Penny Gay Defines Comedy as a Genre Sample Essay

The comedy of the Importance of Being Earnest uses spoken linguistic communication to convey amusing actions instead than physical actions. The Importance of Being Ernest is a play because of its beginnings as a drama. but besides a contextual comedy as the characters follow the general format of falling in love with each other and stoping with the thought of matrimony. However. the drama is besides really satirical. doing visible radiation of the blue categories. overstating the upper-class ethical motives and the frivolousness of the characters. The sarcasm that is portrayed in the drama is really obvious. nevertheless today requires to fit with the context of the times. Wilde’s sarcasm is centered in the blue lives of the Victorian societal system. this is foremost recognised when Algernon foremost introduced. instantly posed as a dissembler. eating cucumber sandwiches that he told Jack non to eat. Algernon is besides egotistic. when at the piano he states that “I don’t drama accurately – any one can play accurately – but I play with fantastic look. ” This shows how The Importance of Being Earnest supports Penny Gay’s position by immediately portraying the character as a egoistic blue blood. by this point in the drama at that place has been one phase way. demoing that Wilde was more interested in what the character said instead than how the character acted. this can be farther seen when Algernon says to Lane “I don’t know that I am much interested in your household life. Lane. ”

Further demoing Algernon’s ego centered attitudes. nevertheless this is rapidly changed when he meets Cecily. naming her “the seeable personification of absolute flawlessness. ” Showing the hypocritical nature of the characters. Wilde uses this as a manner of making comedy by demoing the corrupt ethical motives of Algernon and infact Cecily. who will merely get married a adult male named Ernest. The sarcasm is more comedic in comparing to most comedies that involved hiding the self-love of the chief character. such as in Wilde’s The Picture Of Dorian Gray where the Dorian. obsessed with young person and beauty becomes an immoral and ugly individual because of his attempt to stay vernal. whereas in The Importance Of Being Earnest is is used more to mock the blue bloods with more comedy than play. The drama mocks the Victorian age. particularly idealist positions of love and matrimony. mocking these thoughts with bizarre claims of love and matrimony. even with Algernon traveling to great lengths to be “christened at a one-fourth to six under the name of Ernest. ” This is followed by Jack noticing on Algernon being christened earlier. to which Algernon remarks “Yes. but I have non been christened for old ages. ” This besides shows how Wilde uses humor within the satirical state of affairss to make a amusing scene.

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Wit is frequently used within the drama. as the chief character Jack and his alter-ego Ernest are both known for their humor. an illustration of this is when Lady Bracknall asks about Jacks find as a babe. to which she exclaims “A pocketbook? ” and Jack answers with a simple “The Brighton line” . This shows how Wilde gives the character a sense of nihilism. something that is seen within Ernest but non within Jack. who is considered a more romantic character. The reference of the line itself is witty as there was merely two train lines. this line was the line to Worthing. where Jack’s family name originated from. the other line. the East Kent line. lead to poverty ridden countries. demoing Jacks opportunity of either being rich or hapless. Jack says to Algernon in act 1 “My beloved Algy. you talk precisely as if you were a tooth doctor. It is really coarse to speak like a tooth doctor when one isn’t a tooth doctor. It produces a false impression…”

This shows how Wilde portrays the characters to be really condescending of each others ways ; this shows how words are more of import than actions because the characters are shown to be cautious of their actions so as to maintain to the blue “Queens English” . nevertheless both work forces speak really slackly while with eachother. with Algernon answering with “Well. that is precisely what dentists ever do. ” . whilst it is non written in the phase waies that the characters say this in a peculiar mode. it is implied that this is a sarcastic remark against tooth doctors. The pun that Oscar Wilde uses within the drama is a great manner to see how he uses spoken comedy more than physical ; Wilde incorporated pun into his chief characters name. where Ernestness was defined as “serious people are serious because they do non see fiddling comedies” such a position is portrayed merely by the highest of society in the drama. such as Algernon and Lady Bracknall.

Jack’s name comes from the town at the terminal of the old Brighton line. Worthing. Bunbury is an inside gag from Wilde from when he met a immature male child at Banbury. which led to a farther meeting at Sunbury. this led to him adding the character. nevertheless Bunburying meant to take on a dual life in Victorian slang. once more utilizing pun in his chief characters names. the character of Ernest John is shown to be both the chief characters male parents. and it is even shown in his name. Jack is a moniker for John and Algernon had taken the name Ernest.

To reason. the lone marks of physical comedy seen in this drama are used to congratulate either the sarcasm or humor used by the chief characters. Wilde could non portray his disdain at the societal categories get downing to outlast themselves despite best attempts. they merely ended up as aristocracy being hypocritical over a few Cucumis sativus sandwiches. However spoken comedy is used intensively. one such minute is formed when Jack and Algernon find out that they are in fact brothers separated at birth. it is hence the instance that Algernon will be get marrieding his cousin. this is non resolved and it is shown that the two chief characters are in fact about the exact same as their male parent “a adult male of peace. except in his domestic life” . Use of pun to give name to the act that both work forces were perpetrating and the sarcasm that is demoing the stereotypes of the Victorian epoch upper-class.

Algernon and Jack both ignore the thought of matrimony. which was considered a really serious event and was expected of all gentlemen. both work forces besides ignore the ideals of baptism in order to acquire married. this is really dry because Jack states early on that “when one is in town one amuses onself. ” Showing his deficiency of desire for a matrimony or even a relationship. However a few proceedingss subsequently he says “I am in love with Gwendolen. I have come up to town to expressly to suggest to her” with Algernon saying “how absolutely unromantic you are” this would hold been acted out with both sitting down. with small to no motion. the drama is meant to be witty and non utilize physical comedy to underscore the comedy. That is why most of the scenes take topographic point indoors and with the bulk of the dramatis personae sitting down every bit to forestall any slapstick motions being used. The Importance of Being Ernest is a drama which defines comedy as a spoken signifier and so disagrees with Penny Gay’s analysis of the genre.

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