"The Importance of Being Earnest" has been playing to packed audiences for over a hundred years. Wh
y do you think it has remained so popular?
"The Importance of Being Earnest" was first performed in
1895. The year marked the beginning of Oscar Wilde's "disgrace". Lord Alfred Douglas's father, th
e Marquis of Queensbury, began his campaign against Wilde. He was to die in 1900. One of the main r
easons that the play has been so popular for over 100 years is because of the plot. This situation
comedy is so light-hearted and has a happy, and rather unrealistic ending. The mix-up about the thr
ee couples makes you come out of the play extremely pleased and happy with the way that your life is
going, as well as being positive. The neat plan of Situation -< Chaos -< Resolution is seen as ver
y clever to many people, making the way that the play was wrote appealing to any age group. Bunbury
ing is one of the main causes of chaos in this play as this quote shows, Algernon Moncrieff is himse
lf a keen Bunburyist. "That is absurd. One has a right to Bunbury anywhere one chooses. Every ser
ious Bunburyist knows that." Yet, this is not the only factor that has contributed to making this a
mazing play last over 100 years. Another quotation, this time to show the resolution is the last li
ne in the play "On the contrary, Aunt Augusta, I've now realized for the first time in my life the v
ital Importance of Being Earnest." All the characters in this play are very strong in their metaphys
ical behaviour. Well they have to be, to compete with Lady Bracknell's caricature. Wilde has demon
strated what Lady Bracknell would have been like very well when she was younger in a mirror image, w
hich is her daughter Gwendolyn. As this quotation shows, Gwendolyn can be just as rude and pompous
as Lady Bracknell herself. "Personally I can not understand how anybody manages to exist in the cou
ntry, if anybody who is anybody does. The country always bores me to death." Cecily is the proper y
oung lady, who lives in the country, she is very well behaved, which is unlike her Uncle Jack and he
r fiancée Algernon Moncrieff. Both Algernon and Jack are men who love to be out on the town, they g
enerally behave in the way that young men do. This is a quotation to show the way that Algernon thi
nks and talks. "Women only do that when they have called each other a lot of things first." Miss Pr
ism is Cecily's tutor, she appears at first to us as a rather strict teacher, but as soon as she set
s her eyes on the rather remarkable Reverend Canon Chasuble, she completely melts under his gaze, an
d forgets about horrible German lessons. However, it is not for these reasons that this enchanting p
lay has lasted so long; it is because of the pure wit, humour and style of Oscar Wilde! He has succ
eeded in making a versatile play amusing from the first to the last word. A major part of Wilde's hu
mour and wit is due to his impressive use of satire. Two topics, which are always under scrutiny by
Oscar Wilde, are marriage and education. Wonderful amounts of satire come from the most ordinary a
nd every day topics, producing some very humorous, up to date and interesting quotations. For examp
le, Oscar Wilde seems to think that all marriages end in divorce from the image that you get from th
is quotation. "Divorces are made in heaven." Education which is also scrutinized by Wilde is shown
to be inappropriate and not of use to anybody in the world of Lady Bracknell. This quotation highli
ghts the truth of what Lady Bracknell thinks of education. "Education produces no effect what so ev
er." Dramatic irony is the perfect humour for the audience to share and join in with. From Algy to
Jack, the light of this play comes alive through the some realistic and others not so true sections
of dramatic irony. The pungent imagery of when Algy says "They'll call each other sisters, after ca
lling each other a lot of things first," is a situation, which is as unique to "The Importance of Be
ing Earnest" as it could get. Another situation which includes dramatic irony is when Jack comes bac
k telling everyone that his brother Earnest is dead, and next thing you know, Earnest turns up on th
e door step alive and well. These kinds of situation are unavoidable in plays such as this one. Ant
ithesis is commonly used to be easily remembered, especially for the short one-liners. The balancin
g effect makes it unusual and a huge asset to this play. "To lose one parent Mr. Worthing may be re
garded as misfortune, but to lose both looks like carelessness." Another example of a good antithes
is quotation is "the good end happily, and the bad end unhappily". Both of these are easy to rememb
er, and so as soon as you have seen or read the play, you will probably find that you are using them
over again and again, even in everyday life. The title of this play, "The Importance of Being Earne
st" is itself after all a pun. The suggestion pun, meaning a play of words having a different meani
ng is certainly correct in this situation. When you first look at the title of the play you might t
hink to yourself, oh, this is about being serious. Yet this play is as far from serious as you coul
d possibly get. Another pun is "You talk exactly as if you are a dentist giving a false impression.
