EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST BY OSCAR WILDE

EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST BY OSCAR WILDE

Your vanity is ridiculous, your conduct an outrage, and your presence in my garden utterly absurd. However, you have got to catch the four-five, and I hope you will have a pleasant journey back to town.

Your vanity is .......... journey back to town.

REFERENCE
(i) Drama: The Importance of Being Earnest
(ii) Dramatist: Oscar Wilde

CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 2

(ii) Content:

Jack and Algernon are wealthy gentlemen. Jack lives in the country and Algernon dwells in London. Algernon visits Jack's house and introduces to Jack's young ward Cecily as Ernest, the assumed named of Jack. Shortly after, Jack arrives home announcing Ernest's death. Cecily and Gwendolen have a genteel stand-off over which of that has a prior claim on "Ernest". Jack and Algernon vie to be christened Ernest. Eventually, Jack discovers that his parents were Lady Bracknell's sister and brother-in-law and that he is Algernon's older brother, called Ernest. Algernon/Cecily, Jack/Gwendolen and Chasuble/Prism fall into each other's arms as Jack realizes the importance of being earnest.

EXPLANATION
These lines describe Jack's hypocritical judgment of Algernon. Jack snubs Algernon's vanity as absurd. He wants to say that Algernon's excessive pride in his own appearance invites derision for others. He says so because Algernon always claims to be "over dressed" and "immensely over-educated". He also spurns Algernon's behaviour disdainfully. He calls his behaviour an extremely strong reaction of anger, shock and indignation. Moreover, he is not happy at all to have Algernon in his "garden". He wants to get rid of him as soon as possible. When Algernon says that he is going to stay for a whole week as Jack's guest, Jack replies, "You are certainly not staying with me for a whole week as a guest or anything else. You have got to leave by the four-five train." He ironically says that Algernon will have an enjoyable journey back to his town. In short, these lines express Jack's disdain and contempt for the decorative bachelor, Algernon.

EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST BY OSCAR WILDE

I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone. The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever.

I do not approve .......... no effect whatsoever.

REFERENCE
(i) Drama: The Importance of Being Earnest
(ii) Dramatist: Oscar Wilde

CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 1

(ii) Content:
Jack and Algernon are wealthy gentlemen. Jack lives in the country and Algernon dwells in London. Algernon visits Jack's house and introduces to Jack's young ward Cecily as Ernest, the assumed named of Jack. Shortly after, Jack arrives home announcing Ernest's death. Cecily and Gwendolen have a genteel stand-off over which of that has a prior claim on "Ernest". Jack and Algernon vie to be christened Ernest. Eventually, Jack discovers that his parents were Lady Bracknell's sister and brother-in-law and that he is Algernon's older brother, called Ernest. Algernon/Cecily, Jack/Gwendolen and Chasuble/Prism fall into each other's arms as Jack realizes the importance of being earnest.

EXPLANATION

In these lines Lady Bracknell thinks of ignorance as a virtue of the rich. She speaks these lines as a part of her inquiry into Jack's suitability for marriage with her daughter Gwendolen. She has just told him she believes that a man who wants to marry should know everything or nothing, and Jack, sensing the trap, has said he knows nothing. Lady Bracknell greets the news with complacency and says only, "I am pleased to hear it". She is, in fact, against anything that can cause damage to "natural ignorance". "Anything" here means "modern education"; the biggest rival of ignorance. Her statement "Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit" is a beautiful simile. Many exotic flowers and plants are delicate, if we touch them, the petals or leaves fall off. Ignorance is the same; a touch of knowledge destroys it. "Education produces no effect" is a paradox to explain that, in the upper classes, education is worthless. The typical upper class Victorian was notorious for being "sent down" of the major university of Oxford or Cambridge. Being "sent down" was almost a trademark of the upper-class dandy. In short, Lady Bracknell, in these lines, embodies the mind-bogging stupidity of the British aristocracy.

EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST BY OSCAR WILDE

Nothing will induce me to part with Bunbury, and if you ever get married, which seems to me extremely problematic, you will be very glad to know Bunbury. A man who marries without knowing Bunbury has a very tedious time of it.

Nothing will induce .......... tedious time of it.

