this is really impotant and has to be about 1500 words its about the comic elements too thankyou :) x
1500 words will be hard to come by. Comic elements in Wilde come from such things as comparison and contrast (Cecily and Gwendolyn), plays on words (these are called puns) and confusion of identities or people pretending they are something they are not. Just the contrast between the artificiality of society and the "country" life has several possibilities: the way people dress, the way they do or do not look down on other people, the values they have as they deal with other people, etc. 1500 words will be about 6 pages, so you are going to really have to focus in with good examples of lines from the play and the stage directions to have this work.
Both girls are used to personify their respective worlds, the country class and the city class. Here Gwendolyn states how horrid it would be to live in the country and Cecily points out the artificiality of city life,
"Gwendolen. Personally I cannot understand how anybody manages to exist in the country, if anybody who is anybody does. The country always bores me to death."
"Cecily. Ah! This is what the newspapers call agricultural depression, is it not? I believe the aristocracy are suffering very much from it just at present. It is almost an epidemic amongst them, I have been told. May I offer you some tea, Miss Fairfax?"
Again we see Gwendolyn show her superficial city disposition when she rejects the obvious condiments of a tea party.
Gwendolen. [Superciliously.] No, thank you. Sugar is not fashionable any more. [Cecily looks angrily at her, takes up the tongs and puts four lumps of sugar into the cup.]
Cecily. [Severely.] Cake or bread and butter?
Gwendolen. [In a bored manner.] Bread and butter, please. Cake is rarely seen at the best houses nowadays.
Cecily. [Cuts a very large slice of cake, and puts it on the tray.] Hand that to Miss Fairfax.
Cicely obviously comes out looking more wholesome with an intelligent edge to her.
Thankyou this helps a lot :) x
