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The Importance Of Being Earnest Satire Essay

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The play “The Importance of Being Earnest” written by Oscar Wilde was first performed on February 14, 1895, in London. In the play, Algernon falls for Cecily and Cecily falls for Algernon because Algernon is a bunburyist under the name of Ernest which Cecily really adores. Meanwhile, Jack ends up falling for Algernons cousin, Gwendeloyn, also under the name of Ernest. Later, we learn Jack was left abandoned as a child in a handbag at a train station by Ms. Prism who is a teacher of Cecily. Subsequently, in an attempt to break the burbury acts, Algernon shows up in a grieving uniform stating bunbury has passed away to which Algernon finds out Jack has taken the role of Algernons dead brother. TRANSITION, Jack finds out his real name is Ernest …show more content…

As an illustration, Algernon says when he dies out with his aunt Augusta there are always 2 spots he is put in and one of them is a table where a wife flirts too much, “The amount of women in London who flirt with their own husband is perfectly scandalous. It looks so bad. It is simply washing ones clean line in public (7).” This shows verbal irony in inverted expectations by saying the opposite of what society does and what life is like because love is unstoppable. Specifically, Cecily sees Algernon as Jacks brother and Algernon seems quite different in the way he is acting and Cecily suspects, “I hope you have not been leading a double life pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time (24).” This represents verbal irony because Algernon has been living a double life by being a bunburyist. As evidenced, Jack finds out his name really is Ernest and feels ashamed for his life, “Gwendolyn it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth (54).” This shows verbal irony because Jack really is Ernest and was not lying all his life. The way Oscar Wilde incorporates verbal irony and inverted expectations is through humorous and sincere styles. Oscar Wildes verbal irony is used exquisitely. Moreover, the misplaced value really demonstrates all throughout the

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