" The whole point being that the false impression can easily be interpreted in a different way, lik
e this play. However, Oscar Wilde is at his wittiest when using paradox, usually several to a page,
so you are constantly laughing. Without the all important paradox, I doubt whether this play would
have been able to function properly and lasted the amazing 100 years that it has, and hopefully cont
inue to be popular for another a hundred. "Her hair has turned quite gold with grief" if you had no
t heard of this play you probably would be thinking to yourself, this is ludicrous, we all know that
the expression is "Her hair has turned quite white with grief", yet this is what Oscar Wilde delibe
rately wrote. Paradox is a self- contradictory statement and found rather absurd and odd among most
usual people. So if most people found the concept of it mad, then the person who was able to put s
everal on a page must have been a genius. Another example of a paradox is "Washing one's clean line
n in public", what wonderful as well as out of the ordinary quotations. Thus, I have shown the many
reasons why this witty, interesting and altogether astounding play has lasted as long as it has, and
will keep on lasting. But the greatest reason must be Oscar Wilde's wit and humour, and the way he
expresses them.
importance being earnest been playing packed audiences over hun
dred years think remained popular importance being earnest first performed year marked beginning osc
ar wilde disgrace lord alfred douglas father marquis queensbury began campaign against wilde main re
asons that play been popular over years because plot this situation comedy light hearted happy rathe
r unrealistic ending about three couples makes come play extremely pleased happy with that your life
going well being positive neat plan situation chaos resolution seen very clever many people making
that play wrote appealing group bunburying main causes chaos this this quote shows algernon moncrief
f himself keen bunburyist absurd right bunbury anywhere chooses every serious bunburyist knows only
factor contributed making amazing last over years another quotation time show resolution last line c
ontrary aunt augusta realized first time life vital importance earnest characters very strong their
metaphysical behaviour well they have compete with lady bracknell caricature wilde demonstrated what
lady bracknell would have been like very well when younger mirror image which daughter gwendolyn qu
otation shows gwendolyn just rude pompous lady bracknell herself personally understand anybody manag
es exist country anybody anybody does country always bores death cecily proper young lives country b
ehaved which unlike uncle jack fianc algernon moncrieff both algernon jack love town they generally
behave young quotation show thinks talks women only when they have called each other things first mi
ss prism cecily tutor appears rather strict teacher soon sets eyes rather remarkable reverend canon
chasuble completely melts under gaze forgets about horrible german lessons however these reasons enc
hanting lasted long because pure humour style oscar succeeded making versatile amusing from last wor
d major part humour impressive satire topics which always under scrutiny oscar marriage education wo
nderful amounts satire come from most ordinary every topics producing some humorous date interesting
quotations example seems think marriages divorce from image divorces made heaven education also scr
utinized shown inappropriate world highlights truth what thinks education produces effect what ever
dramatic irony perfect humour audience share join with algy jack light comes alive through some real
istic others true sections dramatic irony pungent imagery when algy says call each other sisters aft
er calling each other things situation unique could another includes dramatic irony comes back telli
ng everyone brother dead next thing know turns door step alive these kinds unavoidable plays such an
tithesis commonly used easily remembered especially short liners balancing effect makes unusual huge
asset lose parent worthing regarded misfortune lose both looks like carelessness another example go
od antithesis good happily unhappily both these easy remember soon seen read will probably find usin
g them again again even everyday life title itself after suggestion meaning words having different m
eaning certainly correct look title might think yourself about serious serious could possibly talk e
xactly dentist giving false impression whole point false impression easily interpreted different lik
e however wittiest using paradox usually several page constantly laughing without important paradox
doubt whether would able function properly lasted amazing hopefully continue popular hundred hair tu
rned quite gold grief heard probably would thinking yourself ludicrous know expression hair turned q
uite white grief deliberately wrote paradox self contradictory statement found absurd among most usu
al people most people found concept then person able several page must genius example washing clean
linen public wonderful ordinary quotations thus shown many reasons witty interesting altogether asto
unding lasted long will keep lasting greatest reason must expresses themEssay, essays, termpaper, te
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