Farcical Elements in Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest

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Introduction

“The play, though extremely funny, was essentially hateful", observes G. B. Shaw, a renowned essayist. His hatred against the play The Importance of Being Earnest is largely based on its farcical illustration. A farce is a literary genre and a sub-category of comedy that is aimed at making people laugh through exaggerated statements as well as actions of the characters in a play. Its origins span over the times of Aristophanes, a famous Greek comic playwright. The Importance of Being Earnest is a farcical play because of the misinterpreted identities and mockery of the upper class, not to mention some absurdities in the characters as well.

False Identities

Jack is Ernest and Algernon is Ernest as well but who is the true E[a]rnest? The question remains unanswered. Jack and Algernon, through their false identities, want to impress their love upon Gwendolen and Cecily respectively because these rich ladies are farcically obsessed with the name Earnest. For Gwendolen, Ernest is "a divine name" and sings its own music while Cecily has a childish desire to marry someone whose name is Ernest. Their love for the fictitious people is superficial as both Ernests are reputed for being wicked as well as invalid (ill). When their true identities are revealed before their beloveds, Gwendolen and Cecily show their excessive detainment for the two but the ladies give up when their lovers' love is proven. So, The Importance of Being Earnest checks the first box of being a farcical comedy through the false identities of Jack and Algernon.

Mockery of the Upper Class

During the rapid industrial growth in the Victorian Era, the social structure was divided into three major classes. The upper class which possessed social privileges, including honour and did not observe any manual or laborious work. On the flip side, people of the middle class as well as the lower class earned their bread through manual work and they did not enjoy the same amount of social prestige as compared to the upper class.

The mentality of the upper class is mocked through the character of Lady Bracknell in this play. Lady Bracknell selects the husband for her daughter based on his cash, character and class [three Cs, remember?]. Another example as a mockery can be quoted from Cecily who considers herself betrothed (engaged) with Ernest without seeing and knowing about the particular person (Algernon, in this case) and she has purchased an engagement ring on the behalf of that "invalid" Ernest.

Absurdities

A Farse is incomplete without addition of absurdities in it. An absurd action is that type of action which is "Inconsistent with reason, logic or common sense" [WordWeb Dictionary] which makes people laugh with noise. The Importance of Being Earnest is teaming up with many absurd examples. For instance, Algernon, an aristocrat, cries his bankruptcy resulting after his ostentative parties. Jack is ridiculously serious that he looks "sick". But the most flagship level of absurdity is shown by Miss Prism who not only leaves her three-volume long novel in a pram but also leaves her baby in her [large] handbag in a railway. Such level of absurdity not only make us laugh but also give s many reasons to point our fingers at the absurd values found in the Victorian society.

Conclusion

Farcical plays are far from realities. The events presented in these plays are hardly seen in actual life. For example, Jack's surname turns out to be Ernest at the end of the play, so as the Algernon's, which is what both girls want their lovers to be. Though The Importance of Being Earnest is a fantastic farse but its farcical elements play a key role in signifying the satirical pen-picture of the prestigious Victorian Society.

References, Sources and Suggested Readings

The Importance of Being Earnest as Farcical and Satirical Comedy Essay. (2016, Oct 17). Retrieved from

https://graduateway.com/the-importance-of-being-earnest-as-farcical-and-satirical-comedy/