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Teachers' Resource Web Study Questions on Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being
Earnest A General Approach: Follow out the play's exploration of key terms, mainly "sincerity" and "marriage." Read as many events and situations as possible in light of what you know about commodification. Is everything a commodity in this play? What might Wilde be suggesting about Victorian values? Perhaps IBE is about what is necessary for the smooth functioning of the upper class. Act I: 1. Why do Jack and Algernon need Ernest and Bunbury, respectively? 2. Keep your eye on the status of the females in this play. What do you think of the fact that Cecily Cardew is Jack's ward and that Gwendolen Fairfax is the closely guarded, yet salable, daughter of Lady Bracknell? Consider Miss Prism and Lady Bracknell, too. 3. Why does Gwendolen want to marry an "Ernest?" 4. Put Gwendolen's "ideals" together with Lady Bracknell's requirements for her suitor and try to explain the importance of marriage in this play. 5. Play around with the account Jack gives of his birth. What is significant about his having been discovered in an ordinary handbag lost in the cloakroom of a railroad car? 6. Jack claims at one point that he is tired of living in a society of wits. What do you think is the function of all the witty paradoxes and epigrams in this play? Act II: 7. Notice that the play's setting has now been switched to the country. Is there a legitimate opposition between town and country in Earnest? 8. Miss Prism's Law of Fiction is that the good should end happily, and the bad unhappily. Can one apply Prism's Law to Wilde's play as a whole? 9. Dr. Chasuble asks Jack when he wants to be christened, and Jack seems anxious to avoid mixing with "the lower orders" during this ceremony. This is a good time to ask, what is the use of ‘the lower orders' in this piece?" 10. While we are on the subject of christening, what is the significance of such an event? Why, that is, are people christened at birth? 11. Just as Gwendolen does, Cecily has a striking way of falling in love. How did she fall in love with "Ernest" and then develop the affair? 12. What role does food play in The Importance of Being Earnest? (Throughout the second act, Jack and Algernon keep munching on muffins at key points. Then there were those cucumber sandwiches in the first act. . .) Act III: 13. Lady Bracknell's requirements will now be brought to bear on Cecily. What does Jack give her by way of introduction to Cecily's qualities? Consider Lady Bracknell's response to this list; on what authority does she formulate her judgment of Cecily? 14. Miss Prism is recognized by Lady Bracknell and forced to cough up the secret of Jack's birth, and it turns out that she mixed him up with the manuscript of her three-volume novel. What sort of novel was it? Why does the peculiar character of this mix-up matter? 15. What is it to "be Earnest," and what is the importance of doing so? Now that we know Jack was always Ernest, what are we supposed to think as we walk out the playhouse door? "The Critic as Artist" 16. On 1752-53, why, according to Gilbert, is the artist superior to other people? 17. On 1754-57, how does Gilbert delineate the "highest criticism" (1755)? Why is the critic superior even to the artist? What can a critic do for the work, according to Gilbert on 1757? 18. What distinctions does Gilbert make on 1759 between the literary and the plastic arts and music? How does he re-evaluate Pater's claim that "all art aspires to the condition of music"? 19. What is the difference between impressionism in art or criticism and the kind of expressive theory we find in, say, Wordsworth? Why does Gilbert (1756) reject romantic expressivism in favor of his own impressionist doctrine? 20. In your own view, what is the critic's relation to the work of art? Does the art or literary critic have a responsibility to carry out the Arnoldian task of "see[ing] the object as in itself it really is"? (Gilbert discusses this issue on 1759.) 21. In another theoretical essay, "The Decay of Lying," Wilde insists that art (which he aligns with "lying"--spinning stories and creating beautiful images to serve as forms for the imagination) is superior to everyday life. Do you agree or disagree? Why? *Edition: The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 2. 7th. edition. Ed. Meyer Abrams et al. New York: Norton, 2000. -------------------- Other Questions Wilde's "Decay of Lying," Lady Windermere's
