Question

three instances of irony in The Importance of Being Earnest. I kind of have an idea but i need help..

Answer 1

as well as 4 examples of humor.

Answer 2

First, you'll want to define humor and irony, loosely. What kind of sentence / passage would be considered humorous? What kind of sentence / passage exemplifies irony? (This may be trickier).
Irony: The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

Answer 3

What are your ideas for each?

Answer 4

well for humor i'm just completely lost. i listened to the whole thing and read it but it just isn't that funny to me. but for irony i was thinking in scene II when Gwendolen first says she likes Cecily and they will be good friends since her first impressions are never wrong. Than later Gwendolen says she hasn't trusted Cecily from the moment they met and again her judgements are never wrong.
that's the only one i got.

Answer 5

Yeah, the novel is sort of old so the humor isn't as easy to find for us 21st-century folks.

Answer 6

Exactly i can't find any humor in it :/

Answer 7

I think that would be good for irony, since her first statement goes against her second.

Answer 8

Let's work on irony first, and then we can go into humor, okay? :)

Answer 9

So, think about the major plot points in the novel. There is a LOT of drama, given that both men pretend to be Ernest to win the affections/hand of their ladies of choice, etc.

Answer 10

It may help to just read over the plot to refresh your memory - it will come to you!
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/earnest/summary.html
I must go, now, unfortunately, but I wish you luck!

Answer 11

You can think of humor as in the people's reactions, possibly.

Answer 12

hmm could it be ironic how one of their names ends up being Ernest anyways? so he technically wasn't lying at all. Alright thanks for the help :)

Answer 13

Yes - that would be characteristic of irony, since the entire novel is based around the problem of NOT being Ernest, and then one of them ends up as such.
Another example could be the irony that Jack personifies/describes 'Ernest' as being a troublemaker, and uses it as an escape from his life, but he ends up wanting that name.

Humor - you should look at some of the characters' reactions. Like, if they're overly dramatic it could be perceived as funny. Sort of like the scene where Gwendolen and Cecily exit the scene when they find out the 'truth' - arm in arm. That could be comedic. Or ironic since earlier in the scene they were angry at each other.

Answer 14

true! thanks :)

Answer 15

Also might another example of humor be that they get caught in the end?