite. he acts like an older brother to algernon.
- Analyzes how jack creates a fake and imaginary persona to avoid the burdens of his social responsibility. his love for gwendolen fairfax, the daughter of lady bracknell, is pure and sincere.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's "the importance of being earnest" was written during the summer of 1894 at worthing, england, and first performed on 14 february 1895 at the st james’s theatre, london.
- Analyzes how jack's relatives and neighbors believe him to be well-mannered, productive member of a polite. he acts like an older brother to algernon.
- Analyzes how jack creates a fake and imaginary persona to avoid the burdens of his social responsibility. his love for gwendolen fairfax, the daughter of lady bracknell, is pure and sincere.
- Analyzes how algernon (algy) moncrieff, jack's best friend, is younger, flip-pant, irrelevant, and playful in nature. he exemplifies acumen, ridicules the world around him and the society in it.
- Analyzes how algy represents wilde's cleverness and position in the esthetic culture of the 1890s.
- Explains that oscar used two different locations as the setting for this play, which are the luxurious london and the unblemished countryside estate, hertfordshire in the late 19th century of the victorian era.
- Analyzes how wilde has made both the country and the city setting as a waggish and frolicsome.
- Explains that unlike most plays, this play does not have a narrator from whose eyes and voice we learn the story. the characters speak in the first-person.
- Analyzes how algernon moncrieff is visited by his best friend, ernest worthing, who explains the purpose of his visit to algy’s cousin, gwendolen.
- Explains how jack aka ‘ernest’ was forced into admitting his double-role act. this was his explanation for creating a fake younger brother called ‘ ernest’.
- Analyzes how algernon reveals about a fake persona, his friend ‘bunbury’, that he created to escape from the dull gathering and social responsibility.
- Analyzes how lady bracknell enters the room to find about both of them. she asks jack if he could be considered as a life partner for her daughter.
- Analyzes how gwendolen disapproves further contact between them and tells him that they can never get to be together as he don't know about his biological parents or their level/status.
- Analyzes how act 2 takes place at jack's country house in woolton, hertfordshire. cecily is found studying german language as scheduled by her uncle, jack with her governess, miss prism.
- Analyzes how jack has setup a plan to kill his irresponsible younger brother ‘ernest’ because that is how much he's willing to marry gwendolen.
- Analyzes how jack and algy calmed them down and explained the truth. they were engaged to nobody, since there was no ernest. the men told them that they only wanted to meet the lady of their interest.
- Analyzes how lady bracknell arrives at the manor house and sees algernon holding cecily's hand, which she disapproves in the first. jack refuses to give his consent for their marriage.
- Analyzes how lady bracknell recognizes miss prism as a family nursemaid twenty-eight years ago. she recklessly put the baby boy in the hand bag and the manuscript of her novel.
- Analyzes how wilde uses comical tone most of the time in the play, with puns and epigrams used to show satirical situations. he never wastes his opportunity to critic the victorian society.
- Analyzes how the play's style of writing is as funny and witty as oscar wilde. some dialogues can be literally taken out and used in our lives.
- Analyzes wilde's use of the main character to tell the world things that would come out of his own mouth. the advices and comments that jack and algernon give in the play are examples of their thought.
- Analyzes how dramatic irony is one of the important essences of john and algernon's play, which is the double life jack has been living all the while to stupefy his friends.
- Analyzes how jack and algernon have been trying to marry the love of their love beyond all the obstacles they faced. marriages are made in heaven, but this was not the case during the victorian era.
- Analyzes how marriage was more to maintaining and improving the social status. it was measured by the amount of wealth rather than the deep of love.
- Analyzes how jack and algernon's fake personas are their way of escaping from the burdensome responsibility of the society.
- Opines that wilde's play is funny and has its own hidden message. all of us are living a lie to some extent.
1979 wordsRead More - Gender Roles In Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnestanalytical essayThe reign of Queen Victoria was the reign of social conservatism. There were a lot of social rules and values that needed to be upheld. Each member of the society, whether living in the city or the country, had to live according to the rules. Those rules seemed necessary to most people, but there were a lot of people who did not wish to honor the values imposed by the ruling class. Among those who did not wish to do so, was Oscar Wilde. Consequently, this paper focuses on the critique of the Victorian era upper class society values and the reverse gender roles, as presented in Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that queen victoria's reign was a reign of social conservatism. there were social rules and values that needed to be upheld. oscar wilde was among those who did not wish to honor the values imposed by the ruling class.
