10 Importance - Terms and Techniques

Importance - Terms and Techniques

Key Terms

A collection of new terms you need to use when talking about The Importance of Being Earnest.

Comedy of Manners

A text that focuses on social commentary and critique. The techniques are more verbal rather than physical (like slapstick). There is an emphasis on wit and character interactions. The characters are often basic and represent different aspects of society (the bossy and snobby older lady, the young romantic and innocent girl, the deceitful and lazy bachelor). Eg. Pride and Prejudice.

Multiple Choice

In a comedy of manners, the characters are likely to be stereotypes.

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

A comedy of manners will focus on lots of physical fighting and violence.

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

A comedy of manners will teach you something about the society it focuses on.

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Which of the following does NOT appear in a comedy of manners?

• Death and serious problems.

• Ridiculous situations.

• Criticism of the society.

• Wit

Snobbery

People in the play are upper class. When you become obsessed with class and status and look down on those who are lower class, this is snobbery. Eg. Lady Bracknell rejects Jack because he has no family connections.

Romantic Stories

A romance is a traditional story that is about a man pursuing a woman and wooing her. Wooing is when a man tries to win the love and affection of a woman. There are often trials and difficulties that the man has to overcome to win the girl. The ending is often marriage and "happily ever after." Like a fairy tale.

Social Status

A person's position or importance in relation to other people within a society. In Victorian England, it was based on your class which was often determined by the family you were born into.

Arranged Marriages

Rich people in Victorian England would arrange marriages for their children. Often the marriages were arranged based on social status. Sometimes, people would "marry up" meaning they would marry someone who would raise their social status. Rich women would rarely "marry down." This is part of the reason Lady Bracknell rejects Jack.

Multiple Choice

What determined your social status in Victorian England?

• Income

• Birth family.

• Occupation

• Address

Open Ended

In what ways is our society different from Victorian England?

Etiquette

A series of rules and expectations that controlled the way people behaved. Etiquette was highly valued in Victorian Society. An example in the play is Algy getting Lady Bracknell to leave the room so that Jack can propose. It was against etiquette to leave a single man and woman alone together in a room.

Superficial

Technically means that something is on the surface or not very deep. When people are concerned about shallow and unimportant things. Eg. Gwendolen is obsessed with Jack's first name.
Eg. When Miss Prism gets her bag back at the end and is only focused on having it back and not realising why Jack had the bag.

Trivialising

When something important is made unimportant. This is a major criticism that Wilde has of upper class Victorian society. They place a lot of importance on things that are silly and unimportant. Wilde often juxtaposes important and trivial things.
Eg. Cecily in her diary 'To-day I broke off my engagement with Ernest. I feel it is better to do so. The weather still continues charming.'

Social Commentary / Critique

When an author or playwright criticises or points out the strengths and weaknesses of a particular society. Wilde is commenting on his own Victorian society. Critique tends to be a more negative and critical type of commentary.

Multiple Choice

Which if the following is NOT trivial?

• Fashion

• Choosing a person to marry.

• The colour of a person's hair.

• The weather.

Open Ended

Check through your notes and the quotes from the play. What is another example of the characters being superficial or trivial?

Techniques

How does Oscar Wilde create humour and satire in the play?

Satire

Criticising something through comedy and mockery. Not preaching. Not just slapstick or entertaining comedy. Satire is usually aimed at people in power. It is often a type of social commentary.

Dramatic Irony

In a play, the audience can see the significance of something that the characters cannot see. The significance is often the opposite of what the character thinks. Eg. Lady B saying that Algernon could never be untruthful when we know that he is constantly untruthful.
Eg. Gwendolen being excited about the name Ernest when we know that it is not his real name.

Juxtaposition

Placing two things side by side. It usually involves putting two things together that are very different in order to create contrast and humour.
Eg. Cecily: They have been eating muffins. That looks like repentance.

Contrived Situations

Ridiculous and unbelievable situations that rely on massive coincidences. These are an example of situation comedy (where we get the word sit-com). These help to create humour and add to the absurd nature of the play.

Reversal of Expectations

Wilde will often subvert our expectations by reversing what we expect. He will substitute something that is the opposite of what we expect to surprise us. This can also be used to show how the characters have strange priorities.
"Divorces are made in Heaven."

Witty Dialogue

Dialogue is when two people are talking back and forth. Wit is brief, insightful and humorous commentary. Using a quick Reversal of Expectations is a type of wit. Wit is usually cutting and brief.
LB: Never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon. Only people who can’t get into it do that.

Epigrams

A pithy (short) saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way. They are often insightful.

Eg. ALGERNON. All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his.

Farce

A type of comedy that focuses on buffoonery, crude characterisation and ridiculous situations. Buffoonery is behaviour that is ridiculous but amusing. Crude characterisation is when the characters in a play are not very complex or deep. This play is occasionally farcical, but it is more focused on wit and the comedy of manners.
Eg of farce: Jack and Algy fighting over muffins.

Multiple Choice

Cecily is Jack's

• Aunt

• Ward

• Cousin

• Girlfriend

Multiple Choice

Gwendoolen is primarly interested in Jack because

• Her mother would disapprove

• She thought it was romatic that he was found in a handbag.

• He has a lot of money and can up her social status

• His name is Ernest.

Multiple Choice

Bunbury is

• Algy's friend who is always ill.

• Jack's friend who is always in trouble.

• Algernon's friend who is always in trouble.

• A suit that is competing for Gwendolen's hand in marriage.

Multiple Choice

What aspect is Lady Bracknell horrifed about when it comes to Jack?

• He is ignorant

• He smokes

• He was found in a handbag

• He does not own enough property

Multiple Choice

When Jack returns to his country estate, he is wearing:

• Mourning clothes

• His best tea party attire

• Fancy clothes for the theatre

• Work clothes for the farm

Multiple Choice

Algernon and Jack both make plans to...

• Win over Lady Bracknell

• Leave town and never return

• Be christened by Dr Chasuble

• Attend a dinner party at Lady Bracknell's Country Estate

Multiple Choice

Jack finds out at the end of the play that

• His real name is Ernest, after all.

• His mother is Miss Prism

• Lady Bracknell is his sister

• He is engaged to a wealthy woman named Rose and has a ticket on the Titanic.