In ôThe Importance of Being Earnestö
Irony reflects a disparity between what one says and what one means, or in some cases between what one appears to be and what one truly is. In ôThe Importance of Being Earnest,ö Oscar Wilde uses the irony in identity not only as a humorous plot device but also as a vehicle for commenting on morality. The entire plot is a tissue of deceptions concerning both identity(who one is(and character(the values one lives by.
As a plot device, irony enables Wilde to create a colorful plot in which the characters lead double lives and find themselves in sticky situations, trapped by their own false stories. Jack (who is always pretending to rescue his imaginary brother Earnest) and Algernon (who is always attending to the imaginary ailing Bunbury) both ironically pretend to rush to the assistance of their invented counterparts. They actually use the ôrescues,ö however, as an excuse to indulge in wild living without being detected by those to whom they want to appear moral.
As a vehicle for commenting on morality, irony is extremely effective; the contrast between what one is and what one pretends to be highlights the sharp polarity between the charactersÆ facades and their true natures. JackÆs character is saturated in irony, since he has named his alter ego ôEarnest,ö which means sincere, honest, and up-front. Yet Jack is insincere, dishonest, and crafty.
Where the irony of identity crosses the irony of plot device, the play becomes irresistibly hilarious. JackÆs frequent mention of Earnest to the woman he loves, Gwendolen, inspires interest and attraction in her to the imaginary Earnest, based primarily on what his name represents. When Algernon poses as Earnest, he falls in love with Cecily. Since both Gwendolen and Cecily make it clear that they are only interested in marrying a man named ôEarnest,ö both men decide to be christened with that name. In th
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