Victorian Period 1832-1900. Queen Victoria took throne in 1837 (at 18) Queen Victoria took throne in...

Victorian PeriodVictorian Period

1832-19001832-1900


Queen Victoria took throne in 1837 (at Queen Victoria took throne in 1837 (at 18)18)

Long reign, died in 1901 (at 82)Long reign, died in 1901 (at 82) England became wealthiest nation England became wealthiest nation British Empire expansion British Empire expansion

– ““The sun never sets on England.”The sun never sets on England.”– Queen-empress over 200 million people Queen-empress over 200 million people

living outside Great Britainliving outside Great Britain– India, North America, South Pacific, etc.India, North America, South Pacific, etc.


Industrial Revolution - booms & Industrial Revolution - booms & depressions depressions

Created new towns, goods, wealth, jobs for Created new towns, goods, wealth, jobs for people climbing through middle classpeople climbing through middle class

Social & economic changes expressed in Social & economic changes expressed in gradual political reforms.gradual political reforms.


Women for suffrage – did not succeed Women for suffrage – did not succeed until 1918 (30 & over)until 1918 (30 & over)

Universal adult suffrage 1928 extended Universal adult suffrage 1928 extended vote to women at age 21vote to women at age 21

Factory Acts – limited child & women Factory Acts – limited child & women laborlabor

State supported schools est. in 1870; State supported schools est. in 1870; compulsory in 1880; free in 1891compulsory in 1880; free in 1891

Literacy rate increased from 40% to Literacy rate increased from 40% to 90% from 1840-1900.90% from 1840-1900.


Paradox of progressParadox of progress– Victorian – synonym for prude; extreme Victorian – synonym for prude; extreme

repression; even furniture legs had to be repression; even furniture legs had to be concealed under heavy cloth not to be concealed under heavy cloth not to be “suggestive”“suggestive”

New ideas discussed & debated by New ideas discussed & debated by large segment of societylarge segment of society– Voracious readersVoracious readers– Intellectual growth, change and adjustmentIntellectual growth, change and adjustment


Decorum & Authority – Victorians Decorum & Authority – Victorians saw themselves progressing morally saw themselves progressing morally & intellectually& intellectually

Powerful middle-class obsessed with Powerful middle-class obsessed with “gentility, decorum” = “gentility, decorum” = prudery/Victorianism prudery/Victorianism

Censorship of writers: no mention of Censorship of writers: no mention of “sex, birth, or death”“sex, birth, or death”


Decorum – powerful ideas about Decorum – powerful ideas about authorityauthority– Victorian private lives – autocratic father Victorian private lives – autocratic father

figurefigure– Women – subject to male authorityWomen – subject to male authority– Middle-class women expected to marry & Middle-class women expected to marry &

make home a “refuge” for husbandmake home a “refuge” for husband– Women had few occupations open to themWomen had few occupations open to them– Unmarried women often portrayed by Unmarried women often portrayed by

comedy by male writerscomedy by male writers


Intellectual ProgressIntellectual Progress– Understanding of earth, its creatures & Understanding of earth, its creatures &

natural laws (geology, Darwin – theory natural laws (geology, Darwin – theory of evolution)of evolution)

– Industrialization of England depended Industrialization of England depended on and supported science and on and supported science and technology.technology.


Materialism, secularism, vulgarity, and Materialism, secularism, vulgarity, and sheer waste that accompanied sheer waste that accompanied Victorian progress led some writers to Victorian progress led some writers to wonder if their culture was really wonder if their culture was really advancing by any measure.advancing by any measure.

Trust in transcendental power gave Trust in transcendental power gave way to uncertainty & spiritual doubt. way to uncertainty & spiritual doubt. – Late Victorian writers turned to a Late Victorian writers turned to a

pessimistic exploration of the human pessimistic exploration of the human struggle against indifferent natural forces.struggle against indifferent natural forces.