- Analyzes how wilde mocks the victorian ideal of a man being the head of the house, and where women were an ornament meant for pleasure and nurturing.
- Analyzes how wilde changes the traditional roles of men and women to produce an effect of folly.
- Explains that queen victoria's reign was a reign of social conservatism. there were social rules and values that needed to be upheld. oscar wilde was among those who did not wish to honor the values imposed by the ruling class.
- Analyzes how wilde mocks the victorian ideal of a man being the head of the house, and where women were an ornament meant for pleasure and nurturing.
- Analyzes how wilde changes the traditional roles of men and women to produce an effect of folly.
- Analyzes how wilde introduces john worthing and algernon moncrieff as the opposites of the great victorian husbands and members of aristocratic society.
857 wordsRead More - The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wildeanalytical essayMany traditionally accepted practices Wilde finds disgustingly unacceptable; therefore, he completely satirizes them to express how truly shallow those customs are. In that time, and even today, it was very common for the families of two engaged people to do background checks on the opposite family. Therefore, when Jack Worthing, under the fake identity of Ernest Worthing, proposes to Gwendolen, it does not seem strange that Lady Bracknell would want to know Jack’s background. The extreme expectations in which Lady Bracknell has for a man suitable for her daughter are unimaginably high. Jack tells her about his impressive lifestyle and his success and Lady Bracknell complains that he lives on the wrong side of the street. Then Jack tells her the sad story of how he was abandoned as a child and she tells him that he needs to find his parents if he wants to marry her daughter. With these ridiculous responses Wilde is trying to emphasize that the upper class believe that they are worthy of more than anyone else and are insensitive to the feelings of others. Later on, Lady Bracknell tells Algernon that he can not marry Cecily, Jack’s ward. This wealthy woman only decides to chan...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest mocks the values of the upper class by exaggerating their flaws.
- Analyzes how wilde satirizes many traditionally accepted practices to express how shallow those customs are.
- Analyzes how wilde accurately depicts his characters as foolish by turing everything that is seemingly serious into something hysterically comedic.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's the importance of being earnest mocks the values of the upper class by exaggerating their flaws.
- Analyzes how wilde satirizes many traditionally accepted practices to express how shallow those customs are.
- Analyzes how wilde accurately depicts his characters as foolish by turing everything that is seemingly serious into something hysterically comedic.
- Analyzes how wilde is disgusted by the morals and values of the upper class, but presents them as comical.
- Analyzes how wilde expresses his belief that upper class citizens are shallow, foolish, and have no respectable values. he was hoping to enlighten people of social and societal flaws in order to correct them.
1024 wordsRead More - Importance of Being Earnestanalytical essayWilde’s strategically uses each of the characters to represent the manner in which those, who were in the upper class, would behave. As the play begins we are instantly battered with the satirically condemning wit that is Oscar Wilde. Algernon requests his servant, Lane, to produce the cucumber sandwiches for the arrival of Lady Bracknell. Lane and Algernon have idle chatter and end up on the subject of marriage. After Lane exits the room and Jack insists, “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”. This is Wilde’s analysis on the absurdity of the upper class and also gives us an improved view of the character Algernon. Algernon is a constituent of the affluent. He assumes less responsibility than his counterpart Jack,...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's "the importance of being earnest" epitomizes the idiosyncrasies of victorian society through satire and wit.
- Analyzes how wilde uses each of the characters to represent the manner in which those in the upper class would behave.
- Analyzes how jack worthington represents the common attitude of an upper class victorian. jack is the portal for wilde to survey attitudes of victorians on subject's courtship and marriage.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's "the importance of being earnest" epitomizes the idiosyncrasies of victorian society through satire and wit.
- Analyzes how wilde uses each of the characters to represent the manner in which those in the upper class would behave.
- Analyzes how jack worthington represents the common attitude of an upper class victorian. jack is the portal for wilde to survey attitudes of victorians on subject's courtship and marriage.
- Analyzes how lady bracknell symbolizes the negativity of the victorian upper-class according to wilde. she is authoritative, egotistical, and proper.
- Analyzes how lady bracknell's judgment and gesticulations display a careful and calculated speaking pattern and indulge in back to back witty repartee with others.