Fan, Salome "The Decay of Lying" (1889, rev. 1891) 1. Why do you suppose Wilde uses a more or less "Socratic" form of dialogue to make his case that "lying" is a vital element of human society? 2. Why, on page 1018-19, does Vivian have what almost amounts to an animus against Nature? What is lacking in nature -- why is it not the great source of moral intelligibility and renewer of human community that the romantic poets claimed it was? 3. Why are politicians, according to Vivian on 1019, merely unsuccessful liars? What is "a fine lie"? 4. Why, according to Vivian on 1021-22, is the realism of Zola a failure? And on what grounds does he further accuse realism of failure on 1025? 5. What are "masks," and why, according to Vivian on 1022, are they more interesting than common human nature? 6. On page 1023, Vivian argues that "The only beautiful things, as somebody once said, are the things that do not concern us." To what extent do you think Wilde follows Matthew Arnold's doctrine of "disinterestedness"? 7. On 1024-25, what version of society's origins does Vivian set forth? How does he define "decadence"? 8. Vivian says on 1027 that "life imitates art far more than art imitates life." How does he go on to explain the purpose of art? How does Wilde describe imagination, and how does art serve imagination? 9. How does Vivian define "the basis of life" on page 1030? How does he enlist Aristotle's Poetics to make his case about the centrality of imagination to human happiness? 10. From 1030 onwards, Vivian insists on the autonomy, or independence, of art as a separate realm. Why is it important to him that art be considered a realm all its own, separate from other kinds of endeavor? What power attaches to art precisely because it "never expresses anything but itself" and "rejects the burden of the human spirit" (1031)? 11. To what extent does Wilde agree with Pater (you might read Pater's Conclusion to The Renaissance in our anthology) on key issues such as the value of expression and art's autonomy? Does Wilde differ from Pater on any significant issue or in his general approach to the relation between art and the individual, art and life? Lady Windermere's Fan (1892) Act I 12. What are Lady Windermere's values, and from whom does she say she inherited them? And what kind of ethical system does Lord Darlington, Lady Windermere's admirer, subscribe to? Do the two converse on equal terms? 13. How does the Duchess of Berwick describe marital relations, and what advice does she offer Lady Windermere about how to rein in Lord Windermere, whom everyone thinks is having an affair with the racy Mrs. Erlynne? In what sense is the Duchess a representative character? 14. By the end of the first act, what are the respective aims of Lord and Lady Windermere? What is she upset about? What is he determined to do for Mrs. Erlynne? 15. How does wit function in the first act (and in subsequent acts)? To what extent does it encapsulate the conventions of upper-class British life? Does it uphold those conventions, mock them, or both? Act II 16. What arguments does Lord Darlington use to convince Lady Windermere to run away with him? 17. What effect does Mrs. Erlynne have on the company at Lady Windermere's evening party? What sort of personality does Wilde give her, and what transformation does Mrs. Erlynne undergo in the second act? Act III 18. How do conventional class-based assumptions about propriety and "good and evil" structure the third act? What role does sentiment (as opposed to wit and intrigue) play in the proceedings between Mrs. Erlynne and Lady Windermere? 19. How is Lady Windermere's fan more than just a plot device? (It will appear again in the fourth act.) If you have read Othello, how does the fan compare to Desdemona's handkerchief--another telltale object of affection? Act IV 20. How does Mrs. Erlynne collect her reward for the good turn she has done Lady Windermere? By the play's end, who understands her story, and who does not? 21. What "moral" has Lady Windermere learned by the end of the play concerning the nature of good and bad? Has Lord Windermere learned as much as Lady Windermere? 22. The traditional structure of comedy is as follows: protasis (setting forth of plot elements and main characters); epitasis (complication of the plot); catastasis (false or incomplete climax); and catastrophe (climax). Where do you find these four structural points in Lady Windermere's Fan? Edition: Wilde, Oscar. Lady Windermere's Fan. Dover, 1998. ISBN: 0486400786. Salome: A Tragedy in One Act. 23. What is the affinity between Salome and the moon? 24. What view of love does the play set forth? 25. How do other characters besides Salome regard Iokanaan? Whose perspective do you consider most accurate or significant, and why? 26. Why doesn't Herod want to grant Salome her wish? 27. Can this play be properly interepreted within a moral framework, or is it wrong to say that Salome has "sinned"? Explain. Edition: Wilde, Oscar. Salome: A Tragedy in One Act. Dover, 1997. ISBN: 0486218309. -------------------- Other Questions Chapter One: (Penguin Edition) 1. The first chapter sets the stage for the coming struggle between artist Basil Hallward and decadent aristocrat Lord Henry Wotton over young Dorian Gray. Characterize the two older men. What seem to be their principles and lifestyles? 2. What might Basil mean when he says he won't exhibit his portrait of Dorian because he has "put too much of . . . [himself] in it"? (24) In other words, what does Basil the painter claim that art should be or do, and why does he appear to consider Dorian a threat to this claim? 