REFERENCE
(i) Drama: The Importance of Being Earnest
(ii) Dramatist: Oscar Wilde

CONTEXT

(i) Occurrence: Act 1, Part I

(ii) Content:
Jack and Algernon are wealthy gentlemen. Jack lives in the country and Algernon dwells in London. Algernon visits Jack's house and introduces to Jack's young ward Cecily as Ernest, the assumed named of Jack. Shortly after, Jack arrives home announcing Ernest's death. Cecily and Gwendolen have a genteel stand-off over which of that has a prior claim on "Ernest". Jack and Algernon vie to be christened Ernest. Eventually, Jack discovers that his parents were Lady Bracknell's sister and brother-in-law and that he is Algernon's older brother, called Ernest. Algernon/Cecily, Jack/Gwendolen and Chasuble/Prism fall into each other's arms as Jack realizes the importance of being earnest.

EXPLANATION

In these lines Algernon tells the importance of Bunbury in a married life. Algernon speaks these lines in reply to Jack's announcement that he plans to assassinate his imaginary brother Ernest and his suggestion that Algernon do the same with Bunbury. Algernon refuses to part with Bunbury at any cost. He thinks that Bunbury is an excuse for a person to get out of his responsibilities. He says to Jack that "in married life there is a company and two is none". If Jack ever gets married, he will be glad to know Bunbury because Bunbury is a very useful tool for a husband or wife for "married bliss". It also suggests that couples are not faithful to each other after matrimony. Thus absence of Bunbury in the lives of married couples makes their lives "a very tedious time". In short, these lines suggest that husbands and wives in Victorian society were hypocrites as they led double lives.

EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE WINTER'S TALE BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

There's some ill planet reigns:
I must be patient till the heavens look
With an aspect more favourable.
There's is some ill ......... more favourable.

REFERENCE
(i) Drama: The Winter's Tale
(ii) Dramatist: William Shakespeare

CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 2, Scene I

(ii) Content:

Leontes, king of Sicilia, suspects that his wife Hermione has an affair with his friend Polixenes, king of Bohemia. Her orders Camillo to poison Polixenes. However, Camillo helps Polixenes to escape back to Bohemia. Hermione is thrown into jail and has a baby while imprisoned. The king orders Antigonus to abandon the child. Hermione dies in the jail. Antigonus takes the baby to Bohemia. The little girl is found by a Shepherd and is named Perdita. Camillo, after serving Polixenes sixteen years, longs to return to Sicilia. Polixenes also goes with him in disguise. At a festival, Florizell declares his love for Perdita in front of his disguised father. The king threatens to disown Florizell and execute Perdita. The lovers go to Leontes. Here Perdita's true parentage is revealed and the royal families are reunited.

EXPLANATION

In these lines Hermoine says that human destiny is determined by stars. She thinks that some malign star is in the ascendant so the tides of her fortune have changed. Her husband, Loentes has wrongly accused her of adultery and pilloried her for infidelity. Due to this evil star, her happiness has been poisoned by the frantic jealousy of her husband. She deems that she has little chance to avoid her predicament as far as this "ill planet" is governing her her destiny. However, what cannot be cured must be endured. So she determines to wait patiently until the heavens are more favourably aligned and gods "look" on her with kinder expressions. Hermoine had to wait a solid 16 years in that misfortune for the manifestation of said "more favourable aspect". In short, Hermoine's resolve to undergo the saint-like patience thrills us with admiration as well as pity. These lines also contradict Shakespeare's famous notion;
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings,
(Julius Caesar)

EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE WINTER'S TALE BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Should a villain say so,
The most replenish'd villain in the world,
He were as much more villain: you, my lord,
Do but mistake.
Should a villain .........do but mistake.

REFERENCE
(i) Drama: The Winter's Tale
(ii) Dramatist: William Shakespeare

CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 2, Scene I

(ii) Content:
Leontes, king of Sicilia, suspects that his wife Hermione has an affair with his friend Polixenes, king of Bohemia. Her orders Camillo to poison Polixenes. However, Camillo helps Polixenes to escape back to Bohemia. Hermione is thrown into jail and has a baby while imprisoned. The king orders Antigonus to abandon the child. Hermione dies in the jail. Antigonus takes the baby to Bohemia. The little girl is found by a Shepherd and is named Perdita. Camillo, after serving Polixenes sixteen years, longs to return to Sicilia. Polixenes also goes with him in disguise. At a festival, Florizell declares his love for Perdita in front of his disguised father. The king threatens to disown Florizell and execute Perdita. The lovers go to Leontes. Here Perdita's true parentage is revealed and the royal families are reunited.

