The Importance of being Earnest Act One revision PDF

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Summary

Quotations alongside interpretations for exam practice. ...

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The Importance of being Earnest (Act One)

Marriage

Love

Earnestness

Richard Foster – “Real values are subverted.”

Critics Quotation (1)

“Is marriage so demoralising as that?” “That was in consequence of a misunderstanding between myself and a young person.”

Explanation

Social Class

“The way you flirt with Gwendolen is perfectly disgraceful. It is almost as bad as the way Gwendolen flirts with you.”

“You look as if your name was Ernest. You are the most Ernestlooking person I ever saw in my life.”

Here, Algernon is suggesting that marriage and love are not synonymous. They cannot exist together, because marriage is “demoralising.”, there is no love in marriage for the upper classes. This is satirising the Victorian ideals of the period. Also, this highlights the importance of gender, as the female is also active during the courting process, which is “perfectly disgraceful.” For the period. However, the males flirting is “almost” as bad as the females, suggesting how out of place Gwendolen’s actions t l Th

Algernon is here hyperbolising the situation, and playing in the fancy which has been created. The importance of Earnest uses the idea as a paradox, as to be Earnest one must be serious, or sincere, things which ‘earnest’/ Jack is not, due to the lies he has told, alongside Algernon. Furthermore, Algernon’s mockery is ironic, as he two begins to do the same, in bunburing. We can see homosexual subtext into many of the lines for example: "Nothing ill i d t t

“Really if the lower orders don’t set us a good example, what are earth is the use of them? They seem as a class to have absolutely no sense of moral responsibility.” Ironic. The upper classes in Victorian England often Viewed themselves as superior to the lower classes, therefore to suggest that they are the ones who should set examples presenting the idea of the façade of the upper classes. This also emphasises the idea that Algernon believes the lower classes have a better sense of morality, in comparison to the upper classes, however, he has no problem with the hypocrisy....