Act 1, pages 1–6 (line 8): The play begins in the sitting room of

Algernon Moncrieff ’s flat in London. Algernon is expecting a visit from his aunt, Lady Bracknell.

Before she arrives, his friend, Jack Worthing, visits him. Jack declares that he intends to marry Lady Bracknell’s daughter, Gwendolen.

Algernon points out that Jack has overlooked the problem with another girl called Cecily, who Jack pretends at first not to know, but later says she is an aged aunt of his.

Algernon produces Jack’s cigarette box with the words ‘to dear Uncle Jack from little Cecily’ written inside, and remarks that the message doesn’t sound like one an old woman would write.

Jack reveals that Cecily’s grandfather had looked after him when he was young, and, that when he died, he became young Cecily’s guardian.

Algernon wants to know why Jack calls himself Ernest in town and Jack when he in his country house. Jack replies he has invented a younger brother called Ernest as an excuse to come to London and live a bad life from time to time.

Algernon admits that he too has an imaginary friend, Bunbury. Whenever he is invited to a boring party, he tells the host that Bunbury is ill and he has to visit him.

HOW COMEDY AFFECTS US ?????????????? ??????????????

In Wilde’sIn Wilde’sThe Importance of Being The Importance of Being

EarnestEarnest

1. Comedy is based on irony.

1. Awareness of irony is an intellectual, not emotional process

2. Comedy lifts us out of our emotional responses

3. With emotional defenses down, our mind can see the need for change in a comic character.

4. Typically the comic character is blind to his misperceptions but repeats the rigid behavior.

5. Good comedy allows us to feel superior to the characters.

1. Comedy is based on irony.

6. Despite our superior position, we see similarities between the comic characters and ourselves.

7. We sense our own rigidity and blindness are like the comic fool’s and note the laughter the comic fool arouses.

8. Comedy acts as a way to change the individual or the society using laughter.

9. Satire, ridicule, burlesque often work in the service of change.

10. Comedy uses exaggeration, understatement, role reversal and generally the devices of irony to make us laugh and compare.

Victorian PeriodVictorian Period

Victorian writing reflects the dangers Victorian writing reflects the dangers and benefits to rapid and benefits to rapid industrialization, while encouraging industrialization, while encouraging readers to examine closely their own readers to examine closely their own understanding of the era’s progress.understanding of the era’s progress.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Student of “aesthetic movement” – Student of “aesthetic movement” – which rejected older Victorian which rejected older Victorian insistence on moral purposed of art insistence on moral purposed of art

Celebrated value of “art for art’s sakeCelebrated value of “art for art’s sake Mocked Victorian notions about moral Mocked Victorian notions about moral

seriousness of great artseriousness of great art Treated art as the “supreme reality” Treated art as the “supreme reality”

and treated life as “fiction”and treated life as “fiction”

The Importance of Being EarnestThe Importance of Being Earnest (produced 1895) most famous (produced 1895) most famous

comedycomedy Complicated plot turns upon fortunes Complicated plot turns upon fortunes

and misfortunes of two young upper-and misfortunes of two young upper-class Englishmen: class Englishmen: – John Worthing and Algernon MoncrieffJohn Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff– Each lives double life; creates another Each lives double life; creates another

personality to escape tedious personality to escape tedious social/family obligationssocial/family obligations

In this play…In this play…

Plot composed of events of the most Plot composed of events of the most improbable & trivial significanceimprobable & trivial significance

Real substance of play witty dialogueReal substance of play witty dialogue– According to Wilde, trivial things should According to Wilde, trivial things should

be treated seriously and serious things be treated seriously and serious things should be treated trivially.should be treated trivially.

-Title based on satirical double meaning: -Title based on satirical double meaning: “Ernest” is the name of fictitious “Ernest” is the name of fictitious character, also designates sincere character, also designates sincere aspirationaspiration

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Making the “earnestness” of his Making the “earnestness” of his Ernest the key to outrageous Ernest the key to outrageous comedy, Wilde pokes fun at comedy, Wilde pokes fun at conventional seriousness conventional seriousness

Uses solemn moral language to Uses solemn moral language to frivolous and ridiculous actionfrivolous and ridiculous action

The Importance of Being EarnestThe Importance of Being Earnest uses the following literary devicesuses the following literary devices::– Paradox: seems contradictory but Paradox: seems contradictory but

presents truthpresents truth– Inverted logic: words/phrases turned Inverted logic: words/phrases turned

upside down reversing our expectationsupside down reversing our expectations– Pun: play on words using word or Pun: play on words using word or

phrase that has two meaningsphrase that has two meanings

Literary Devices continuedLiterary Devices continued

– Epigram: brief, witty, cleverly-Epigram: brief, witty, cleverly-expressed statementexpressed statement

– Parody: humorous mocking imitation of Parody: humorous mocking imitation of literary workliterary work

– Satire: ridicules through humorSatire: ridicules through humor– Irony: something you don’t expect to Irony: something you don’t expect to

happenhappen– Foreshadowing: creates suspense Foreshadowing: creates suspense

through hints to the endingthrough hints to the ending

The Comedic LadderThe Comedic Ladder

– Comedy of Ideas (high comedy)Comedy of Ideas (high comedy) Characters argue about ideas like politics, Characters argue about ideas like politics,

religion, sex, marriage.religion, sex, marriage. They use wit, their clever language to mock They use wit, their clever language to mock

their opponent in an argument.their opponent in an argument. This is a subtle way to satirize people and This is a subtle way to satirize people and

institutions like political parties, institutions like political parties, governments, churches, war, and marriage.governments, churches, war, and marriage.

Comedy of Manners (high Comedy of Manners (high comedy)comedy)

– The plot focuses on amorous intrigues among The plot focuses on amorous intrigues among the upper classes.the upper classes.

– The dialogue focuses on witty language. The dialogue focuses on witty language. Clever speech, insults and “put-downs” are Clever speech, insults and “put-downs” are traded between characters.traded between characters.

– Society is often made up of cliques that are Society is often made up of cliques that are exclusive with certain groups as the in-crowd, exclusive with certain groups as the in-crowd, other groups (the would-be-wits, desiring to be other groups (the would-be-wits, desiring to be part of the witty crowd) and some (the witless) part of the witty crowd) and some (the witless) on the outside.on the outside.

Farce (can be combination of Farce (can be combination of high/low)high/low)

– The plot is full of coincidences, The plot is full of coincidences, mistimings, mistaken identities.mistimings, mistaken identities.

– Characters are puppets of fate – they Characters are puppets of fate – they are twins, born to the wrong class, are twins, born to the wrong class, unable to marry, too poor, too rich, have unable to marry, too poor, too rich, have loss of identity because of birth or fate loss of identity because of birth or fate or accident, or are (sometimes) twins or accident, or are (sometimes) twins separated, unaware of their double.separated, unaware of their double.

Low ComedyLow Comedy

– Subjects of the humor consists of dirty Subjects of the humor consists of dirty jokes, dirty gestures, sex, and eliminationjokes, dirty gestures, sex, and elimination

– The extremes of humor range from The extremes of humor range from exaggeration to understatement with a exaggeration to understatement with a focus on the physical like long noses, focus on the physical like long noses, cross eyes, humped back and deformities. cross eyes, humped back and deformities.

– The physical actions revolve around The physical actions revolve around slapstick, pratfalls, loud noises, physical slapstick, pratfalls, loud noises, physical mishaps, collisions – all part of the humor mishaps, collisions – all part of the humor of man encountering and uncooperative of man encountering and uncooperative universe.universe.