3. Lord Henry (or "Harry") has some curious views on marriage and on the masses. What are those views? Does Lord Henry make a few good points about these issues? 4. Does Harry's philosophy remind you of Walter Pater's ideas in "Conclusion"? How? Chapter Two: 5. Basil introduces Lord Harry to Dorian. Consider this chapter as a seduction scene. To what would Harry win over Dorian? What are his arguments? Which one is most effective? 6. What effect do Harry's arguments have upon Dorian? Describe the Faustian bargain he makes. 7. Whom has Dorian chosen to spend his time with by the end of the chapter? Chapter Three: 8. Examine the master/disciple relationship that is becoming established between Dorian and Lord Henry. What seems to be the reward of this relationship for Henry? Again, does he sound like Pater the scientific analyst of emotions and impressions? Chapter Four: 9. Dorian describes to Harry how, inspired by Harry's Paterian rhetoric, he wandered eastward in London in search of new sensations, was talked into entering an "absurd little theatre" (75), and got his first look at Sibyl Vane. In what play and role is Sibyl cast? Why might the choice of plays on Wilde's part be important? 10. How does Dorian respond to Sibyl's performance? Examine his behavior upon being introduced to Sibyl. Does he recognize her as another human being? 11. Examine Lord Henry's enjoyment as he watches Dorian experience his first love. Chapter Five: 12. Does Sibyl understand her relationship with Dorian in a mature way? Does she see him for what he is? 13. What does Sibyl's brother James, aged sixteen, appear to have against Dorian, whom he has never met? To explore this question, you must pay attention to the secret that James' mother reveals to him about his birth. Based upon what you already know about Dorian's birth, might there be some still deeper reason for James' presentiments about Dorian Gray? Do the two young men actually have something in common? 14. Describe the Vane family in terms of class. Does the family have a stable relation to either the upper or the lower, or even the middle, class? Which family member has the best sense of this position? Chapter Six: 15. On page 101, Lord Henry makes some interesting observations on male-female relations and on marriage. On the whole, Henry is no great supporter of marriage, but nonetheless, he seems to think that Dorian's proposed marriage might just open up new opportunities. How so? 16. What does Dorian say or imply made him fall in love with Sibyl? Is it really Sibyl that he loves? Or does he love Juliet? 17. Under the spell of actress Sibyl, Dorian's opinion of the refined Epicurean Henry appears to have changed, at least for now. How has Dorian redefined pleasure, and what might Lord Henry find disagreeable about Dorian's new definition? 18. Nonetheless, when the chapter ends with a carriage ride to the theater where Sibyl is to perform, Dorian rides with Lord Henry, not with Basil Hallward. Is that a disturbing portent with regard to Dorian's intentions toward Sibyl? 19. Have you noticed something about Basil's character in the course of reading this chapter? In what way does he take issue with Lord Henry's amoral sparring with Dorian? Also, why does Basil brood silently at chapter's end? Chapter Seven: 20. Why does Sibyl perform badly? 21. Why does Dorian reject her afterwards? What do his reasons tell us about him? 22. What has happened to Dorian's portrait when he returns home? What does he resolve to do? Chapter Eight: 23. No sooner has the ink dried on the contrite letter Dorian has written to Sibyl than Lord Henry shows up with the news that she has committed suicide. Follow out Henry's attempts to turn Dorian away from grief and remorse? With what arguments does he pursue his goal? 24. Is Henry successful? Examine Dorian's resolve when, as the chapter ends, he returns to his chamber to contemplate his portrait. Chapter Nine: 25. Basil Hallward, crestfallen to hear of Sibyl's death, visits his friend. How does Dorian receive Hallward's sincere condolences? Does Dorian sound a lot like Lord Henry by now? 26. What confession does Basil make to Dorian about the portrait and about his former attitude toward Dorian himself? How does Dorian take this confession? Chapter Ten: 27. Why does Dorian believe it is necessary to hid his portrait? Does he hide the picture only because of what others may find out, or is there an additional reason? 28. Lord Henry has given Dorian a curious yellow book. What sort of book does it appear to be? By what means does it affect Dorian? Chapter Eleven: 29. In this long chapter, whole years go by, and yet Dorian does not age a day even though he is leading a vicious life. Harry-like, he becomes a spectator; but in this instance, the spectator beholds his own corruption. Since we know that Lord Harry is a Paterian, trace out as many Paterisms as you can in this chapter. 