Lakhasly

Wilde's Wit and Wordplay

An epigram is a brief, witty statement, usually a generalization about some aspect of life.Mabel's remark isn't meant to be cruel, simply candid; she can see exactly how old Lord Goring is so his attempt to downplay his age fails, to comedic effect.In other instances epigrams are windows on broader, more profound, issues."Morality" refers to a code that defines what society considers good or bad behavior.Epigrams convey big messages in compact form.Its purpose is to surprise, delight, and often provoke its audience."Weeks" doesn't change his age much at all.

Wilde's Wit and Wordplay

An epigram is a brief, witty statement, usually a generalization about some aspect of life. Its purpose is to surprise, delight, and often provoke its audience. Epigrams convey big messages in compact form. Consider President Kennedys moms epigram: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what can do for your country. The second half of the epigram is startling because it reverses the first, communicating the message that rather than being a passive recipient, listeners should actively participate to help their country.

Short, sharp, and eye opening, epigrams are particularly well suited for satire. This makes them an excellent tool for Wilde, who uses them to poke fun at the rigidity or hypocrisy of society. Wilde's epigrams owe their witty bite to his use of wordplay, a playful or clever use of language, like that found in puns and other forms of verbal humor. Wordplay allows Wilde to subvert his audience's expectations by reversing the meanings or logic of words in order to make a satirical point.

An Ideal Husband is full of snappy dialogue based on epigrams, such as this exchange between Mabel Chiltern and Lord Goring in Act 4:

Lord Goring [after some hesitation). And I'm a little over thirty. Mabel Chiltern Dear you look weeks younger than that

It is clear he feels self-conscious about admitting his true age to Mabel, the younger woman he wants to marry. In a conventional conversation Mabel would respond with kindness and tell Lord Goring that he does not look his age. When Mabel tells Lord Goring "you look weeks younger than that" it is not comforting but honest and witty. "Weeks" doesn't change his age much at all. Mabel's remark isn't meant to be cruel, simply candid; she can see exactly how old Lord Goring is so his attempt to downplay his age fails, to comedic effect.

In other instances epigrams are windows on broader, more profound, issues. In Act 2 Mn. Cheveley quips, "Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike." "Morality" refers to a code that defines what society considers good or bad behavior. Logically people should embrace morality in order to lead an ethical, principled life. But Mrs. Cheveley turns the conventional meaning of the word