Compare and contrast Act One and Act Two Essay

Through come forward actuate unrivaled and act two, thither is a broad amount of drama, comedy and sarcasm. Combining to form a c befully formed region of this immensely funny play. In these two acts there be examples of love, arguments, duplicity, death and engagement altogether this inside the space of two days in the lives of young aristocrats.In act one the scene is posture in the morning-room in Algernons flat in Half-moon Street. The room is luxuriou sleek and artistic e actu every last(predicate)y last(predicate)y render, immediately displaying Algernons extravagant nature. In figure two, the scene is set in the garden at the Manor House. A flight of grey stone steps leads up to the mark. The garden, an old-fashioned one, is full of roses. hoop chairs, and a t adequate to(p) c all overed with books, be set under a large yew-tree. The obvious differences in the scene settings is due to the fact hat act one is set in the town and act two is set in the commonwealth. Compared to Algernons artistically furnished flat, the country house appears to be more than than more(prenominal) than contemporary, with a much calmer atmosphere.In act one, there are legion(predicate) introductions of the characters. Algernon, laborer, Lady Bracknell, Gwendolen and road are all revealed to the listening. The til nowts through step forward the scene result in, for almost e preciseone a smile, or steady a giggle due to the blunt and sarcastic nature of the characters. The prototypical converse in act one is between Algernon and channel his pantryman. The relationship between these two characters goes against the audiences expectations they appear to be of friction match status, not as a relationship should be between an upper class aristocrat and his providedler in that time. In this conversation, Algernon is immediately portrayed as arbitrary and cynical and Lane is seen as sly and subversive.Lane wherefore exits and doodly-squat comes into th e room. bozo is portrayed as much more withdrawn therefore Algernon he is to a fault not as arrogant and cynical. The conversations between mariner and Algernon are al vogues humorous, because they are always so childish and they talk round such pointless things, never about routine conversational topics such as money and work. Their conversations are always decorated with epigrams and repartees, make them enjoyable to stubvass and watch. This argumentative relationship between labourer and Algernon is maintained throughout act one and act two. It pull up stakes be humorous to the audience that bozo and Algernon argue so much, provided yet they are serene friends (or familiars as revealed in act three).There is a certain amount if jeering and humour in this dialogue. The irony is that in act one, eespecially in this conversation, Algernon is very(prenominal) cynical about love and marriage, simply by the end if act two, he is in love with Cicily and engaged to be ma rried, therefore contradicting all his previous be lyingfs. The humour in this conversation is, for example JACK puts out his hand to take a sandwich. ALGERNON at once interferes and then Algernon says, please shamt touch the cucumber sandwiches. They are ordered specially for Aunt Augusta, he then takes one and eats it. This is mirthfulal because Algernon has just gone against what he has just say, but he doesnt seem embarrassed by it at all.Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen bump in the middle to Algernons argument over Jacks cigarette case and his ideational companion Ernest. Throughout acpt one and act two, Lady Bracknell is portrayed as a very frivolous woman whose only joy in life is to drive home dinner parties and a high favorable status she is very cynical about her society. Gwendolen, her daughter and Algernons cousin is very much her becomes daughter, although she refuses to believe it and Jack is blind to it. Gwendolen is a very manipulative woman and always seems t o pauperism to find new things to tease her mformer(a), to Jack And I often wish that in public, at any rate, you had been more demonstrative she said this because she knew that it would annoy her mother immensely. She overly hates to be maltreat and tries hard to prevent this from happening, making her seem virtuallytimes overbearingly arrogant.Lady Bracknell and Algernon go into the music room, leaving Jack and Gwendolen alone together. Jack breaks the silence by commenting on the weather which is quickly dismissed by Gwendolen as an obvious free to talk about something else. There is an immediate example of humour at the beginning of this conversation because Jack plowes Gwendolen as young woman Fairfax, and she calls him Mr Worthing when Jack is planning to propose to her. Gwendolen is immediately a in all disparate someone virtually Jack then she was around Lady Bracknell. She becomes very dominant, and also arrogant, I thought so, in fact I am never wrong.Jack see ms very nervous around Gwendolen and uses more naturalistic language then the other characters, for example pauses and hesitation. Jacks speech is mostly not as fluent as the other characters his nervous behaviour is very similar to Algernons berth around Cecily in Act Two. After much hesitation, Jack confesses his true feelings to Gwendolen she then says unexpectedly, Yes, I am quite aware of the fact, creating