Oscar Wilde Earnest

Oscar Wilde EarnestTrivial waggery for Serious PeopleOscar Wildes The immenseness of Being EarnestSince we know The grandeur of Being Earnest is a trivial melt down for salutary peck, our job as unsafe people is not to be content to recite its funny, but to be c beful when describing the fun (Sale 479). First staged in February 1895 at the St. James Theatre, people packed the theater to essay Oscar Wildes vernal play, The Importance of Being Earnest. The play was an immediate hit (Greenblatt and M.H. Abrams 2221). It was a hopeful time as Wildes plays had been the talk of the town for the past several years.Generally, Wildes plays were skillful even when trying to evoke comedy his previous plays ranged from social banter and criticism (Lady Winder untainteds Fan), to themes that defied propriety and incited some moral indignation (Salome) (Barnet xxix). In say to criticism surrounding Lady Windermeres Fan, printed in the St. James Gazette of February 26, 1892, Wilde w rote a letter to the editor published on February 27th, under the heading Mr. Oscar Wilde Explains(Mason 390). In this letter, Wilde claimed that he did not want the play to be viewed as a mere question of pantomime and clowning, but that he was interested in the percentage as a psychological study (Mason 390). His tendency was to make his people real, and hence to take his audience through the looking-glass into a world which seemed to bound modern sprightliness (Raby 159).This new play, The Importance of Being Earnest, therefore, revealed a allegory side of Wilde not exposed before. One of his contemporary critics, H. G. Wells, said that it was often harder to listen to non wizard then to talk it, but not if it is practiced wish-wash.and this is very trusty nonsense (Beckson 187). Hamilton Fyfe, on the new(prenominal) hand, ensn ar it slight in structure, devoid in purpose neertheless extraordinarily funny (Beckson 187).One critic failed to find it delightful curiously this was Wildes cub playwright from Ireland, Bernard Shaw(Greenblatt and M.H. Abrams 2221). Although he claimed he did find it amusing, George Bernard Shaw said that it leaves me with a sense of having wasted my evening (Beckson 221). He even poked fun at those who praised the unornamented nonsense of Wilde, remarking that if the public ever becomes intelligent enough to know when it is truly enjoying itself and when it is not, there will be an end of farcical comedy (Beckson 221-222). Since George Bernard Shaw had a reputation for being a harsh critic, this criticism was characteristic of him. subsequently reading the play, one and only(a) capacity even agree with Shaws review.However, the play does pack an understandable diagram (a gross anachronism, according to Shaw (Beckson 221). The main character, bastard Wor involvement, is courting the affections of Gwendolen Fairfax, but is impeded by her mother, Lady Bracknell, who opposes the match (Greenblatt and M.H. Abrams 22 29-2231). This partition of the plot is serious enough. Wilde then adds a comical aspect whoreson has been introducing himself as Ernest while in town, and when back at his country the three estates he refers to a younger brother named Ernest (Greenblatt and M. H. Abrams 2223). While Wilde tries to inject a sense of seriousness into the comedy, he allows his plot twists to develop into the ridiculous. For example, the case of dominate Prisms losing an infant is nonchalantly explained as an absent minded switch in the midst of a book and a baby the baby being situated in a handbag and the book in the perambulator (Greenblatt and M. H. Abrams 2261). in that location is also Algernons behavior and his imaginary friend called Bunburywhich he invented as an invaluable permanent invalid in order that he energy be able to go down into the country whenever he chooses (Greenblatt and M. H. Abrams 2226), eventually Bunbury patently explodes.As ridiculous as Wilde made his plots, is the way he obdurate them Algernons way of killing off Bunbury was to calmly say that he was kind of exploded (Greenblatt and M. H. Abrams 2256). When pressed for a better answer, Algernon simply explains that the doctor prepare that Bunbury was going to die and he expired right then and there. Gwendolens (and for that issue Cecilys) outrage after disc all overing the truth about Ernest is won back by the ridiculous attempt by Jack to christen himself Ernest. And the hard to take predicament of Miss Prism and the unconnected baby eventually obstinate lift impediment with Gwendolen.Very often when offered questionable storylines, one can expect relief from the moral of the story or the play, which the author might try to instill. The search, in this case, would be in vain. Algernon never gets his due over his continued deceit in Bunburying, and Jack Wor topic is redeemed by the baring of his being Ernest all along. Jacks confession that it is a terrible thing for a man to fin d out suddenly that all his invigoration he has been speaking nothing but the truth(Greenblatt and M. H. Abrams 2263) is simply authorized and forgiven. None of the characters get chastised for their bad behavior or prejudice. So, one is left over(p) to think that Wilde, in not condemning these actions, absolutely agrees with them.Therefore it might be considered that the plot is only a prop for Wildes more silent messages, hidden within his side notes, his characters, and their bits. The message may not be understood by looking at the play as a whole but in its parts. The gems hidden within the play are the commentaries of Wilde on topics such as medicine, relationships and social norms, with considerable insight on the human condition, in particular issues of class, gender, sexuality, and identity (P.P.F 288538). He places