Algernon is a comic for a contemporary audience because of his dandyism, his pleasure in self-satisfaction, his inverted morality and his double life. Wilde presents Algernon as a dandy more concerned with style than substance; indeed, Algernon's nature can be seen through Algernon's house, which is described in the opening set pieces as an extravagant "luxuriously and artistically furnished" setting. Algernon also displays a lack of concern for formality and correctness, reflected by the way he responded to Lane's polite criticisms of Algernon's piano playing ability. Algernon claimed that feeling was his strong point and that he "kept science for life", showing his artistic flair and nonchalance as well as his belief that expression and feeling are far more important things. Algernon's excessive concern with being stylish and fashionable could also be seen through his concern with the specific clothing requirements for his false identity, Bunbury, in Act 1, where he asks Lane to put on his formal clothes, his tuxedo jacket and Bunbury suits. Algernon's dandyism can also be seen in the way he places special importance on trivial things such as his leisurely pastime of drinking champagne and eating in Act 1. This can be demonstrated by the way he eats cucumber sandwiches before Lady Bracknell arrives and decides to eat again after her. leaves. Algernon is therefore recognizable to the public of the Victorian era because of his wealth and his idea of ​​having "art for art's sake", a slogan associated with the aesthetic movement, which opposed Victorian moralism, this which makes him a good character to make fun of since he was created. superficial and superficial. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Furthermore, Algernon is presented as a figure who enjoys indulgence and self-satisfaction. In Act 1, Algernon's desires for food are visible. Jack comments that Algernon is "eating as usual" and Algernon responds by saying that it is "customary in polite society to take light refreshment at 5 p.m.". When Jack is looking for cucumber sandwiches, Algernon stops him and eats them pretending they are for his Aunt Augusta. When all the sandwiches were eaten, Algernon told his aunt that the store was out of cucumbers. After he leaves, Algernon decides to go out to dinner. This shows how food is a symbol of self-satisfaction in the play, the idea that food must be eaten to be stylish also shows how Algernon must satisfy his desire to do something that is quintessentially English. The food he eats is also called "reckless extravagance" according to Jack. Algernon is recognizable to Victorian audiences since food was seen as a sign of class and wealth, but it is comical due to its satirical nature and antithetical to Victorian ideals of virtue and modesty. Algernon is also portrayed as a character with inverted morals and ideas about marriage. According to him, it is romantic to be in love but "there is nothing romantic about a definitive proposal" and when "the excitement has passed", "the very essence of romance is uncertainty". Algernon trivializes marriage while Victorians generally view marriage very seriously, reflecting an inversion of Victorian ideals in the play. He also promotes the idea of ​​affairs and infidelity by saying, "Three is companionship and two is nothing." suggesting that the ideas of loyalty and honor areinsignificant. His cynicism towards love and marriage is reflected in his bachelor lifestyle and the reference to champagne in Act 1, that "in married households champagne is rarely of a first-rate brand" . He also mentions "divorce courts" and says he views relationships as "just a bunch of boring people." Algernon's character is comical because serious things are trivialized and trivial things become very serious and important to him. Therefore, Victorians may laugh about it, but the play is very sarcastic, satirical and essentially mocks Victorian ideals and morals. In a historical context, Algernon is recognizable to Victorian audiences as a dandy figure. A dandy is a young man who is very conscious of his clothes and appearance and is often in the position of an upper-class man. When Wilde wrote the play, it was during the era of the Aesthetic Movement, Wilde introduced the idea of ​​"art for art's sake" through Algernon. Algernon's apartment is described in the opening scene as "luxuriously and artistically furnished", which suggests wealth and superficiality, as well as the extravagant lives of Algernon and the Victorian upper class. This also foreshadows how Wilde will use this play to satirize the unrealistic values ​​and morals of the upper class. Wilde was heavily influenced by the aesthetes of the time and the way Algernon states that "anyone can play [the piano] with precision but I play with wonderful expression...feeling is my strong point" complements this idea. . Algernon's use of the nouns "expression" and "feeling" shows that Algernon's belief in art is more important as an extension of artistic styles than as an accurate representation of reality. The "afternoon tea" hosted by Lane symbolizes the leisure and idleness of the upper classes