a comic notion. Jack then stares at her in admiration while Gwendolen informs him even onward I met you I was far from indifferent to you this in itself bequeath completely go against the audiences expectations and produces a comic name because, patently, you johnnot very love someone onwards you encounter met them. She then produces a sense of dramatic irony by telling Jack that rattling the only reason that she loves him is because of his name-Ernest (which, at the time wasnt really his name at all).The mode of address changes at this point, Jack and Gwendole n start to call individually other by their first names. Jack also asks Gwendolen if she would still love him if his name was Jack in response to this, she states, very confidently I have shaftn several Jacks, and they all, without exception, were more than ordinarily distinct. Besides, Jack is a notorious domesticity for John And I mildness any women who is married to a man called John. This again is dramatic irony, because the audience know that Jack is actually his real name at this point in the play. Jack then proposes to Gwendolenalthough Gwendolen actually accepts before he has even asked.Almost immediately after Gwendolen had accepted Jacks proposal, Lady Bracknell interrupts them, presenting a comic sum because Gwendolen had said before that her mother always comes into the room at the most mortifying of moments. Gwendolen informs her mother that she is engaged to Jack. In response to this, Lady Bracknell decides that it is her duty to interview Jack to discover whet her or not he is suitable for her simple, unspoiled daughter.The interrogation between Lady Bracknell and Jack produces a huge comic effect on the audience especially at the beginning when she has a pencil and notebook in hand . Throughout the interview, Lady Bracknell questions Jack about aspects of his soulal life, for example his income, his properties (one of which she was not happy about, but was willing to change), his hobbies, and amusingly whether he knows everything or zip fastener, she seemed content with Jacks answer that he knew nothing stating that, Ignorance is worry a delicate exotic fruit, touch it and the bloom is gone an epigram.Lady Bracknell is very grand over Jack, much like Gwendolen was in the previous scene. Jack appears very nervous and unsure around her, as if he doesnt indispensability to say the wrong thing to jeopardise his chances of marrying Gwendolen, this nervousness is drawn by his constant hesitation and continuing to tell Lady Bracknell po intless facts in order to prevent an unenviable silence. Jacks attitude changes around Lady Bracknell towards the end of Act Three, when he has control over the role of Cecilys engagement to Algernon. Jack is more relaxed around Lady Bracknell then because he has something that she wants therefore he has the upper hand.The interview appeared to be going quite well until Lady Bracknell enquires after Jacks parents. Jack then confesses to Lady Bracknell that he isnt actually sure where his parents are because the late Mr doubting Thomas Cardew had found him as a baby in the cloakroom at Victoria Station. Lady Bracknells response to Jacks past is very amusing for the audience, she looks straight at Jack and says, You give notice but imagine that I and Lord Bracknell would dream of allowing our only daughter a girl brought up with the utmost care to marry into a cloakroom, and form an alliance with a parcel. Good morning, Mr Worthing She then sweeps out in majestic indignation . Lady Bracknells attitude also produces dramatic irony because she finds out later in the play that in fact Jack is her nephew.Algernon comes into the room and immediately comments on Jacks attempted proposal to Gwendolen, Jack rejects this obvious sarcasm and begins to insult Lady Bracknell by life history her a Gorgon, regardless of the fact that he does not even know what a gorgon is, but he is sure that Lady Bracknell is one. This is humorous because the audience know that there is no such thing as a gorgon, and the fact that Algernon is happy about Jack insulting his aunt also goes against the audiences expectations. This scene is also comical because Jack cannot see that Gwendolen is a lot like her mother.This dialogue shows Jacks naive personality in that Algernon is calling Jack a fool, only Algernon and the audience can see it, Jack is completely unaware that Algernon is insulting him. Gwendolen enters and she talks to Jack alone she asks him the address of his country hous e where he is going to stay until Monday, and Algernon who is standing in the corner notes down the address on his shirt cuff. There is one particular event that occurs in this scene that is not fully turn to in the play Algernons debts. When Jack and Gwendolen have gone outside, LANE presents several letters on a salver to ALGERNON. It is to be surmised that they are bills, as ALGERNON, after looking at the envelopes, tears them up. Algernon then calls in Lane and informs him that he is going Bunburying.At the end of Act One there is a slight free fall hanger and an example of dramatic irony, ALGERNON lights a cigarette, reads his shirt cuff and smiles the audience knows that Algernon is planning to visit Jacks country house and see Cecily posing as Ernest, Jacks brother. But Jack does not know this.The Second Act takes place in Jacks country house. The