The Importance of Being Earnest:
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From Oscar Wilde...
“A work of art is useless as a flower is useless. A flower blossoms for its own joy. We gain a moment of joy by looking at it.” |
“Exquisitely trivial, a delicate bubble of fantasy, and it has a philosophy…that we should treat all the trivial things of life seriously, and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality.” |
“All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does, and that is his.” |
Definition: earnest
ear·nest [urnist] (adjective) - 1. serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous: an earnest worker; 2. showing depth and sincerity of feeling: earnest words; an earnest entreaty; 3. seriously important; demanding or receiving serious attention; 4. full seriousness, as of intention or purpose: to speak in earnest
- Synonyms 1. fervent, intent, purposeful, determined, industrious, ambitious. Earnest, resolute, serious, sincere imply having qualities of depth and firmness. Earnest implies having a purpose and being steadily and soberly eager in pursuing it: an earnest student. Resolute adds a quality of determination: resolute in defending the right. Serious implies having depth and a soberness of attitude that contrasts with gaiety and frivolity; it may include the qualities of both earnestness and resolution: serious and thoughtful. Sincere suggests genuineness, trustworthiness, and absence of superficiality: a sincere interest in music.
- Antonyms 1. frivolous.
Background & Terms to Know
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Marriage & Appearances in Victorian Society
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Topics for Examination/Discussion:
(by Al Drake, E212: British Lit. since 1760, CSU Fullerton 2003)A General Approach: Follow out the play's exploration of key terms, mainly "sincerity" and "marriage." A commodity is a product or a good. Is everything a commodity in this play? What might Wilde be suggesting about Victorian values? Perhaps IBE is about what is necessary for the smooth functioning of the upper class.
Act I
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Act II
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Act III
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The Play as a Whole
- Farce is a type of comedy that relies largely on improbable situations, broad characters, and slapstick action. The object of farce is to provoke the spectator through surprise and exaggeration. Farce serves two purposes: to amuse the audience and, more importantly, to to make the audience reflect on the absurdities of extreme social custom and human behavior. Farce usually includes broad physical “gags,” such as pratfalls, fast action, and exaggerated facial expressions. The situations in farce often involve mistaken identity; characters frequently wear outrageous disguises that would fool no one in real life. The characters in a farce are simple and straightforward; generally they are either tricksters or fools. Identify three farcical elements in the situation, action, and characters in The Importance of Being Earnest.
- In farce, the situations become so entangled and complicated that the ending is often purely arbitrary or a trick. In ancient Greek and Roman drama, the ending was sometimes brought about by a god descending from the heavens in some kind of device. Hence, these endings are called dues ex machina endings. Who is the dues ex machina in this play, and were you disappointed in the ending? Was this ending in keeping with the tone of the rest of the play?
- Look back over the characters’ proper names. What is significant about some of them?
- Certain strands in Wilde’s plot are so often found in comedy that they might be called elements of comedy. How does Wilde use these comic motifs: DISGUISE, MISTAKEN IDENTITY, MYSTERIOUS PARENTAGE, and TRIANGLE OF BOY-GIRL-AND-OBSTINATE PARENT?
- Wilde hints several times that the play is not to be taken seriously. What are these hints? In spite of them, do you think the play may have a serious message, or theme?
- Find epigrams and comments in the play about the following aspects of society: education, marriage, love, moral obligations, and social status. Write down at least one example and cite it appropriately.
- Wilde uses puns (plays on words with multiple meanings or that sound alike but have different meanings) and paradoxes (statements that are apparently contradictory but are nonetheless true). Find and explain examples of each.
- In another theoretical essay, "The Decay of Lying," Wilde insists that art (which he aligns with "lying"--spinning stories and creating beautiful images to serve as forms for the imagination) is superior to everyday life. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
AP Literature Prompts
- 1993. “The true test of comedy is that it shall awaken thoughtful laughter.” Choose a novel, play, or long poem in which a scene or character awakens “thoughtful laughter” in the reader. Write an essay in which you show why this laughter is “thoughtful” and how it contributes to the meaning of the work.
- 2006. Many writers use a country setting to establish values within a work of literature. For example, the country may be a place of virtue and peace or one of primitivism and ignorance. Choose a novel or play in which such a setting plays a significant role. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the country setting functions in the work as a whole.