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  • Essay / The theme of triviality as outlined in "The Importance of Being Serious"

    The interpretation that "we should treat all the trivial things in life seriously, and all the serious things of life with a sincere and studied triviality” applies greatly. the importance of being serious. The Importance of Being Serious is a subversive comedy of manners with the intention of providing a satirical portrait of social and moral conventions and creating humor for the audience. The theme of triviality or lack of seriousness in matters considered of high value in Victorian society is a predominant theme in the play. Therefore, it can be argued that the statement expressed previously applies significantly to the play, particularly in the themes of marriage, identity that are explored throughout the play. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original EssayThe upside-down ideas about marriage in “The Importance of Being Serious” make it clear that “serious” ideas are processed completely and honestly. triviality,” particularly through the exploration of Gwendolen’s attitude toward appearances and marriage. Both Gwendolen and Cecily doubt Algernon and Jack's intentions for their identity change, but they both agree that the "wonderful beauty" of Jack and Algernon's response outweighs their intentions and is sufficiently explicit because “in matters of grave importance, style and not sincerity are essential. the vital thing.” In the same way, it is the “style” of the piece that matters; and this is clearly reflected throughout the book in Algernon's flamboyant way of speaking and his excessive use of flourishing words. This line also easily summarizes the play in a few words, as it explores the importance of appearances in the play and thus describes what values ​​were important in Victorian society. Gwendolen speaks in reference to Wilde's views on the aesthetic movement. For Wilde, what really matters is the superficial or appearance of things: beauty for beauty's sake; therefore, anything that is supposed to be beautiful, romantic and exquisite should be taken literally. For most people in today's society, these views would be juxtaposed with the idea that we should "not judge a book by its cover" and that there is deeper meaning in most things. Thus, the idea that "serious" things in life should be treated with "triviality" is an important theme of the play through the exploration of the appearances involved in marriages and the lack of importance of honesty . Another part of the play where the Theme or Marriage supports the assertion that "we should treat all the trivial things of life with seriousness, and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality", c This is when Lane offers his views on marriage and they are quickly dismissed as unimportant. This is a key theme in the exploration of the many contradictions of values ​​within the Lane play. Lane is seen by his employer; Algernon as a character who should set a good example; one could almost argue that Lane is being used as a scapegoat by Algernon, so that he can justify his views on the irrelevance of marriage and this could further reflect how Victorian society had its appearance so refined that it considered herself almost perfect. and placed all blame on their servants for keeping their records spotless. Lane's view on marriage is considered rather lax regardingthe idea of ​​marriage, as he claims that his marriage was just a "consequence of a misunderstanding" - so we can see that his view on marriage is flippant and dismissive, and he acts as if it was the case. it is not natural to have “only been married once”; this seems to be a social norm for a person in today's society, it creates comedy through the use of elements of comedy of manners, as it seems almost absurd that servants are taken as role models in society. Lane's remark clearly creates humor because the absurdity and surrealism of the statement are expressed with such conviction (as seen in the 1964 television episode of the play directed by Bill Bain, Lane's serious demeanor Lane added even more humor and weight to his commentary) so that it questions and pushes the social boundaries of marriage where many people are led to believe that one marriage is the ideal marriage; no matter how happy he is or how much or little financial gain has resulted. Therefore, the idea that "serious" things in life should be treated with "triviality" is an important theme of the play, and it is explored through the use of the class system and their contrast of status and of attitudes. Identity is another key theme in which the uniqueness and singularity of each person is seen to be treated as unimportant, to the point where honesty has become trivial in the play and the lives of Jack and Algernon become trivial. -plots relating to the lives of their Bunbury which are of utmost importance. interest and therefore of greater importance. It can be clearly seen that Gwendolen and Cecily have no interest in an honest and faithful marriage - instead, they are both interested in their future husband having the name "Ernest" - to the point that it becomes ironic and in some morbid way that this is all they have. intend to concentrate, and they will not agree to marry Jack or Algernon unless they have that name. The play on words is particularly interesting; it could be argued that the play on words emphasizes the different strata of Victorian society; the private sphere and the public sphere, and how a layer (Ernest) was built on deception and lies expressed towards others, and in the private sphere it was possible to meet the "serious" person underneath. On the other hand, we can see that the name relates nicely to the title of the play, "The Importance of Being Earnest" and that the play on words is made more complex, and the reader realizes that for Algernon and Jack, it's important to become "Ernest", but if they were "Serious" from the start, they would never face the problems they did. This situation further shows how important surfaces and appearances were in the Victorian era; and the play rather gives the image that even marriages were not of such importance; they were carried out on the spur of the moment. This is why the idea that "serious" things in life should be treated with "triviality" is an important theme of the play, and this is especially seen through the character's lack of identity and acceptance of this, even its encouragement. On the other hand, it can be argued that this play does not encourage the idea of ​​treating "the trivial things of life with seriousness, and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality", but that rather, it is a morality play with deeper meaning when explored. . This play embodies Victorian society of the time and explores its superficial nature through comedy of manners and farce and through the exploration of characters such as Lady Bracknell.