first scene opens with get by prism and Cecily in the garden. run aside Prism is Cecilys teacher, she believes herself to be very knowledgeable, but she is not very good with her words, and often speaks hogwash, producing a comic effect for the audience. Cecily is shown to be very much like Gwendolen, she appears to be very innocent but she can also be quite arrogant but I felt instinctively that you had a business. Cecily is obviously educated because she uses more sophisticated language. Miss Prism is trying to get Cecily to do her German, but Cecily argues that German isnt at all a becoming language. I know perfectly well that I look quite plain after my German lesson. This shows Cecily to be very influenced by the trends of the time.Dr Chasuble interrupts Cecilys lesson, and Cecily informs him that Miss Prism has a headache so it will do her good to go for a walk, that way she will be able to get out of her lesson. The relationship between Chasuble and Miss Prism is often used for comedy throughout Act Two and Act Three because it is obvious to the audience that Miss Prism and Chasuble have feeli ngs for each other, but because of the social expectations of the time, they could not display their affection for each other (apart from the fact that neither know that the other has feelings for them).The three of them talk about Jack, and immediately he is seen as a completely different person in the country then he is in the town. In Act one, Jack is seen to be living entirely for pleasure, although he is more serious then Algernon, he does not appear to have any real responsibilities. However, in the country he is shown to be much more serious, and Miss Prism and Cecily do not believe that he has any pleasure or fun in his life.Miss Prism and Chasuble go for a walk together to the schools, leaving Cecily alone to do her work, which she doesnt even start. At this point, Algernon is introduced to Cecily as Mr Ernest Worthing by the merriman. Cecily was nervous to meet Ernest because she had never met any really dire person before. I feel rather frightened. I am ever so afraid he will look just like every one else. This assumption produces a comic effect because wicked people rarely look any different to normal people.When Cecily first meets Ernest she is un commonly confident and surprises Algernon by her forward manner, and Cecily tells him that Jack is planning to send him off the Australia, Algernon responds to this by saying, The accounts I have received of Australia and the future(a) world are not particularly encouraging. This world is good enough for me, Cousin Cecily. This is amusing for the audience because Algernon does not seem very worried that Jack wants to send him to Australia. Algernon then asks Cecily if she will help repossess him at the corresponding time as flirting with her she responds by saying, Im afraid Ive no time this afternoon. This has a comic effect because to completely change someone is obviously going to take more than one afternoon. The final comical aspect of this dialogue is when Cecily says Oh, I dont recollect I would care to catch a sensible man. I shouldnt know what to talk to him about.Dr Chasuble and Miss Prism return from their walk just as Ernest and Cecily pass into the house. They are talking about Dr Chasubles love life, Miss Prism believes that men should be more studious this very celibacy leads weaker vessels astray, she thinks that Chasuble should get married because that way he would not be a temptation for women. Just as they were wondering where Cecily is, Jack comes into the garden, dressed in the deepest mourning, with crpe hatband and black gloves . He tells Miss Prism and Chasuble of the death of his brother Ernest this produces dramatic irony because Jack does not know that Algernon has come to the house posing as his brother. The comedy effect for the first part of the scene is Jacks magnified mourning for his dead brother.The conversation then leads on to christenings, and Jack displays his wish to be christened, his attitude to christenings is very casual Oh, I th ought I might trot round at about 5 if that would suit you. This has a comic effect on the audience because christenings are not supposed to be casual affairs, and do not usually take place for a grown man. Cecily then enters, very excited announcing to Jack, Chasuble, and Miss Prism that Jacks brother was here Jack immediately says what nonsenseI havent got a brother because according to him Ernest had died in Paris of a arduous chill. Cecily then returns hand in hand with Algernon this entrance has a very comical effect on the audience because of the look of sheer horror on Jacks face when he sees that Algernon is pretension to be Ernest, and he had just made a fool out of himself by saying that his brother had died. But he cannot say anything to Algernon when they were around Cecily, Miss Prism and Chasuble because they would all find out that he had been lying the whole time about his brother and they would not have as much comply for him as they had before.Miss Prism and Cha suble decide then that it would be best that the two brothers (a sense of irony there because in act three the audience find out that Algernon and Jack are in fact brothers) were left alone together, and Cecily follows them back into the house. Jack, who cannot believe that Algernon has done such a thing is