EXPLANATION

These lines are spoken by Hermione in response to Leontes' false accusation at her. Leontes has just burst into Hermione's room where she was having a quiet time with her son. Here he accuses her, in no uncertain terms, of adultery, with his friend Polixenes. Hermione receives the first intimation of her husband's jealous suspicions with incredulous astonishment. It is not that, like Desdemona, she does not or cannot understand, but she will not. When her husband accuses her more plainly, she replies with a calm dignity. She says that her husband is not a villain or scoundrel. If a villain had accused her of such a thing, even though he were the perfect villain in the world, his villainy would become double that it was before. She thinks that slinging false accusation of adultery at someone is the meanest act that a villain can do. However, as for husband, he is merely mistaken. He is absolutely wrong in his judgment. In short, Hermione thinks that her husband is not a true villain but a mistaken jealous tyrant.

EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE WINTER'S TALE BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

No, in good earnest.
How sometimes nature will betray its folly,
Its tenderness, and make itself a pastime
To harder bosoms!
No, in good earnest ......... to harder bosoms!

REFERENCE

(i) Drama: The Winter's Tale

(ii) Dramatist: William Shakespeare

CONTEXT

(i) Occurrence: Act 1, Scene II

(ii) Content:
Leontes, king of Sicilia, suspects that his wife Hermione has an affair with his friend Polixenes, king of Bohemia. Her orders Camillo to poison Polixenes. However, Camillo helps Polixenes to escape back to Bohemia. Hermione is thrown into jail and has a baby while imprisoned. The king orders Antigonus to abandon the child. Hermione dies in the jail. Antigonus takes the baby to Bohemia. The little girl is found by a Shepherd and is named Perdita. Camillo, after serving Polixenes sixteen years, longs to return to Sicilia. Polixenes also goes with him in disguise. At a festival, Florizell declares his love for Perdita in front of his disguised father. The king threatens to disown Florizell and execute Perdita. The lovers go to Leontes. Here Perdita's true parentage is revealed and the royal families are reunited.

EXPLANATION

In these lines Leontes wants to say that affections not felt are disbelieved or despised. When his wife Hermione asks him "Are you mov'd, my lord?", he says, "No, in good earnest". However, this is an ironical statement of Leontes because he is, in fact, agitated; he suspects that there is a torrid affair between his wife Hermione and his friend Polixenes. "No, in good earnest" also connotes that there is no advantage or benefit of being a sincere and honest person. Leontes then contemplates the power of human nature. He wonders how sometimes human nature can seduce a man's foolishness and weakness. He generalizes that the betrayal of human nature makes man the laughing stock of those unsentimental people who have stronger hearts. In short, these lines a a true description of human nature and its power to control passions and sentiments, and thus a perfect example of Shakespeare's aphorism.

DOCTOR FAUSTUS BY CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE

Had I as many souls as there be stars,
I'd give them all for Mephistopheles.
Had I as many.......... all for Mephistopheles.

REFERENCE

(i) Drama: Doctor Faustus
(ii) Dramatist: Christopher Marlowe

CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 1, Scene III (Lines 100-101)

(ii) Content:

After mastering medicine, law, logic and theology, Faustus decides to pursue black magic in order to gain universal power. The Good Angel and the Bad Angel vie for Faustus' conscience, but Faustus ignores the Good Angel's pleas. He summons Mephistopheles and bargains to surrender his soul in exchange for twenty-four years of easy living. He performs marvelous deeds with the Devil's help. The twenty-four years of his deal with Lucifer comes to an end. He dies and is taken away by devils to his eternal damnation.

EXPLANATION
These lines show Faustus' love for Mephistopheles and his desire to become the great Emperor of the world. Mephistopheles, a demon, is a source of never-ending delight for Faustus. It is no wonder Faustus is so willing to sign over his soul to Lucifer in exchange for twenty-four years of having Mephistopheles as his servant. Mephistopheles agrees to take this offer to his master and departs. Left alone, Faustus remarks that if he has "as many souls as there be stars" he would offer all to hell in return for the kind of power that Mephistopheles offers him. "As there be stars" is proverbial for an infinite amount. Faustus' combination of romantic imagery of stars linked with the souls is ironic, as there is only one soul in one body and countless stars in the single sky. This makes Faustus seem idiotic. These lines also suggest a slight homoerotic relationship between Faustus and Mephistopheles.