A criticism of any stupidity or vice in the
form of scathing humor, or a critique of
what the author sees as dangerous
religious, political, moral, or social
standards.
1st Satire: The name of "Ernest"
Got 2 meanings: Name; honesty and
integrity.
Jack Worthing and Algernon change their names
into "Ernest" to confess to the women they love
just because their lovers prefer to be married with
a man called "Ernest".
Ernest=Earnest (to be intellectual, to have deep
thoughts, and to question things such as life.)
When Jack attempts to tell Gwendolen that his name is
really "Jack" and not "Ernest", she replies saying:"......No,
there is very little music in the name Jack, if any at all,
indeed. The only real safe name is Ernest."
Although Gwendolen loves Jack, but she places
greater importance on his name than himself.
Similarly, Cecily also dreams of loving someone called
"Ernest". When Algernon confess his love to her, she replies
saying: " There is something in that name that seems to inspire
absolute confidence. I pity any poor married woman whose
husband is not called "Ernest"."
2nd Satire: The creation of imagery person to run away from hardships.
Jack Worthing create a brother called "Ernest" in the
city that he uses as a "scape goat" to leave his prim,
proper, and respectful country life.
Algernon creates a friend by the name of
"Bunbury" to escape his aunt, Lady Bracknell's
high class society parties.
Algernon states to Jack, "She will place me
next to Mary Farquhar, who always flirts with
her own husband across the dinner table. That
is not very pleasant. It looks so bad. It is simply
washing one's clean linen in public."
3rd Satire: Marriage is not based
on love, but on more vain
superficial criteria.
Gwendolen and Cecily may have refused to
marry the "men of their dreams" if their
names weren't "Ernest".
Women have more passion
in marriage compared to the
men.
In Act Three of the play: When Cecily asks Algernon
if he would wait until she was 35 years old to be
married. Even though Algernon said yes, but Cecily
bluntly tells him she cannot.
Cecily: "......I couldn't wait all the time. I hate
waiting even 5 minutes for anybody. It makes me
rather cross."
"Divorce are made in heaven."
It is ridiculous. The word "divorce"
should be replaced with the word
"Marriage" because the marriage
should be happy as in heaven
instead of divorce.
4th Satire: The upper class people's
attitudes on money or business.
When Algernon explains to Cecily why he has to leave
before Jack returns, he says he has a business
appointment he is anxious to miss. Cecily asks him why
he can't miss it there-why he has to go back to London.
Algernon says because the appointment is in London.
It is nonsense and unbelievable. It
satires the scornful attitude of the upper
class people towards money and
business.
5th Satire: The physical appearance of upper class people
Satire is occurred when Lady
Bracknell's interrogation of Jack: She
asks him if he smokes when Jack
asks her permission to marry
Gwendolen as his wife. Jack says he does.
2 things are satirised: the idleness of the upper
classes-so that even smoking could be seen as an
improvement; the silliness of their ideas about what
constitutes a suitable husband.