Analyze the play ‘Importance of Being Earnest' as a social critique

 “ The truth is rarely pure and never simple “

-Oscar Wilde

 

                Oscar Wilde, his full name was- Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde. He was born on 16th October 1854, in Dublin, Ireland. And died on 30th November  1900 in Paris, France. The very name of Oscar Wilde challenges criticism. Conventionality taboos him and decadence claim him. A man who was better in some ways than his defamers and worse than most of his admirers must always be a puzzle too -the average reader of a character who is neither subtle, generous, nor courageous.  He was a protest against current ugliness and smugness, a fine -frenzy set against average ideas and commonplace platitudes. He was a poet full of apparent poses, a feminine -artist in the body of a man.   He was an Irish wit, poet, and dramatist whose reputation rests on his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), and on his comic masterpieces Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).

Wilde was born to professional and literary parents. His father, Sir William Wilde, was Ireland’s leading ear and eye surgeon, who also published books on archaeology, folklore, and the satirist Jonathan Swift. His mother, who wrote under the name Speranza, was a revolutionary poet and an authority on Celtic myth and folklore. His mother had Longed for a girl before Wilde's birth. The answer to her prayer was this strange medley of undirected genius, misguided femininity, fascination, and tragedy. One article quotes a critical Irishwoman that -

                     //  “Oscar Wilde was a ruiner of souls.”  //

Surely souls can only be ruined by. their possessors and not by outsiders. 

Analyze the play ‘Importance of Being Earnest' as a social critique:

 

"The importance of Being Earnest" is a delightful comedy that contains a large number of elements combined together that is satire, humor, and sentimental comedy. But the dominant one is the element of Satire. It is no exaggeration to say that the "importance of Being Earnest" is a social satire. Oscar Wilde targeted the Victorian society of England in his own language. A lot of symbols are there in thisplace thath have hidden meanings that are refreshing to the audience. In the Pla,y many words, dialogu,e and all characters of the placesatirizes Victorian society. Oscar Wilde through display tries to cover each and every aspect and manner of life spent by people of his own era. Notwithstanding he primarily focuses on class and shows us that if society has no morality then it would not survive. Oscar Wilde is aware of the general principle that it isthe time dutyofo every artist to surprise society in case it is crossing its limits. As aresultl,t he has written this place to give some morality to the audience. From "Importance of Being Earnest" it seems that Oscar Wildehas fullyl field his duty. It is an undeniable fact that "Importance of Being Earnest" is a social satire. This play is a direct attack on Victorian society. A satire differs from the "comic" in that "comedy" evokes laughter mainly as an end in itself whereas "Satire" "derides" because it uses laughter as a weapon for reformation. Therefore through social sat i,re the writer aims at correcting the weaknessesfolliesl i,es and absurditieofoe society. The principal target of satire in the importance of being earnest is the English upper class of the time although we have a couple of satirical portraits of persons belonging to certain different levels he society i.e. Dr. Chasuble (Rector)and Miss Prism (Governess). Daughter ridiculous the English aristocracy represented by Lady Bracknell, Cecily C ar,dew and Gwendolen Fairfax, Algernon, etc. Algernon has been portrayed as a satirical character in the Play. He is a typical representative of the English upper class of the time. He shallowess, irresponsibilitextravagant,ans and vanity have been exposed in a manner to make us laugh heartily. Algernon is a caref e fellow and if his servant drinks champagne, he takes tmet lightgheartedlydly. He throws large parties and on the other hand, he keeps helping on the same tune that he lacks money. He telcheckeredeck that he would get the price for restoring his cigarette case because he is hard up at this time. In f,act he is in a state of indebtedness. Another trade of his personality is his gluttony. Check says about him that he is always hungry and keeps eating whether it a is cucumber sandwich or muffins. He wants a check to invite him to dinner at an expensive restaurant. It seems that eating their is hfavoriteite hobby. Algernon's dresses have been satirized by the author. He is a fashionayoung mangman . descriptor outbout dresmakeakes us laugh a lot. Lady Bracknell describes to him that I'll give noo 'is nothing but he loeverythinging'. He also claims that he can play on piano skillfulevery everever dentist of Chalohmessagessage that at every party he wants to flirt with any woman. Undoubtedly, Algernon's Portrayal is satirical. Jack Worthing's character has also been portrayed satirically. Cat is representative of the top class, but he is a better specimen and wings our admiration. He is a responsible guardian and a serious young man in his conversation. Miss Prism says out him:"There is no room of triviality and idle merrimeAlgernonrnois a light hearted, he is too serious. His serious look is ridiculous. Cecily says that her uncle Jack looks so serious as ithetheve an impression that he is unwell. Algernon says of him "He is the earlooking kingoking man". He makes errorjudgmentement and thinks that Gwendolen is a very intellectual kind of girl while she is a shallow character. He admires Cecily because she has an excellent appetite and no attention to her studies.overeover he does not believe in telling the truth to a young and refined lady. Does the portrayal of the ck is satirical in intention a feet?fect. Gwendolen Fairfax is also a superficial and absurd character presented by the asatiricallyically. F their or in,stance she is not capable of understanding how a person of importance can exist in the countryside. She has a foolish habit of writing a diary instead of retaining facts in her memory. When she makes a railway journey she carries her diary with her for nothing but to read sensational things. But her most enthusiastic absurdity is her love for the name "Earnest". She is of the view that earnest is a divine and musical name aproducesroduce vibrations. It has always been her cherished ideal to love someone whose name is "Earnest"makes maaes the person named "Earnest". Cecily Cardew is another representative of the aristocratic althoughlsheugh shr is a better specimen than Gwendolen. She amuwiths us by her failings and absurdities. She is least interested in Geor aphy, ,Grammar and Political economy and regards them as "horrid". She is a diary recorder and records the minor details of her life, callicontentsn tents,'the wonsecretsecrets'. She is beautiful but ridiculous and goes into raptures over the name 'Earnest'. She falls in love with the person whose name is 'Earnest' even without seeing him. She got engaged to him in her imagination and what a ring on his behalf. Aur absolutely further appears in her wanting to put down in her diary every word that her lover has to say in praise. The portrayal of Lady Bracknell is perhaps the most satirical. Tho ugh her ,character the foible of the uphaslass have been exposeconscious consciousconscious lady. She claims to have a taste for music but she would like her nephew to make the selection of the numbers to be played at heHerarty. Har principal absurdities are her snobbery, her class consciand ousnmercenary outlookyher lifek herlsuspicion suspicio,us naher ture and domineering tempHow in which she cross examines to detersuitabilityabilitson-in-lawon in law shows both her suspicious nature and her domineering temperament. Both these traits appear agaistations thatons wsubsequentbsequento order to determine the suitability of Cecily as a wife for Algernon. This second cross when examination shows also the importance of money in her eyes because as soollearnedhe learnt Cecily certain qualities which she had not observed before. Her domineering nature appears also in the manner in which she exercises rigid control over her daughter and her own husband and this aspect of her personality is ridiculed by the author. Thus, Portrayal of Lady Bracknell exposes the feelings and absurdities of the English upper class. Another portrait in the play is that of Dr.Chasuble. This Portugal is a there on cThe clergyman Clergyman is expected to inspire respect but Chasuble excites our mirth. Dr.Chasuble is ridiculed for his pompous manner of and speakhypothesisscrisisohis crisy and lack of real scholarship. His pompous manner ofin evidentiinevident by one of his speeches. On seeing Jack in mourning clothes, Drsaysasuble ys to him , "Dear, Mr. Worthing,I trust this garb of W does not, betoken some terrible calamity…." It is quite absurd on his part to claim that a particular sermon office can be adapted to any occasion, joyful or sorrowful. Another absurdity in his conversation of course when he makes a classical illusion drone from the Pagan authors. He is a Christian priest but he quauthorpagan autors. He is hyppeers your pefavorshe ffavors he favours celibacy but he had sexual tendencies toward spiritual spirituallyspiritually therefore the author has historianzed histoin order to make us laugh. Miss Prism (Governess of Cecil Cardew) is also the targetamuses he's amusesShe amuseous amused by her literary pretewanted three volume three-volumethree volume Novel and put it in a paramedical and put the baby in a handbag absentmindedly which was deposi d at Victo ria statiobothered, she btheed her duthe ty. She has moral potential also which she shows in her dislike of The wicked young younger brother of check working and in her feeling of joy at the reported death of that wicked fellow. She is a spinster bumarryinghes to marry Dr.Chasuble. Therefore, she goes for walks with Dr.Chasuble under one pretext or the other. Thus, the portrayal of Miss Prism is also satirical through which r Wilde has directed his Satire to the lower classes of the society of the nineteenth century.

