The mood of The Importance of Being Earnest is funny and playful, and the majority of the play's humor derives from Oscar Wilde creating absurd situations and then having his characters react in similarly absurd ways.
Most of this comedy comes through dialogue, but there are a few moments of physical comedy, most of which involve the excessive consumption of food: Algernon stuffing his face with cucumber sandwiches, Cecily dumping sugar cubes into Gwendolen's tea, or Jack and Algernon fighting over muffins. These moments contribute to the play's comical mood while also signaling to the audience that the characters they are watching may be excessive or indulgent in other ways.
The mood of The Importance of Being Earnest is also frequently tense. There are many moments of dramatic irony, in which the audience is always waiting for the other shoe to drop or for Jack and Algernon's true identities to be revealed. Humor usually occurs in moments of tension followed by relief, such as this exchange in Act 1, Part 2:
Lady Bracknell: I have always been of the opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing. Which do you know?
Jack: [After some hesitation] I know nothing, Lady Bracknell.
Lady Bracknell: I am pleased to hear it.
The tension rises as both Jack and the audience struggle to determine what Lady Bracknell wants to hear and is relieved when Jack answers correctly. Another moment of tension followed by relief occurs in Act 2, Part 1, during Miss Prism's conversation with Dr. Chasuble:
Miss Prism: That depends on the intellectual sympathies of the woman. Maturity can always be depended on. Ripeness can be trusted. Young women are green. [Dr. Chasuble starts.] I spoke horticulturally. My metaphor was drawn from fruits. But where is Cecily?
Chasuble: Perhaps she followed us to the schools.
The audience is waiting for Miss Prism's suggestive metaphor to lead to a moment of intimacy between these two characters, who at this point are alone onstage together, but Miss Prism abruptly changes the subject and shatters the sexual tension.
Humor also occurs in moments of relief that are followed by tension, like when Lady Bracknell interrupts the embracing couples in Act 3, Part 1:
[Enter Merriman. When he enters he coughs loudly, seeing the situation.]
Merriman: Ahem! Ahem! Lady Bracknell!
Jack: Good Heavens!
[Enter Lady Bracknell. The couples separate in alarm. Exit Merriman.]
At the very end end of the play, the mood is somewhat suspenseful, with details about Jack's parentage and name being revealed at an almost painstaking pace. In Act 3, Part 2, while Jack searches frantically for the handbag that will resolve the question of his identity, Gwendolen comments on the mood:
Gwendolen: This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.
A happy resolution is nigh for the characters, but Wilde wishes to delay it for a while longer so that he can continue to entertain his audience.
The mood of The Importance of Being Earnest is funny and playful, and the majority of the play's humor derives from Oscar Wilde creating absurd situations and then having his characters react in similarly absurd ways.
Most of this comedy comes through dialogue, but there are a few moments of physical comedy, most of which involve the excessive consumption of food: Algernon stuffing his face with cucumber sandwiches, Cecily dumping sugar cubes into Gwendolen's tea, or Jack and Algernon fighting over muffins. These moments contribute to the play's comical mood while also signaling to the audience that the characters they are watching may be excessive or indulgent in other ways.
The mood of The Importance of Being Earnest is also frequently tense. There are many moments of dramatic irony, in which the audience is always waiting for the other shoe to drop or for Jack and Algernon's true identities to be revealed. Humor usually occurs in moments of tension followed by relief, such as this exchange in Act 1, Part 2:
Lady Bracknell: I have always been of the opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing. Which do you know?
Jack: [After some hesitation] I know nothing, Lady Bracknell.
Lady Bracknell: I am pleased to hear it.
The tension rises as both Jack and the audience struggle to determine what Lady Bracknell wants to hear and is relieved when Jack answers correctly. Another moment of tension followed by relief occurs in Act 2, Part 1, during Miss Prism's conversation with Dr. Chasuble:
Miss Prism: That depends on the intellectual sympathies of the woman. Maturity can always be depended on. Ripeness can be trusted. Young women are green. [Dr. Chasuble starts.] I spoke horticulturally. My metaphor was drawn from fruits. But where is Cecily?
Chasuble: Perhaps she followed us to the schools.
The audience is waiting for Miss Prism's suggestive metaphor to lead to a moment of intimacy between these two characters, who at this point are alone onstage together, but Miss Prism abruptly changes the subject and shatters the sexual tension.
Humor also occurs in moments of relief that are followed by tension, like when Lady Bracknell interrupts the embracing couples in Act 3, Part 1:
[Enter Merriman. When he enters he coughs loudly, seeing the situation.]
Merriman: Ahem! Ahem! Lady Bracknell!
Jack: Good Heavens!
[Enter Lady Bracknell. The couples separate in alarm. Exit Merriman.]
At the very end end of the play, the mood is somewhat suspenseful, with details about Jack's parentage and name being revealed at an almost painstaking pace. In Act 3, Part 2, while Jack searches frantically for the handbag that will resolve the question of his identity, Gwendolen comments on the mood:
Gwendolen: This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.
A happy resolution is nigh for the characters, but Wilde wishes to delay it for a while longer so that he can continue to entertain his audience.
