Manfred Pfister

Gute und viele Bereiche abdeckende Einführung in Dramentheorie. Mit vielen Beispielen, Diskussionspunkten und Ausblicken. Ein Standardwerk.

The importance of being earnest is a funny play in three acts that deals with stereotypes and contradicts upper society.

In Shakespeares drama „Romeo and Juliet“, Juliet said: „What' s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.“ In the play „The importance of being Earnest“ by Oscar Wilde you will learn that the right name is everything.
John Worthing falls in love with the sweet and charming Gwendolin. The only obstacle between them is her mother Lady Bracknell and the fact, that he has told Gwendolin his name is Ernest. It' s a name he invented for his imaginary younger brother. And that' s the start of the misunderstandings to come. Gwendolin is quite aware of the fact, that he is deeply in love with her, and she is willing to marry him, because of the name Ernest. „It produces vibrations.“
Algernon a friend of John falls in love with the eighteen year aunt of John Cecily. When he meets her, he introduces himself as Ernest. And of course she is in love with Ernest.
Oscar Wilde' s (1854- 1900) play was on stage in 1895. At this very time he was in jail for two years because of homosexual offences. He was released two years later and went two france, where he died bankrupt and weakend in 1900. His flamboyant lifestyle made him very popular but a a lot of people where hostile towards him.
In this play Wilde shows the hyprocrisis and triviality of the upper class in Victorian England and he also deals with the sterotypes of men and women. In almost every sentence you will find his fine humour. „To lose one parent...may be regarded as a misfortune, to lose both looks like carelessness; If the lower oders don' t set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them?; ..by persistently remaining single, a man converts himself into a permanent public temptation; ...a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing.“
It is really fun to read this short play and everytime you will read it, you will find something new to laugh and think about. The story develops to a fantastic and well written end. „The importance of being Earnest“ is really a masterpiece in every way.

Eines von Wildes besten Werken. Ein Must-have!