astonied when the merriman informs him that Algernons luggage has been unpacked in the room next to his. Jack immediately orders a dogcart for Algernon, who seems completely unmindful to the fact that Jack has just insulted him.As usual, Jack and Algernon begin to argue, Jack tells Algernon that he does not want him to call Cecily a darling, and Algernon comes up with a childish reply and tells Jack that he does not like his clothes and, that being in mourning for a man who is actually staying at his house is wonderful. Jack tells Algernon that he does not want him staying in his house for a whole week and to this, Algernon replies I certainly wont leave you so long as you are in mourning. It would be most unfriendly, completely contradicting what he had said before and producing a comic effect on the audience.Algernon sees Cecily and tells her that he has to leave, she replies, It is always painful to part from people who one has known for a very brief space of time. The absence of old friends one can endure with equanimity. But even a flying separation from anyone to whom one has just been introduced to is almost unbearable. This goes against the audiences expectations and produces a comic effect, because usually it would be more difficult to part with someone that you had known for a long time then to part with someone that you had just met.In this scene, Algernon proposes to Cecily, but she informs him that they had actually been engaged for the last three months (only in her head though, producing a comic effect). This is a parallel of events because Cecily claims, like Gwendolen, to have loved Algernon before she had even met him which is obviousl y impossible. Another similarity in this scene is when Algernon says to Cecily I have dared to love you wildly, passionately, devotedly, hopelessly. This utterance does not make any sense because you cannot love someone devotedly and hopelessly at the same time, he is talking nonsense because he is so nervous around Cecily much the same way that Jack was around Gwendolen in Act One.The final parallel of speech is when Cecily tells Ernest that she loves him for his name, like Gwendolen did in Act One, Ernest asks Cecily whether she would love him if he was called Algernon, she immediately tells him, like Gwendolen, that she does not like that name, only the name Ernest inspires absolute bureau. Algernon almost immediately tells her that he has to see him chasuble at once on a most key christening I mean on most important business Algernon was thinking out loud, like Jack did in Act One.There is a great deal of comedy in this scene, especially from Cecily. The main example is when Cecily tells Algernon of their engagement. Throughout the three months that Cecily had decided that she was engaged to Jacks brother he had bought her gifts and written her letters. Also, according to Cecily, she had even down(p) off their engagement once saying that It would hardly have been a really serious engagement if it hadnt been broken off at least once.. She had even written it in her diary Today I broke off my engagement with Ernest. I feel it is better to do so. The weather still continues charming this is comical within itself because if someone had broken off their engagement, the last thing they would be thinking about was the weather.Algernon leaves the room to go and see Chasuble, and the merriman announces to Cecily that Miss Fairfax has come to visit, and wishes to see Jack, but because he is busy Cecily invites her in for tea. Almost immediately, Gwendolen tells Cecily I like you already more than I can say. My first impressions of people are never wrong. This p roduces a comic effect because you cannot like someone so much when you have just heard his or her name. There is also a slight parallel of speech because in Act One, Gwendolen says I am never wrong, this is similar to what she said to Cecily, this again displays her arrogant nature. Cecily and Gwendolen immediately start to call each other by their first names, however, the atmosphere seems a bit tense.Gwendolen and Cecily talk about Lord Bracknell, and Gwendolen enquires after Cecilys parents, Cecily tells her that she has no mother, nor, in fact, any relations. Gwendolen seems surprised at this producing echoes of her mothers reaction to Jacks past in Act One. Gwendolen tells Cecily I have liked you ever since I met you, this produces a comic effect because she hasnt known Cecily long at all, it also shows how superficial she can be. She also tells Cecily that she cant help expressing a wish you were well, just a little older than you seem to be and not quite so alluring in app earance when informed that she was Mr Worthings ward. She then asks Cecily if she whitethorn speak truthfully, Cecily knows that Gwendolen is just about to insult her, but she doesnt seem to care, and she tells her that she wishes that Cecily was 42 and more than usually plain for her age.There is an example of dramatic irony when Gwendolen says disloyalty would be as impossible to him as conjuration, this also has a comical effect because the audience know that this is not true, but Gwendolen believes it so much. At this point, the plot of land begins to unwind Gwendolen reveals that she was talking about Ernest (Jack) and Cecily tells her that she is not Ernests ward, but his older brothers. Gwendolen asks why Ernest (Jack) had