Victorian Drama

Later in this lesson, you will read an excerpt from the play The Importance of Being Earnest, which is a classic example of a comedy of manners. Explain what the term "comedy of manners" means and predict what this play will be about.

The term "comedy of manners" suggests a work that is literally a comedy about manners or how people behave daily as they interact with one another. With this in mind, the play The Importance of Being Earnest is likely a comedic play that pokes fun at the manners of the characters in it.

Oscar Wilde was famous for his development of the dandy as a stock character. Explain why Algernon fits the mold of being a dandy.

A dandy is an overdressed, trivial, and ineffectual man who is most interested in other people's perceptions. In the play The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde portrays his character Algernon as a dandy. Algernon is shown to be almost obsessed with his appearance. For example, he wants his neckties and buttonholes always to be prim and proper. Although Algernon is also charming, witty, and smart, he does not seem to recognize any moral duty or responsibility.

Why did Oscar Wilde most likely use stock characters such as dandies in his works? A. to contribute to the development of stock characters B. to attack the fake morality and superficiality of Victorian society C. to demonstrate that he was a unique playwright D. to earn a place for himself in high society

B. to attack the fake morality and superficiality of Victorian society

Which Victorian attitude does this passage highlight? A. disgust at the rampant state of poor health in their society B. nosiness about what is going on in other people's lives C. concern for personal convenience over others' experiences D. preoccupation with the need to complete tasks dutifully

C. Concern for personal convenience over others' experiences

Which description best matches the character Algernon in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest? A. sophisticated with strong morals B. powerful, conservative, and arrogant C. self-absorbed, witty, and sincere D. respected and admired by others

C. Self-absorbed, witty, and sincere

What is the main theme of the play The Importance of Being Earnest? the triviality of the lower classes the plight of theater actors, who were mostly from the lower classes the importance people place on wealth and status over love the importance of the institution of marriage

C. The importance people place on wealth and status over love Explanation: Ideas about wealth and status outweighing love occur throughout the play. For example, Lady Bracknell is not in favor of Algernon and Cecily's marriage alliance until she discovers that Cecily will soon inherit a fortune.

When you read The Importance of Being Earnest, you may come across many unfamiliar words. This table lists some of the words in the play that may not be familiar to you. To determine their meanings, note how they are used in context. Then match the words from the table to their definition. You can consult a dictionary or other reference guide if the meaning isn't clear from the context. Tiles impetuous quixotic equanimity recumbent expurgations superciliously sententiously indecorous Pairs Definition Word lying down unacceptable or improper the editing or deletion of parts of works that may be offensive the state of being calm and composed even under stress without respect, in a sneering manner acting on impulse and without much thinking expressing strongly and tersely, in a moralizing way unrealistic and impractical

Explanation: impetuous—acting on impulse and without much thinking quixotic—unrealistic and impractical equanimity—the state of being calm and composed even under stress recumbent—lying down expurgations—edits to or deletion of parts of works that maybe offensive superciliously—without respect, in a sneering manner sententiously—expressing strongly and tersely, in a moralizing way indecorous—unacceptable or improper

Read this excerpt from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and complete the sentences that follow. JACK: Gwendolen, will you marry me? (Goes on his knees.) GWENDOLEN: Of course I will, darling. How long you have been about it! I am afraid you have had very little experience in how to propose. JACK: My own one, I have never loved any one in the world but you. GWENDOLEN: Yes, but men often propose for practice. I know my brother Gerald does. All my girl-friends tell me so. What wonderfully blue eyes you have, Ernest! They are quite, quite, blue. I hope you will always look at me just like that, especially when there are other people present. Gwendolen portrays Victorian qualities of being . Gwendolen's lines imply that her brother is .

Gwendolen portrays Victorian qualities of being superficial. Gwendolen's lines imply that her brother is flirtacious.

Read the following statement: Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest is a harsh critique of Victorian society and encourages citizens to change their ways. Evaluate whether this statement is true or false. Use support from the lesson you've read, text from the play, and your own knowledge.

If you agree that The Importance of Being Earnest is a harsh critique of Victorian society, you might have included one or more of these points in your response: Oscar Wilde openly challenged Victorian norms and beliefs, and his plays reflected unconventional views and individualism. In general, Victorian authors often engaged in social commentary and sought to examine people's behaviors and attitudes. Reform was a favorite topic of the time. It was not unusual for Victorian writers to offer motivation or suggestions for social change. The play as a whole has the characteristics of a satire. Wilde uses wit and irony repeatedly to mock hypocrisy, shallowness, and the tendency to value outward appearances more than substance and material possessions more than love. If you disagree that The Importance of Being Earnest is a harsh critique of Victorian society, you might have included one or more of these points in your response: Oscar Wilde was a proponent of aestheticism, a movement based on the idea of "art for art's sake" (without other purposes). Like other plays of the comedy of manners genre, The Importance of Being Earnest has a lighthearted tone. Wilde uses irony, sarcasm, and satire, but the effect of these devices in the play is amusing and entertaining, rather than thought-provoking. The play does not create a sense of bitterness or revulsion in the audience. None of the characters in the play is repulsive enough to make the behavior Wilde satirizes seem strongly undesirable. The play seems to present hypocrisy and shallowness as natural, pervasive weaknesses rather than seriously harmful traits that society must struggle to overcome. None of the characters in the play challenges or demonstrates a remedial alternative to the kind of behavior Wilde satirizes. The play does not demonstrate any serious negative consequences of the traits that Wilde satirizes. On the contrary, its flawed stock characters attain their goals. The play seems to mock the very notion of propriety rather than to suggest what is proper or improper.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1854. He moved to London. As an author, he did not limit himself to writing plays. He also wrote reviews, edited a women's magazine, published a collection of poetry and children's stories, and wrote a novel. He openly challenged conventional Victorian beliefs about gender, dress, and public behavior.

Match each literary device to its definition. pun the use of humor and exaggeration to mock or criticize people's impractical thoughts and practices irony the use of words in a way that conveys the opposite of what they mean paradox the use of a word with more than one possible meaning with the intention of creating humor satire ideas or concepts that seem absurd or contradictory but are nevertheless true

Pun: he use of a word with more than one possible meaning with the intention of creating humor irony: the use of words in a way that conveys the opposite of what they mean paradox: ideas or concepts that seem absurd or contradictory but are nevertheless true satire: the use of humor and exaggeration to mock or criticize people's impractical thoughts and practices

Match the character traits to the character names. Tiles Jack Worthing Algernon Moncrieff Cecily Cardew Gwendolen Fairfax Lady Bracknell Pairs Traits Characters believes that style is more important than sincerity leads a double life a cunning, snobbish, and dominating woman extremely imaginative and lives in a fantasy world of her own a dandy

believes that style is more important than sincerity: Gwendolen Fairfax leads a double life: Jack Worthing a cunning, snobbish, and dominating woman: Lady Bracknell extremely imaginative and lives in a fantasy world of her own:Cecily Cardew a dandy: Algeron Moncrieff