Satire is defined to be the usage of wit to roast mistakes and frailties. The Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde is a societal sarcasm. utilizing sarcasm and paradoxes to insinuate the jobs and mistakes found in the Victorian society. The Importance of Being Earnest is set in the late Victorian Era during a societal reform. The category system was defined by the animus between categories. the upper category handling the lower category with contempt and disgust. The upper category was stiffly controlled by savoir faire. cognizing what to eat. wear and how to act. The Importance of Being Earnest satirizes the category system. etiquette and temperament that was expected from Victorians. Wilde uses sarcasm. wit and characters non merely to name attending to the absurdness of the Victorian behaviour but besides to foreground the dry wit in the characters defects that reflect the Victorians who were watching it.
The Importance of Being Earnest seems to be a unfavorable judgment of society. The drama is a blithe comedy but besides a societal sarcasm using this opportunity to knock societal issues. The usage of sarcasm reveals an incompatibility between the characters words and the truth. proposing that society is hypocritical. The Importance of Being Earnest reflects the audience it was written for. From the entryway of “Mr. Earnest Worthing. ” there are changeless unfavorable judgments between Jack and Algy. Jack criticizes Algy for talking. “you talk precisely as if you were a tooth doctor. ” This unfavorable judgment presents an sarcasm ; Jack believes it is “very vulgar. ” for Algy to show to be person he is non. This is dry as Jack is non self critical sufficiency to be cognizant that by being “Earnest in town and Jack in the state. ” he himself is showing a “false feeling. ” and behaving like a dissembler. The dramatic sarcasm of this is that the laughter incurred from this sarcasm is dry in itself.
The audience can place the mistakes in Jack nevertheless this laughter suggests that they can non see the contemplation of themselves in this drama. This satirizes the Victorian society and their mistakes. Jack is a representation of society and he implies that society is hypocritical. Jack is presented to be a pretentious dissembler. life by one set of regulations for him but holding another for Algy and Cecily. his ward. I see this usage of sarcasm and sarcasm as a unfavorable judgment of the Victorian society but more specifically the delusional ego image held by the audience. Wilde uses this technique systematically through out the drama to foreground the short approachs of the Victorians and their etiquette. This consistent usage of speedy humor and clever wit presents a societal sarcasm diging into the frailties of Victorian society.
Wilde in his ain life came from a place that prided itself on its category and stature. Wilde was received as a great success and married in 1884. However Wilde presented a “false feeling. ” of himself. In 1891 Wilde fell abundantly in love with Lord Alfred Douglas. and four old ages subsequently was imprisoned for Acts of the Apostless of gross indecency. Prior to this imprisonment Wilde wrote The Importance of Being Earnest and in this drama highlighted the incongruence in the lives lead in the Victorian society. in order to run into the unwritten regulations and outlooks of the upper category. The characters behavior towards each other and their staff show a amusing state of affairs. Wilde uses this to mock the societal criterions and power constructions within a Victorian family. The first scene set in Algernon’s level between Lane and Algernon is extremely satirical.
Algernon’s behaviour towards Lane and his antipathy for Lane’s sentiments suggests he is an elitist. Believing that the rich are better that the hapless. Algernon shows no compassion for Lane’s feelings. saying openly that “I don’t know that I am much interested in your household life Lane. ” This interaction presents a satirical position of the Victorian category system. Wilde’s presentation of the unjust behaviour. favoritism and dual criterions excepted from the upper category represents a unfavorable judgment of the Victorian society and the mute regulations of etiquette. Wilde uses the light -hearted comedy to pull attending to the elitist and irrational ideals that are upheld by the category system. Wilde’s intelligent presentation of the characters and wit satirizes his sentiments so they are unoffending and entertaining.
Wilde’s life in many ways is presented in The Importance of Being Earnest. and I believe that within this drama Wilde uses sarcasm and wit to pull attending to the incompatibility of society. Wilde indirectly passes a commentary on the defects of society that affected him severely. The Importance of Being Earnest is about a definition of sarcasm pulling attending to the frailties of society. but besides the favoritism and hypocritical behavior of those who were portion of it. I would specify The Importance of Bing Earnest as a societal sarcasm. The drama exaggerates the negative facets of the Victorian society and plays it up in a amusing mode. Wilde’s clever usage of humor and sarcasm is used to indirectly do unfavorable judgment of Victorian societal outlooks and behaviour.