never told her that he had a brother, and Cecily explained that it was because they had not really been on speaking terms.Cecily then tells Gwendolen that she is engaged to be married to Ernest (Algernon). To this Gwendolen quite politely rising says My darling Cecily, I think there essential be some slight error. Mr Ernest Worthing (Jack) is engaged to me. Cecily responds to this by very politely rising and saying I am afraid you must be under some misconception. Ernest (Algernon) proposed to me exactly ten minutes ago. She then shows Gwendolen the entry in her diary to prove it, and Gwendolen shows the entry in her diary to prove that Ernest (Jack) had proposed to her the previous day.Gwendolen then states that because Ernest had proposed to her first, she had the prior claim, and Cecily said that this as not true because he had clearly changed his mind. This argument produces a comic effect and a sense of dramatic irony it is comical because although the two women are very angry with each other, they cannot show their true feelings because it was not seen as lady-like behaviour. The dramatic irony in this dialogue is that the Audience knows that there are actually two people pretending to be Ernest, but Gwendolen and Cecily do not know this.The conversation continues between Cecily and Gwendolen, but they are being sarcastic and spiteful to each other whilst pretending to be polite. An example of this is when Cecily asks Gwendolen if she wants sugar in her tea Gwendolen says no because sugar is not fashionable any more then CECILY looks angrily at her, takes the tongs and puts four lumps of sugar into the cup . Cecily then asks Gwendolen if she wants cake, or pelf and butter, Gwendolen says that she wants bread and butter because cake is rarely seen at the best houses nowadays then Cecily cuts a very large slice of cake and puts it on the tray . Gwendolen becomes very angry at this deliberate attempt to annoy her and tells Cecily From the moment I saw you I distrusted you. I felt that you were false and deceitful. I am never deceived in such matters. My first impressions of people are invariably right. This produces a comical effect because Gwendolen has just contradicted herself from what she said to C ecily when she first met her, but she still tries to make out that she has been right about her all along.The climax of the play occurs when Jack comes into the room and interrupts Gwendolen and Cecily. Gwendolen embraces him and asks Jack whether he is engaged to Cecily Jack obviously denies this and Cecily reveals that the gentleman whose arm is at present round your waist is my guardian, Mr John Worthing. Gwendolen says Jack Oh and pulls away from him. Algernon then walks into the room, and Cecily asks him if he is engaged to be married to Gwendolen, and he says no. Gwendolen then reveals to Cecily that the gentleman who is now embracing you is my cousin, Mr Algernon Moncrieff Cecily says Algernon Moncrieff Oh and pulls away from him.There are two examples of symmetric speech in this section of the scene the first is when some(prenominal) Jack and Algernon say to Gwendolen and Cecily What could have put such an idea into your pretty little head. The endorse example is the iden tical way in which Gwendolen and Cecily reacted to the news that both their fiancs had different names then they had thought. This produces a comic effect because this is the climax of the play, and all of the deceit is being revealed to Gwendolen and Cecily.The relationship between Gwendolen and Cecily drastically changes as the two girls move towards each other and out their arms round each others waists as if for protection. . They ask Jack and Algernon if what they have heard is true, they both say that it is, even though it is very painful for me Jack to be forced to speak the truth. This confession goes against the audiences expectations producing a comic effect because normally people may find it painful to tell a lie then to tell the truth. Gwendolen and Cecily decide that they are going to resign to the house because they have just found out that they are both not engaged to anyone, and it is not a very pleasant cast for a young girl suddenly to find herself in.Jack and Al gernon are left alone in the garden and the girls retire to the house. The last section of Act Two is the conversation between Algernon and Jack. They talk about Gwendolen and Cecily and how they feel about them. However, Jack makes it very clear that he is not sure that Algernon and Cecily will actually marry, and Algernon states that he thinks it very unlikely that Jack and Gwendolen will marry.The conversation soon sways onto the christenings and Algernon advises Jack that If you are not quite sure about your ever being Christened, I must say I think it rather dangerous your venturing on it now. It might make you very unwell. This produces a comic effect because it is completely impossible that being christened will make you unwell. The Act closes on Jack and Algernon arguing over the muffins that are being served on the table, showing their almost childish relationship.In conclusion, there are many similarities between Act One and Act Two, this could be part of what makes it so comical. The characters have developed the plot up to the climax, there is only the end to be revealed. In Act Three all of the deceit and the mysteries will be solved.