30. To what use is Dorian putting the Oxford Professor's philosophy, at least as he understands it? Notice the scientific trappings of Dorian's methodology. To what behavior, however, does this badly applied science lead him? (Pay special attention to the part of the chapter in which Dorian fetishizes gems, books, and other objects.) Chapter Twelve: 31. Basil Hallward shows up at Dorian's doorstep and reports, horrified, all the nasty rumors that have been circulating about his young friend. It may be true, as Lord Henry says somewhere, that "the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about," but nonetheless, catalog the rumors about Dorian--just what has he been up to all these years? 32. What is Dorian's response to Basil's litany of decadent acts and to his attempts to change his friend's ways? Chapter Thirteen: 33. Dorian shows Basil the portrait he painted some eighteen years ago. How does Basil respond to what he sees? 34. Examine the narrative that Dorian gives of his own fall. Is it convincing? 35. In response to Basil's frantic, priestly attempt to make his friend confess and repent, Dorian murders him. How does Dorian treat this terrible act? Chapter Fourteen: 36. Who is Alan Campbell? Why has Dorian sent for him? Can you connect Alan's grotesque scientific task to Dorian's understanding of the Paterian method. Chapter Fifteen: 37. This is a rather uneventful chapter. Dorian and Lord Henry dine at Lady Narborough's place. Try comparing the impression the two men make. Compared to what we know about Dorian, does Henry seem almost innocuous next to him? Chapter Sixteen: 38. What does Dorian say at the chapter's beginning that he needs most to do? How does he plan to do it? 39. Pay attention to the people Dorian has ruined--Adrian Singleton and the prostitute--and, in a sense, James Vane? What has he done to them? What is his relationship to and attitude toward them now? 40. James Vane, who has apparently had his mind set for years on punishing Dorian for Sibyl's death, nearly catches him. What is the clue that at first sets him after his enemy? More importantly, why doesn't James recognize Dorian? Does the answer go deeper than mere age? Chapter Seventeen: 41. Well, another dinner-party chapter is upon us. It must have been terribly difficult for Wilde to write--after all, writing about people doing nothing is the most exhausting task of all--except for doing nothing. Can you make something, by now, of Lord Harry's remark, "Our countrymen never recognize a description"? (232) Or how about Dorian's Henryesque remark that women are "Sphinxes without secrets"? (232) 42. Why does Dorian faint at chapter's end? Describe the opposition between the setting of this chapter and the appearance of James Vane on the scene. Chapter Eighteen: 43. James Vane, spying on Dorian at the hunting grounds, is fatally shot. Characterize the reaction of the hunters, including Harry, in terms of class relations. 44. What is Dorian's reaction when he examines the dead man's body and realizes that it is James? Does Dorian's own fear of death's coming in any way link him to James? Chapter Nineteen: 45. Lord Henry is getting a divorce, Alan Campbell has committed suicide, and everyone thinks that Basil is missing in Paris. Dorian wants to reform his ways, and has even decided that he won't ruin the reputation of Hetty, the country girl he has been seeing. What is Lord Henry's reaction to this new sensation on Dorian's part? 46. How serious is Dorian about reforming? Does Henry find it easy to win him back to the status of a Paterian art object? What arguments does Henry use? Chapter Twenty: 47. What is the significance of Dorian's breaking of the mirror given him long ago by Lord Henry? 48. Examine Dorian's thinking process as he makes his fatal decision. What does he hope to accomplish by stabbing his own portrait? "The Soul of Man under Socialism" (UC Irvine, late 1990's) 49. Contrast Mayhew's view of poverty with that of Wilde. What attitude, for example, ought the poor, according to Wilde, take toward those who offer them charity or "help" in the manner of Henry Mayhew? Also, should poor laborers be content with the feudal scheme offered them by John Ruskin? 50. Marx and Engels declare themselves "scientific socialists" because they believe they have determined the laws of capitalism and history. What, for Wilde, has always been the vehicle for human progress? Does he, then, agree with Marx to some extent? Would he support a violent Marxist revolution? 51. How does Wilde enlist the spiritual authority of Jesus in his promotion of Individualism? How does Wilde also avoid the claim made by some that Jesus' otherworldly pronouncements about the Kingdom of Heaven justifies mistreatment of the poor? 52. Pater was a great influence on Wilde, who studied under the great critic at Oxford. Pater argues in favor of living one's life as if it were a work of art. What does Wilde think is the role of art or artists in human history? What can they realize that ordinary people cannot. So are artists model socialists?
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