Oscar Wilde′s "The Importance of Being Earnest" was on stage for the first time in 1895. Since then, it seems to have lost nothing of its wit. People still consider it funny, when Algernon and Jack, both alias Ernest, bend the truth to jazz up their lives, ending up with seri-ous problems. But what is it actually that made, that still makes Wilde′s play funny? What is the connection between a certain reply from Algernon or Lady Bracknell and the audience or reader trem-bling with laughter (or at least smiling)? This paper will be concerned with the question whether it is possible to trace all of Wilde′s comical devices, perhaps even all possible forms of humour, back to one basic "recipe of laughter".
People tried to do this, although the matter seems to be extremely complicated. Who has not yet experienced the embarrassment, while trying to explain a pun or joke to somebody who did not get it on the first time: the comical element slips through your fingers like water and soon seems to have never existed, although it has caused audible and visible effect, namely laughter, a moment before. We will start from what the philosopher Henry Bergson found out about mechanisms of the comic effect and see if his theory accounts for Wilde′s play being comical. Later I want to outline the theory of bisociation, which Arthur Koestler brought up, and finally analyze the play along the lines of the theoretical apparatus he developed. Throughout the second chapter I will show that both theories will break down if confronted with certain forms of the comic element.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Mechanisms of the comic effect
2.1 An overview of Henry Bergson’s theory of laughter
2.2 Bergsonian patterns of humour in Wilde’s play
2.3 The basic ideas of Koestler’s bisociative approach to the comic effect
2.4 Bisociative patterns in Wilde’s text
3. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper investigates the mechanisms behind the comic effect in Oscar Wilde’s play "The Importance of Being Earnest" by evaluating whether universal theories of humor can fully explain its comedic devices. The study specifically applies the philosophical frameworks of Henry Bergson and Arthur Koestler to identify patterns of humor within the dialogue and character interactions.
- Analysis of Henry Bergson’s theory of laughter as a social corrective.
- Examination of Arthur Koestler’s bisociative approach to humor.
- Application of theoretical frameworks to specific scenes and character dynamics.
- Critical assessment of the limitations of universal humor theories in practice.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 An overview of Henry Bergson’s theory of laughter
The French philosopher Henri Bergson developed a very lively theory of laughter in his work (originally called) Le Rire in 1901. (All quotes in this chapter are from the translated English version called “Laughter”)
Bergson makes some preliminary observations about the comic effect in general. The first thing he claims is that “the comic does not exist outside the pale of what is strictly human” (Bergson 10): Something will only be laughable if it touches the human sphere in one or the other way. You will only laugh about an animal “because you have detected in it some human attitude or expression” (Bergson 10). A hat or any material thing will never be comical by itself, you will only laugh about an imaginary resemblance of its form for example to a part of the human body or about “the shape that men have given it” (Bergson 10).
His second point is that laughter is usually accompanied by an “absence of feeling” (Bergson 10). “Indifference is its natural environment, for laughter has no greater foe than emotion” (Bergson 10). When we see for instance someone stumble and fall, we can only laugh about him if we temporarily forget about pity. Bergson argues further that humour appeals exclusively to intelligence and requires what he calls a “momentary anaesthesia of the heart” (Bergson 11).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the objective of the study, which is to trace the comedic devices in "The Importance of Being Earnest" back to fundamental theories of humor, specifically those of Bergson and Koestler.
2. Mechanisms of the comic effect: This main section details the theoretical foundations and their application, analyzing how Bergson's "mechanical" humor and Koestler's "bisociation" explain specific instances of wit in the play.
2.1 An overview of Henry Bergson’s theory of laughter: This sub-chapter outlines Bergson’s core thesis that laughter serves as a social corrective against rigidity and mechanical behavior in humans.
2.2 Bergsonian patterns of humour in Wilde’s play: This section tests Bergson’s theory against the characters of Algernon and Lady Bracknell, examining their roles as stereotypical representations of society.
2.3 The basic ideas of Koestler’s bisociative approach to the comic effect: This sub-chapter presents Koestler’s theory of bisociation, which suggests that humor arises from the collision of two unrelated mental fields at a point of junction.
2.4 Bisociative patterns in Wilde’s text: This section applies Koestler’s concepts to specific dialogue within the play to determine if they offer a more comprehensive explanation of the text's comedy than Bergson's theory.
3. Conclusion: The concluding chapter summarizes that while both theories offer valuable insights, the complexity of humor often transcends any single universal formula.
Keywords
Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, Henry Bergson, Arthur Koestler, Theory of Laughter, Bisociation, Comic Effect, Humor, Mechanical Inelasticity, Operative Field, Literary Analysis, Wit, Social Gesture, Comedy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines the comedic mechanisms in Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest" by applying the humor theories of Henry Bergson and Arthur Koestler.
What are the main thematic areas explored in the analysis?
The analysis covers the definition of the comic, the social function of laughter, the nature of stereotypical characters, and the linguistic structures that produce comedic effects.
What is the central research question?
The study asks whether it is possible to trace all of Wilde’s comical devices and forms of humor back to one basic "recipe of laughter" based on the provided philosophical frameworks.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses qualitative literary analysis, contrasting two specific theoretical models against the text of the play to evaluate their descriptive and explanatory power.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body systematically outlines Bergson's theory (mechanical inelasticity) and Koestler's theory (bisociation), followed by an application of these concepts to character traits and specific dialogue in the play.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include bisociation, mechanical inelasticity, operative field, comic effect, and Wildean wit.
How does the author characterize Algernon Moncrieff using Bergson’s theory?
Algernon is characterized as the stereotype of an English aristocrat, where his rigid adherence to social roles and arrogance acts as the "mechanical" element encrusted upon his human personality.
Why does the author conclude that these theories have limitations?
The author concludes that laughter serves many functions, and because of the diversity of comedic forms, a single universal formula often fails to account for subtler or more complex forms of humor, such as "logic turned upside down."
- Quote paper
- Andreas Glombitza (Author), 2003, Mechanisms of the comic effect in Oscar Wilde's "The importance of being earnest": An analysis according to Henry Bergson and Arthur Koestler, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/20900
