Oscar Wilde's Comedy of Manners



Let's consider what is required when acting a "Comedy of Manners." 

 The Oxford Dictionary has this to say about the Comedy of Manners:

 A kind of comedy representing the complex and sophisticated code of behaviour current in fashionable circles of society, where appearances count for more than true moral character. Its plot usually revolves around intrigues of lust and greed, the self-interested cynicism of the characters being masked by decorous pretence. Unlike satire, the comedy of manners tends to reward its cleverly unscrupulous characters rather than punish their immorality. Its humour relies chiefly upon elegant verbal wit and repartee. In England, the comedy of manners flourished as the dominant form of Restoration comedy in the works of Sir George Etherege, William Wycherley (notably The Country Wife, 1675), and William Congreve; it was revived in a more subdued form in the 1770s by Goldsmith and Sheridan, and later by Oscar Wilde.

 So What?

 The key is that the characters - who are often mischievous and rude (and even on the run from the law) are REWARDED for their behavior at the end of the play.

 Consequently, act your lines with confidence and rigour!
Be arrogant and clever - defy authority and savor your verbal victories !

 A good video to summarize 10 things to know about our play, especially as we discover a whole range of actor and actresses testing the text.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saki "The Lumber Room"

Image
(http://e-repa.ru/reading/saki/lumber-room.html)                                                « The Lumber Room » – Saki Take the necessary time to write paragraph-length answers to the following 3 questions (plus to draw the tapestry!). 1.     Describe your opinion of Nicolas and his vision of himself and the world. In doing so, give at least two examples of how Nicolas manages to outwit his aunt. Describe and analyse these examples. 2.     What are we meant to think of the aunt, her single-mindedness, and her lack of imagination? For example, consider why the aunt sent the children, but not Nicolas, to Jagborough. 3.     Draw the tapestry found in the lumber room. Then, in writing, explore what the various parts of the tapestry symbolise. 4.     What do you think Saki was trying to say about childhood and the power of the imagination? As we continue our analysis of this short story, we can consider how Saki used the following literary techniques: Plot, third person
Read more

2AGB Example FCE papers

FCE Pollution Paper 2AGB responses Lucie’s response. Every country in the world has problems with pollution. Our goal here is to do our best to find solutions to three ways pollution damages our environment. First, everybody uses a type of transportation to go to work, to school or to see friends and family. However, cars and buses create a lot of polluting gases. Governments should improve electrical transportation while also encouraging people to walk and to uses their bikes more often. Second, rivers are seas are also polluted by toxic substances. We know factories are pouring their liquid waste into the rivers, which then flow into our seas and oceans. Each country’s government must fine and punish such actions and organize the systematic clean-up of their waters. Finally, a lot of people throw their waste on the ground. Such regular actions are not only damaging the environment but is also very unpleasant. People should be taught to throw their waste in the ap
Read more