and also emphasizes that Algernon clearly favors style over substance. He recognizes no duty other than to live a good life, create comedy, and also mock Victorian views on trivial matters such as appearances. This is perfect to be played by a dandified character. Second, Algernon is also recognizable to Victorian audiences as a figure of self-righteousness. Algernon belongs to the upper classes, which will allow the audience of the time to identify very well. He is rich and spends his time and money on trivial things like appearance and style, which seem very important to him. In the opening scene, Algernon asked Lane if he had prepared "the cut cucumber sandwiches for Lady Bracknell", then finished them before Lady Bracknell arrived. This shows his self-satisfaction and also the fact that he is greedy. The use of "cucumber sandwiches" represents bathos, as this seems to be the peak of Algernon's life - which is probably the life of the upper classes at the time, idle and recreational. Algernon "takes two" sandwiches in the opening scene right after Lane "hands them [Algernon] back on a platter" also shows his self-satisfaction, this seems to suggest that he did not ask Lane to prepare them at Because of Lady Bracknell, he seems to have it done himself. Later in the first act, where Algernon "[picks] up an empty plate in horror" and shouts, "Good God! Way! Why are there no cucumber sandwiches? I ordered them special” seems to go against Victorian ideals of virtue and modesty; dramatic irony is also used here, as the audience knows he has completed them all. “Cucumber sandwiches” are also a symbolof food and suggest euphhuism about sex and lust. Food and gluttony suggest and replace other appetites and indulgences. Wilde uses Algernon and symbolism to satirize these overly exaggerated and unfavorable values. Third, Wilde also uses Algernon to describe the inversion of Victorian ideals about marriage and Victorian morality in general. Algernon commented on marriage saying that it is "very romantic to be in love but there is nothing romantic about a final proposal." He suggests that only chasing and flirting is interesting and romantic in a relationship, once people decide on marriage it is no longer about love. At the time, the Victorians took marriage very seriously, however, Wilde uses Algernon to create comedy and to trivialize and satirize the Victorian attitude towards marriage. This is very relevant to Wilde's life, as Wilde had extramarital affairs and he comments on the values ​​and purpose of marriage - he seems to suggest that it was appropriate behavior to have extramarital affairs. Algernon reverses the expression "two is business, three is a crowd" into "three is business and two is nothing", this promotes the idea of ​​infidelity because it is a hidden convention of having extramarital affairs at the time, this contrasts with the idea that Victorians were conservative and strict. to their morals. Another example of inversion in the play is when Lady Bracknell usurps the role of the father by interviewing Jack, as this was usually the father's task. The inversions in the play are used by Wilde to create comedy, as serious things are trivialized and trivial things become serious. This is also complemented at the beginning of the play: “A trivial comedy for serious people” – this seems to act as a warning and is a complete contrast to what is happening in the play. Algernon is described as representing a feminine trait; this suggests Wilde's own sexuality and the double lives that Algernon and Wilde led. Wilde was homosexual and was imprisoned in 1895. Before that, he had extramarital affairs with Lord Alfred Douglas and some other men while married. His wife was pregnant with their second child when he had these affairs. Through The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde portrays the two different characters and lives he lived through Algernon and Jack. Both Algernon and "Ernest" live double lives: Algernon has an imaginary friend named Mr. Bunbury and "Ernest" has an imaginary brother named Jack. As defined by Algernon, bunburying is the practice of creating an elaborate deception that allows a person to behave badly while appearing to uphold the highest standards of duty and responsibility. This is particularly reflected in the way Algernon and "Ernest" escape their social and moral obligations by using the identities of Mr. Bunbury and Jack, but these identities allow them to appear much more responsible than they actually are. . Using the word "Bunbury" and using it regularly as a noun, verb and adjective presents Algernon as a stupid, unintelligent upper class man - this is slightly ironic since the upper class should be more educated and therefore more intelligent. An inversion of expectations creates comedy and manifests itself in the relationship between Algernon and Lane, this is particularly evident when Algernon does not seem excessively bothered by Lane drinking champagne: "Why...do the servants invariably drink the champagne?" I'm just asking for information. And Lane doesn't seem to be ashamed and the audience can interpret Lane's experience into.