794 wordsRead More - How Important is Being Earnest?analytical essayThe first character readers meet is Algernon, a friend to Jack, who is preparing for his aunt, Lady Bracknell, to arrive. After a conversation with his manservant he says “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 6). Algernon believes people of less fortune have fewer morals. For example marriage is less important. Algernon displays hypocritical characteristics because he is going to try to base a marriage off of a fake identity. Another subtle hint to Algernon’s selfishness is when he eats all the cucumber sandwiches meant for his aunt. As he is sitting there talking to Jack he...
In this essay, the author
- Describes oscar wilde's comedic play, the importance of being earnest, which is a drama about two people who hold double lives trying to be the same person.
- Analyzes how algernon, a friend to jack, believes people of less fortune have fewer morals. he eats all the cucumber sandwiches meant for his aunt.
- Analyzes how algernon is confused because jack has said that he knows no one by the name of cecily, which is one of the many lies told by characters displaying their morals.
- Describes oscar wilde's comedic play, the importance of being earnest, which is a drama about two people who hold double lives trying to be the same person.
- Analyzes how algernon, a friend to jack, believes people of less fortune have fewer morals. he eats all the cucumber sandwiches meant for his aunt.
- Analyzes how algernon is confused because jack has said that he knows no one by the name of cecily, which is one of the many lies told by characters displaying their morals.
- Analyzes how jack displays disrespectful and egocentric characteristics of his own. he created his wick brother, ernest, as a way to get into town.
- Compares wilde's importance of being earnest with much ado about nothing. both jack and algernon are "double-dealing" and must learn to be socially correct.
- Analyzes how wilde portrays morals as important through a comedic satire.
- Analyzes how gwendolen likes the name ernest, and cecily doesn't consider marrying anyone with another name. she breaks off the engagement for a period to make it seem more serious.
1576 wordsRead More - The The Importance of Being Earnest can be seen as comedic because Wilde uses the subversion of gender roles to give an indication that the play is merely superficial. Lady Bracknell is an amusing character because she has so much control over the other characters: “you’re uncle would have to dine upstairs. Fortunately he is accustomed to that.” This female dominance allows for a more comic edge as it would have been suprising, but entertaining to a Victorian audience to see a women carrying so much power over her husband. Perhaps Wilde was not writing in this way to portray his negative view on society but rather to exaggerate the comedic nature of the play by reversing our expectations. Gwendolen’s disobiedience of Lady Bracknell only serves to reinforce this, as these two powerful women contrast greatly to the comparible weakness of the men; Algernon and Jack: “Well…may I propose to you now?” and Gwendolen’s forceful reply “I think it would be an admirable oppurtunity”. This removes any impression of seriousness and ridicules the situation by completely subverting our expectations therefore spoiling the integrity of any comment on society if there is in fact any.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how wilde's writing is funny because it allows a victorian audience to laugh at their own behaviour.
- Analyzes how wilde creates playfulness in the importance of being earnest by following the classic structure of comedy moving from disorder to harmony at the end.
- Analyzes how wilde mocks the victorian fixation on material worth and how this can affect the pursuit of love.
- Analyzes how wilde's writing is funny because it allows a victorian audience to laugh at their own behaviour.
- Analyzes how wilde creates playfulness in the importance of being earnest by following the classic structure of comedy moving from disorder to harmony at the end.
- Analyzes how wilde mocks the victorian fixation on material worth and how this can affect the pursuit of love.
- Analyzes how wilde's play is a sharp satire as he mocks social obligations, suggesting that people had to escape the unrealistic pressure society placed upon them.
- Analyzes how wilde uses the title, the importance of being earnest, to create irony and satire as the characters despite striving to, act without any morality.
- Concludes that wilde's play is a harsh comment on the victorian society in which it is set, despite the use of classic comedic devices.
- Analyzes how wilde's the importance of being earnest uses comedy and farce to display a light hearted approach to the hugely powerful upper class of victorian society.
1202 wordsRead More - Comparing the Roles of Women in Arcadia, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Look Back in Angeranalytical essayIn Oscar Wilde’s drama The Importance of Being Earnest, he uses light-hearted tones and humor to poke fun at British high society while handling the serious theme of truth and the true identity of who is really “Earnest.” Truth as theme is most significantly portrayed through the women characters, Gwendolen and Cecily but to present serious themes comically, Wilde portrays women to be the weaker sex of society, despite the seriousness of the subject—the identity of the men they want to marry.