In this brilliantly witty comedy, Wilde used the conventions of social drama to mock the very things society drama had developed to uphold: The morality and values of high society. ‘The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedy play by Oscar Wilde that was first performed in 1895. The play is often performed in Britain, especially by amateur dramatist groups, and is much loved for its clever humor and comic situations. a

‘Importance of Being Earnest is a story of a young man, Jack Worthing who wants to marry the daughter of Lady Bracknell. But, she rejects him because he tells her that he does not know his parents as he was found in a handbag at Victoria Station.                                                                  

                         Jack Worthing is a fashionable young man who lives in the country with his ward, Cecily Cardew. He has invented a rakish brother named Ernest whose supposed exploits give Jack an excuse to travel to London periodically to rescue him. Jack is in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, the cousin of his friend Algernon Moncrieff. Gwendolen, who thinks Jack’s name is Ernest, returns his love, but her mother, Lady Bracknell, objects to their marriage because Jack is an orphan who was found in a handbag at Victoria Station. Jack discovers that Algernon has been impersonating Ernest to woo Cecily, who has always been in love with the imaginary rogue Ernest. Ultimately it is revealed that Jack is really Lady Bracknell’s nephew, that his real name is Ernest, and that Algernon is actually his brother. The play ends with both couples happily united. 

• ‘The Importance of Being Earnest was an early attempt at Victorian melodrama.

• It includes Little satire with glimpses of comedy of manners and little intellectual farce, it was the last and greatest of Wilde’s finished plays.

• ‘The Importance of Being Earnest' remains to date one of the greatest comedies in the English Language.

• It is a  sharp satire of upper-class Victorian Society.

• In the ‘Importance of Being Earnest,’  Oscar Wilde is at his best engaging, charming, and wooing the readers and audience with a sharp wit.

 

Conflicts in ‘Importance of Being Earnest - 

• In this play, Jack faces many obstacles to his romantic union with Gwendolen. One of them is presented by Lady Bracknell who is Gwendolen’s mother. She objects to Jack’s ‘origins’. 

• Another obstacle is Gwendolen’s fascination with the name ‘Earnest’ since she does not know Jack’s real name.

Mood : 

• The play is a comedy and a satire.

• Some of the ideas Wilde is trying to make fun of and criticize include : 

          * Victorian ideas surrounding marriage

         * Victorian social expectations.