1. Comedy of Manners – style of drama that makes fun of well-bred, polite high society
Farce – a type of comedy that uses of highly exaggerated, humorous situations aimed at entertaining the audience; have one dimensional characters and fast-paced plot
Satire – a literary technique in which ideas, customs, behaviors, or institutions are ridiculed for the purpose of improving society
Wit – a form of intelligent humor; the ability to say or write things that are clever and unusually funny
Pun - a play on words; often suggests dual meanings of words or similar sounds
Epigram - a rhetorical device that is a memorable, brief, interesting and surprising satirical statement
Literary Terminology
“One should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry.”

2. The Importance of Being Earnest
By Oscar Wilde

3. Essential Targets for The Importance of Being Earnest
What elements of humor does Oscar Wilde use in the play?
What is a pun?
What is an epigram?
What is a farce?
What is the definition of satire?
What is the basic plot of the play?
What is the central theme of the play?
What are the stereotypical roles portrayed by the characters in the play?
How does the play criticize the shallowness, social codes, and decorum of the Victorian society?

4. Oscar Wilde

5. About the Author: Oscar Wilde
Born 1854 in Ireland; lived in England and abroad
Born to an upper class family; father (doctor) and mother (poet)
Attended Trinity College in Ireland and Oxford University (studied the classics) in England
Died 1900 in Paris

6. Oscar Wilde: The Man
“One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.”---Oscar Wilde
Rebelled against the prudish, moral, religious culture of Victorian England
Considered a “dandy” – a man who paid excessive attention to his physical appearance
Known as the wild, flamboyant, witty, well-educated “bad boy” of his time
Married with children; engaged in homosexual relationships including an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas “Bosie”
Homosexuality was illegal in England until 1967; served 2 years hard labor; scandalous
Spent the remainder of his life isolated and poor in Paris
In what ways is a trial similar to a
performance? Can you think of contemporary
examples of highly visible celebrity trials?
Why do you think Wilde was publically
shamed while he lived but after his death
would be embraced and elevated to the status
of a literary genius and cultural icon?

7. Why was Wilde described as having a “flamboyant”
personal style? What elements (hat,
jacket, accessories, shoes, etc.) of his clothing
made him unique? Does his clothing remind
you of any fashion trends seen today?

8. Oscar Wilde: The Writer
"Life is much too important a thing ever to talk seriously about it.” ---Wilde
Wrote several plays, essays, children’s fairy tales, but only one novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Aesthete (Lectured on the Philosophy of Aesthetics)
Believed in the value of “art for art’s sake” - art should avoid social, political, and moral themes and concentrate instead on creating beauty
Life should attempt to imitate art
Perfected the style of comedy of manners – making fun of well-bred, polite high society
The audience essentially paid to laugh at themselves.
Show to end of phone call

9. Victorian Period: Review
British Empire = 25% of the world
Period of peace, prosperity, refinement, national self-confidence (and contradiction)
Appearance in dress and manners believed to indicate inward morality
Strict social codes of conduct; morality substituted for religion
Social and sexual restraint were a high public and private priority
English society was divided into classes: aristocratic families “old money,” growing middle class “new money,” working classes, poor
is was also a period of great
contradictions as people equated outward
appearance with inward morality, but social
issues, such as prostitution, child labor, and
poverty, were on the rise.
In the upper classes, people with a bad reputation were outcasts no matter how much money they had
Good manners were extremely important

10. Victorian Period: Expectations of Gender
Young women were always chaperoned until they were married.
Women’s clothing covered them from neck to ankle; clothes had to be modest.
Marriage often had more to do with achieving and maintaining social status than with love. In
what way has marriage changed or stayed the
same since the Victorian times? Is marriage
always about love or pleasure? Can you think
of examples where marriage might be viewed
more like a business transaction?

11. Victorian Fashion
For the Ladies

12. Victorian Fashion
For the Gentlemen

13. Etiquette INTRODUCTIONS LEAVING CARDS PAYING CALLS PRECEDENCY
THE COLLOQUIAL APPLICATION OF TITLES
POINTS OF ETIQUETTE AS REGARDS ROYAL PERSONAGES
POINTS OF ETIQUETTE WHEN TRAVELLING ABROAD, AND PRESENTATIONS AT FOREIGN COURTS
THE RECEIVED MODE OF PRONOUNCING CERTAIN SURNAMES
PRESENTATIONS AT COURTS AND ATTENDING COURTS…
---From MANNERS AND RULES OF GOOD SOCIETY
People did not just “drop in” to visit - they made formal appointments
Refreshments were expected when visitors came to “call” (visit) - usually tea and cake or tiny, elegant cucumber sandwiches
What do you think was the purpose of etiquette during this time?

14. The Importance of Being Earnest
Written in 1895
Bridges Victorian and Modern Periods
A satirical comedy in 3 acts
Criticizes Victorian moral and social values
Uses wit, puns, exaggeration, and wordplay to create humor
Immediate hit when first performed

15.
Based on the costumes and character accents, where and when do you think the play occurs?
Why is a man playing the character of Lady Bracknell?
What does it mean to “send up” something?
Do you agree with the statement one of the actors makes about “wit never ages---what was funny 105 years ago is funny now”? Do you think the clips from the play are funny? Why or why not?

16. Settings Time: Around 1890 Place(s): London (“the City”)
Jack’s House in the Country (a very large estate)
The village church

17. The PloT:
Jack Worthington, a man of means, lives a double life: Jack in the country and Ernest in the city. In the country he cares for his ward, the lovely Cecily. In the city, he enjoys the freedom of a wild bachelor. However, he has come to the city this time to propose to Gwendolen, the daughter of Lady Bracknell and cousin of Algernon Montclief. Algernon is a dandy who also lives a double life to avoid society’s obligations. Lady Bracknell (That’s Aunt Augusta to Algernon.) disapproves of Jack/Ernest’s desire to marry Gwendolen because he does not have the social standing she expects for her daughter. (Gwendolen, by the way, adores Jack/Ernest, though she does not know about his life as Jack…so the play begins!

18. Targets for The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde:
Understand:
Basic plot and main theme
The play’s comment/message about Victorian society
The purpose of Wilde’s use of stereotypical characters
Definitions and examples of irony, farce, puns, satire

19. Major Themes Criticisms on Victorian decorum Hypocrisy
Deception (Fact versus Fiction)

20. Hypocrisy Algernon’s decadence and judgment of lower classes
Jack’s decorum in the country vs. his extravagance, wild life in the city
Gwendolen’s style over sincerity
Lady Bracknell’s reversals: “mercenary marriages” and her “love” of Cecily
Prism’s austerity vs. her repressed romantic past
Chasuble’s and Algernon’s reversals on marriage

21. Deception Jack’s and Algernon’s “bunburying”
Cecily’s and Gwendolen’s diaries