Oscar Wilde Importance of Being Earnest Essay

Theatre and live performance can serve so many purposes and one of them is to globally entertain the audience and to shape the society through the lessons learnt from a performance or play. Theatre exists because we are mimetic and communal beings, we seek order, finally we enjoy and need entertainment. Theatre as a form of entertainment is extremely popular all over the world, and it has been designed to hold audience’s attention for a long time, it has been the primary form of public entertainment

The play “The Importance of Being Earnest”, by Oscar Wilde, has the two main characters, Jack and Algernon, lie about their true identity. Besides creating comedic shenanigans for everyone involved, this lie communicates to us as the audience core concepts that can still be applied today. One concept is that love can be vain. A second concept is that lying will catch up to you. Finally, the third concept is that everything works out in the end if you tell the truth. The first concept, love can be

Sara Elmi Professor Deanne Williams EN 2140 Drama 28 Feb 2015 The Importance of Social Class in the Victorian Era Social class before the twenty-first century may seem appealing to modern day audiences quite contrasting than it would to the people of the Victorian era. The Mikado by Arthur Sullivan and W.S Gilbert and The importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde are plays that demonstrate the dramatization of social class in the Victorian era. Although, both plays occur in different settings

Throughout the eras, literature has mirrored the social changes taking place in English society specifically in regards to gender roles of female characters. The Elizabethan era, which lasted from 1558 to 1603, is often referred to as the golden age by historians where many transitions in English society regarding marriage and gender took place (Ivic 110). It was a time in which wives were viewed as the property of their husbands (Ivic 110). However, every woman was expected to marry and be dependent

back of the neck, forcing her face down on his bosom. Her white nightdress was smeared with blood, and a thin stream trickled down the man’s bare chest which was shown by his torn-open dress.” (Stoker 176). The pure and righteous Mina is at risk of being soiled by the evil Dracula just like Victorian women are at risk of losing their

ambiguity by which he paints his characters may be misunderstood by untrained eyes as an reinforcement of society’s objectification of women and the working class. In order to dispel potential misinterpretations on Shaw’s play, it is of prime importance to have a grasp of Shaw’s background and Victorian romanticism. George Bernard Shaw was an Irish born playwright, whom was renowned to be one of the most influential British dramatist since William

characters can feel as well. Ismene from Antigone by Sophocles is suspicious of her sister’s actions. Similarly, Banquo from Macbeth by William Shakespeare consequently dies from being fearful of Macbeth’s actions. Speaking about family and friends, Lady Augusta Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde has doubts in Jack who wants to marry Gwendolen Fairfax. Marriage is often complicated and Blanche DuBois from A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams dreads her sister’s husband

when they came to discuss terms. 'We have not cared to live in the place ourselves,' said Lord Canterville, 'since my grand-aunt, the Dowager Duchess of Bolton, was frightened into a fit, from which she never really recovered, by two skeleton hands being placed on her shoulders as she was dressing for dinner, and I feel bound to tell you, Mr. Otis, that the ghost has been seen by

‘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

In the novel The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, Wilde quotes, “I hope [he] has not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being good all the time. That would be hypocrisy.” Wilde’s quote is indirectly connected to the idea of moral ambiguity that The Scarlet Letter portrays. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel The Scarlet Letter depicts the actuality of romance, sin, and revenge rooted in the 17th century American society. Strong Puritan beliefs of the characters in