In this essay, the author
- Compares the roles of women in arcadia, the importance of being earnest, and look back in anger.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's drama the importance of being earnest pokes fun at british high society while handling the serious theme of truth and the true identity of who is really "earnest."
- Analyzes how gwendolen and cecily act like air-heads and are easily won over by the men they plan to marry. wilde exposes the women characters to ridicule.
- Compares the roles of women in arcadia, the importance of being earnest, and look back in anger.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde's drama the importance of being earnest pokes fun at british high society while handling the serious theme of truth and the true identity of who is really "earnest."
- Analyzes how gwendolen and cecily act like air-heads and are easily won over by the men they plan to marry. wilde exposes the women characters to ridicule.
- Analyzes how gwendolen and cecily are quick to reconcile with the men because algernon and jack tell them of their intention to be christened with ernest.
- Analyzes how osborne's look back in anger portrays women as the weaker sex through the abusive marriage of jimmy and alison.
- Analyzes how jimmy's verbal abuse eats away at his pregnant wife and makes her feel inferior. alison proves weaker than jimmy when he subjects her to physical abuse.
- Analyzes how alison is submissive to jimmy's continual abuse. she doesn't fight back verbally or physically, although she sometimes escapes into a game where she plays squirrel and jimmy plays bear.
- Analyzes alison's role in the play demonstrates the most severe and stereotypical role of a woman—the submissive, dependent and abused wife.
- Analyzes how arcadia, by tom stoppard, breaks the stereotypical weak woman's role with the character, thomasina coverly, who communicates the play’s theme of emotion versus intellect.
- Analyzes how thomasina's natural genius flourishes. her tutor septimus gives her impossible problems to work out, and her understanding of chaos theory and thermodynamics puts her intellect ahead of her time.
- Analyzes how thomasina's intelligence extends beyond academic knowledge into a search for the knowledge of love. she interrupts her lesson with septimus by asking what carnal knowledge is.
- Analyzes how thomasina recognizes the conflict of love versus intellect in a history lesson in her comparison between cleopatra and queen elizabeth.
- Analyzes how thomasina's character and life are cut short when she dies tragically in a fire the night before her seventeenth birthday.
- Analyzes how stoppard creates a positive role model for women through the character of thomasina.
- Concludes that stoppard's creation of thomasina opens the door for more women characters to be created with the same intelligence and respect in regards to love as well as academics.
- Describes the works of john fleming, ira nadel, john osborne, and doreen thompson.
1829 wordsRead More - Earnestness In The Importance Of Being Earnestanalytical essayThroughout the late nineteenth century, Oscar Wilde wrote plays such as Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest- his most famous play. Earnest is a comedic work that focuses on a pair of wealthy men. They have been leading double lives so that they can go off for periods of time and enjoy living without responsibility while still maintaining their aristocratic reputation. Because of Wilde’s invlovement in the aesthetic movement, it is not uncommon (or unfair) to believe that his work, Earnest included, is nothing more than fluff. That being said, it is also fair to argue that this particular play does have meaning in it. Wilde wrote The Importance of Being Earnest as a commentary on the hypocrisy of the ideal Victorian character. Earnestness is sincerity- which most Victorians believed themselves to be- and so Wilde uses the word ironically. In his eyes, people who considered themselves sincere were actually smug, self-righteous, and pompous. He expresses these opinions clearly through the play’s over-the-top and frustrating characters.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oscar wilde wrote plays such as lady windermere's fan, a woman of no importance, an ideal husband, and the impairment of being earnest.
- Analyzes how wilde points out the flaws in victorian values that lead one to believe that the only way to be both happy and respected is to live a double life.
- Analyzes how wilde is claiming that society values the guise of morality more than the real thing.
- Analyzes how oscar wilde wrote plays such as lady windermere's fan, a woman of no importance, an ideal husband, and the impairment of being earnest.
- Analyzes how wilde points out the flaws in victorian values that lead one to believe that the only way to be both happy and respected is to live a double life.
- Analyzes how wilde is claiming that society values the guise of morality more than the real thing.
- Analyzes wilde's cynasis, claiming that victorian society is built on lies and deciet and that truth in each person only sees the light of day when it will benefit them.
- Analyzes how wilde's the importance of being earnest is a comedic work. it is absurd, but entertaining, and provides an examination of hypocritical victorian ideals through its characters.
1453 wordsRead More