these commentaries either as asides in the dialogue or in the intricacy by which a injection is played out. For example, Algernons skepticism regarding Ja cks proposal to Gwendolen echoes the social dilemma, girls never marry the men they flirt withgirls dont think it rightit accounts for the extraordinary amount of bachelors that one sees all over the place (Greenblatt and M. H. Abrams 2224). As for the dialogue of the two young ladies towards each other (they will call each other a lot of things before they become friends) Wilde portrays the younger gal as naively idealistic, while portraying the other as an impractical romantic. They are represented as fickle, although Gwendolens attitude towards Cecily ranges from instead friendly to jealous rival and then to faithful friend (all in one scene). At the identical time, Lady Bracknells impression of Cecily goes from the unthinkable to the idea that Cecily has distinct social possibilities, and as such would make a suitable member of capital of the United Kingdom full(prenominal) Society (Greenblatt and M. H. Abrams 2258).While most of Wildes contemporaries were thrilled at the n onsense of the play, Shaw had expected a serious comedy by the playwright. Instead he saw it as having no structure and a real disappointment. The play does begin to make sense though, when we look away from the perspective of the critic and into the authors mind. If we accept that the plot is a prop, which Wilde used to throw abuse and cheer at his audience, we can then conclude that the play was meant as one big commentary on sensibilities, on society, and on theater. Furthermore, if we look at Wildes own problems at the time of the plays fame, we might understand Wilde.In the scene where Lady Bracknell is interviewing Jack, and then reacting to Jacks helpless admission that he has lost his parents, Lady Bracknell states that losing both parents seem an act of carelessness (Greenblatt and M. H. Abrams 2232), and adds that to rectify the situation he should make a definite effort to produce at any rate one parent, of either sex, before the season is instead over (Greenblatt and M . H. Abrams 2233). As absurd as this may seem, it does have a purpose Lady Bracknell represents Victorian High Society. Because of this, she is ready to condemn ground on ones birth or unfortunate circumstance save she makes a complete turnaround in her disapproval of Cecily once she realizes that the girl has good ancestry (namely, her father is rich) (Greenblatt and M.H. Abrams 2257).The absurdity of Jack posing as Ernest mirrors the support of the playwright himself. Oscar Wilde, at this time, had begun to scandalize London with his lifestyle and had been largely condemned as a homosexual. Jack Worthing explains that the pressures of leading a high moral life in the country does not provide him with the happiness he inevitably rather, that happiness is found in Ernest whose reputation is entirely opposite of Jacks (Greenblatt and M.H. Abrams 2226). In the same way, perhaps Wilde feels somehow trapped in the guide to conform to Londons High Society standards.The lack of a dec ent plot is an attack of the sensibilities of the audience to a serious play. Oscar Wilde once explained that the play has an inherent philosophy that we should treat all the trivial things of life seriously, and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality (Greenblatt and M. H. Abrams 2222). The whole point was not the progression of the story, but the progression of the absurdity starting with the truth of Ernest, then the nonsense of Bunburying, until the play escalates to the ridiculous in Miss Prism. His characters crude commentaries, which seemed to plunder, were meant to offend if anything, none of it needed to be taken seriously.The play is an exercise of triviality. George Bernard Shaw couldnt see past the nonsense of Wilde. The Importance of Being Earnest was actually quite an accomplishment. Wilde worked hard writing and rewriting the script until he felt he had the perfect combination of wit and humor shrouded in seriousness. It was absolute nonsen se, yet it was a masterpiece of nonsense.There is a lesson to be learned here. Something serious need not be treated to death as serious it can be allowed some form of triviality. These few lines say it outgoJack I am sick to death of cleverness The thing has become an absolute public nuisance. I wish to goodness we had a few fools left.Algernon We have. Jack I should extremely like to meet them. What do they talk about?Algernon The fools? Oh About the clever people, of course(Greenblatt and M. H. Abrams 2234).Works CitedBarnet, Sylvan. Introduction. The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays By Oscar Wilde. cutting York Penguin Books, 1985.Beckson, Karl, Ed. Oscar Wilde The Critical Heritage. London Routledge, 1997.Greenblatt, Stephen, and M.H. Abrams, Eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. New York, USA W.W. Norton Company, Inc, 2006.Mason, Stuart. Bibliography of Oscar Wilde. Edinburgh Riverside Press Limited, 1908. Reprinted, New York Haskell House Pub, 2007.P.P.F. The Importance of Being Earnest.Contemporary Review. 288.1683 (Winter 2006) 538-539. Retrieved April 3, 2008. www.liberty.edu. Academic Search Premier.http//search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu2048/login.aspx? depend=truedb=aphAN=23913109site=ehost-liveRaby, Peter, Ed. The Cambridge colleague to Oscar Wilde. Cambridge Cambridge University Press, 1997.Sale, Roger. Being Earnest. Hudson Review 563 (Autumn 2003) 475-484.Retrieved April 3, 2008. www.liberty.edu. Academic Search Premier.http//search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.libety.edu2048/login.aspx?direct=truedb=aphAN=11262215site=ehost-live