The mood of The Importance of Being Earnest is funny and playful, and the majority of the play's humor derives from Oscar Wilde creating absurd situations and then having his characters react in similarly absurd ways.
Most of this comedy comes through dialogue, but there are a few moments of physical comedy, most of which involve the excessive consumption of food: Algernon stuffing his face with cucumber sandwiches, Cecily dumping sugar cubes into Gwendolen's tea, or Jack and Algernon fighting over muffins. These moments contribute to the play's comical mood while also signaling to the audience that the characters they are watching may be excessive or indulgent in other ways.
The mood of The Importance of Being Earnest is also frequently tense. There are many moments of dramatic irony, in which the audience is always waiting for the other shoe to drop or for Jack and Algernon's true identities to be revealed. Humor usually occurs in moments of tension followed by relief, such as this exchange in Act 1, Part 2:
Lady Bracknell: I have always been of the opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing. Which do you know?
Jack: [After some hesitation] I know nothing, Lady Bracknell.
Lady Bracknell: I am pleased to hear it.
The tension rises as both Jack and the audience struggle to determine what Lady Bracknell wants to hear and is relieved when Jack answers correctly. Another moment of tension followed by relief occurs in Act 2, Part 1, during Miss Prism's conversation with Dr. Chasuble:
Miss Prism: That depends on the intellectual sympathies of the woman. Maturity can always be depended on. Ripeness can be trusted. Young women are green. [Dr. Chasuble starts.] I spoke horticulturally. My metaphor was drawn from fruits. But where is Cecily?
Chasuble: Perhaps she followed us to the schools.
The audience is waiting for Miss Prism's suggestive metaphor to lead to a moment of intimacy between these two characters, who at this point are alone onstage together, but Miss Prism abruptly changes the subject and shatters the sexual tension.
Humor also occurs in moments of relief that are followed by tension, like when Lady Bracknell interrupts the embracing couples in Act 3, Part 1:
[Enter Merriman. When he enters he coughs loudly, seeing the situation.]
Merriman: Ahem! Ahem! Lady Bracknell!
Jack: Good Heavens!
[Enter Lady Bracknell. The couples separate in alarm. Exit Merriman.]
At the very end end of the play, the mood is somewhat suspenseful, with details about Jack's parentage and name being revealed at an almost painstaking pace. In Act 3, Part 2, while Jack searches frantically for the handbag that will resolve the question of his identity, Gwendolen comments on the mood:
Gwendolen: This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.
A happy resolution is nigh for the characters, but Wilde wishes to delay it for a while longer so that he can continue to entertain his audience.
The mood of The Importance of Being Earnest is funny and playful, and the majority of the play's humor derives from Oscar Wilde creating absurd situations and then having his characters react in similarly absurd ways.
Most of this comedy comes through dialogue, but there are a few moments of physical comedy, most of which involve the excessive consumption of food: Algernon stuffing his face with cucumber sandwiches, Cecily dumping sugar cubes into Gwendolen's tea, or Jack and Algernon fighting over muffins. These moments contribute to the play's comical mood while also signaling to the audience that the characters they are watching may be excessive or indulgent in other ways.
The mood of The Importance of Being Earnest is also frequently tense. There are many moments of dramatic irony, in which the audience is always waiting for the other shoe to drop or for Jack and Algernon's true identities to be revealed. Humor usually occurs in moments of tension followed by relief, such as this exchange in Act 1, Part 2:
Lady Bracknell: I have always been of the opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing. Which do you know?
Jack: [After some hesitation] I know nothing, Lady Bracknell.
Lady Bracknell: I am pleased to hear it.
The tension rises as both Jack and the audience struggle to determine what Lady Bracknell wants to hear and is relieved when Jack answers correctly. Another moment of tension followed by relief occurs in Act 2, Part 1, during Miss Prism's conversation with Dr. Chasuble:
Miss Prism: That depends on the intellectual sympathies of the woman. Maturity can always be depended on. Ripeness can be trusted. Young women are green. [Dr. Chasuble starts.] I spoke horticulturally. My metaphor was drawn from fruits. But where is Cecily?
Chasuble: Perhaps she followed us to the schools.
The audience is waiting for Miss Prism's suggestive metaphor to lead to a moment of intimacy between these two characters, who at this point are alone onstage together, but Miss Prism abruptly changes the subject and shatters the sexual tension.
Humor also occurs in moments of relief that are followed by tension, like when Lady Bracknell interrupts the embracing couples in Act 3, Part 1:
[Enter Merriman. When he enters he coughs loudly, seeing the situation.]
Merriman: Ahem! Ahem! Lady Bracknell!
Jack: Good Heavens!
[Enter Lady Bracknell. The couples separate in alarm. Exit Merriman.]
At the very end end of the play, the mood is somewhat suspenseful, with details about Jack's parentage and name being revealed at an almost painstaking pace. In Act 3, Part 2, while Jack searches frantically for the handbag that will resolve the question of his identity, Gwendolen comments on the mood:
Gwendolen: This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.
A happy resolution is nigh for the characters, but Wilde wishes to delay it for a while longer so that he can continue to entertain his audience.
