Oscar Wilde and the Art of Lying (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781527521551)

Utilizing Wildeâ (TM)s own characters â oeVivian⠝ and â oeCyril, ⠝ this critique in play format begins by discussing the playwrightâ (TM)s ideas on the relation of Art to Life, exploring his pronouncements on the artistâ (TM)s true purpose. Wildeâ (TM)s statement about the artist as a â oecreator of beauty⠝, found in his â oePreface to the Picture of Dorian Gray⠝, is then examined with regard to his last and most popular play, The Importance of Being Earnest. Discussing â ]Earnest in extensis, this book discovers whether the elegant artificiality and epigrammatic conceits of contemporary farce prevail as beauty per Wildeâ (TM)s earlier theories as expressed in The Decay of Lying. The consequence of Wildeâ (TM)s assault on Victorian values is considered in terms of its social contribution to perceptions of beauty and the way in which we might appreciate both the playwright and â ]Earnest now.

Author: D. D. Desjardins
ISBN-10: 1527521559
ISBN-13: 9781527521551
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Language: English
Published: 02/01/2019
Pages: 119
Format: Hardcover