Theme Of Deception In Romeo And Juliet

Between Romeo & Juliet and The Importance of Being Earnest, deception is a common theme, whether it be deception of others or of self. Throughout the entirety of these dramas, the plot is carried forward by the deceptions made by the main characters, even towards each other. There are many differences between the two plays, including the end results of each deception, the reasons behind the deceptions, and the opinions and reactions caused by them, but there are also similarities. Like with any two stories there are comparable and contrasting elements, but there is a shared theme of deception. In The Importance of Being Earnest, the main characters, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, are both revealed to be leading double lives, and

In The Importance of Being Earnest, the reasons can definitely be described as selfish, but similarly, so can Romeo and Juliet. In Earnest, deception’s main use is for the character to be able to get away temporarily from the life they are living. It doesn’t hurt anyone, and it was made while the characters were thinking of no one but themselves. In Romeo and Juliet, the characters motivations were also selfish. They thought they were in love and wanted to be together, despite knowing that the obstacles in place would affect more than just themselves. It was rushed and overdramatic. In this way the story is similar: in both, the characters think nothing of other people when making

In The Importance of Being Earnest, Algernon, and also Jack to some extent, are proud that they have pulled off these deceptions. Algernon even boasts it. In fact, at the end of the play, when Jack discovers that his real name is actually Ernest, and that he has not been lying, he is disappointed. In Act III, Part 2, Jack says “It is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth.” This is not the mindset in Romeo and Juliet. The characters know that if they are discovered, they will not receive the reception they want from their family, and will probably be disowned. I suppose they do experience a bit of a thrill about it, going against their parent’s wishes and rebelling, but overall they know that getting married is a risk, and none of the other involved parties enjoy being in the deception. In Earnest, the theme of deception is approached in a more comical way, and therefore the opinions of the characters mirror that. Furthermore, the same goes for Romeo and Juliet, except in a more serious