Victorian writing reflects the dangers Victorian writing reflects the dangers and benefits to rapid and benefits to rapid industrialization, while encouraging industrialization, while encouraging readers to examine closely their own readers to examine closely their own understanding of the era’s progress.understanding of the era’s progress.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

B. in Dublin; father physician; mother B. in Dublin; father physician; mother writer (poetry/prominent figure in Dublin writer (poetry/prominent figure in Dublin literary society)literary society)

Excelled in classical literature (Trinity C.)Excelled in classical literature (Trinity C.) Scholarship to Magdalen College (Oxford)Scholarship to Magdalen College (Oxford) Famous for brilliant conversation & Famous for brilliant conversation &

flamboyant manner of dress & behaviorflamboyant manner of dress & behavior– ““Dandy” figure based himselfDandy” figure based himself


Student of “aesthetic movement” – Student of “aesthetic movement” – which rejected older Victorian which rejected older Victorian insistence on moral purposed of art insistence on moral purposed of art

Celebrated value of “art for art’s sakeCelebrated value of “art for art’s sake Settled in LondonSettled in London Mocked Victorian notions about moral Mocked Victorian notions about moral

seriousness of great artseriousness of great art Treated art as the “supreme reality” Treated art as the “supreme reality”

and treated life as “fiction”and treated life as “fiction”


The Importance of Being EarnestThe Importance of Being Earnest (produced 1895) most famous (produced 1895) most famous comedycomedy

Complicated plot turns upon fortunes Complicated plot turns upon fortunes and misfortunes of two young upper-and misfortunes of two young upper-class Englishmen: class Englishmen: – John Worthing and Algernon MoncrieffJohn Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff– Each lives double life; creates another Each lives double life; creates another

personality to escape tedious personality to escape tedious social/family obligationssocial/family obligations


Plot composed of events of the most Plot composed of events of the most improbable & trivial significanceimprobable & trivial significance

Real substance of play witty dialogueReal substance of play witty dialogue– According to Wilde, trivial things should According to Wilde, trivial things should

be treated seriously and serious things be treated seriously and serious things should be treated trivially.should be treated trivially.

-Title based on satirical double meaning: -Title based on satirical double meaning: “Ernest” is the name of fictitious “Ernest” is the name of fictitious character, also designates sincere character, also designates sincere aspirationaspiration


Making the “earnestness” of his Making the “earnestness” of his Ernest the key to outrageous Ernest the key to outrageous comedy, Wilde pokes fun at comedy, Wilde pokes fun at conventional seriousness conventional seriousness

Uses solemn moral language to Uses solemn moral language to frivolous and ridiculous actionfrivolous and ridiculous action


The Importance of Being EarnestThe Importance of Being Earnest uses the following literary devices:uses the following literary devices:– Paradox: seems contradictory but Paradox: seems contradictory but

presents truthpresents truth– Inverted logic: words/phrases turned Inverted logic: words/phrases turned

upside down reversing our expectationsupside down reversing our expectations– Pun: play on words using word or Pun: play on words using word or

phrase that has two meaningsphrase that has two meanings


Literary Devices continuedLiterary Devices continued– Epigram: brief, witty, cleverly-expressed Epigram: brief, witty, cleverly-expressed

statementstatement– Parody: humorous mocking imitation of Parody: humorous mocking imitation of

literary workliterary work– Satire: ridicules through humorSatire: ridicules through humor– Irony: something you don’t expect to Irony: something you don’t expect to

happenhappen– Foreshadowing: creates suspense Foreshadowing: creates suspense

through hints to the endingthrough hints to the ending


The Comedic LadderThe Comedic Ladder– Comedy of Ideas (high comedy)Comedy of Ideas (high comedy)

Characters argue about ideas like politics, Characters argue about ideas like politics, religion, sex, marriage.religion, sex, marriage.

They use wit, their clever language to mock They use wit, their clever language to mock their opponent in an argument.their opponent in an argument.

This is a subtle way to satirize people and This is a subtle way to satirize people and institutions like political parties, institutions like political parties, governments, churches, war, and marriage.governments, churches, war, and marriage.


Comedy of Manners (high comedy)Comedy of Manners (high comedy)– The plot focuses on amorous intrigues among The plot focuses on amorous intrigues among

the upper classes.the upper classes.– The dialogue focuses on witty language. The dialogue focuses on witty language.

Clever speech, insults and “put-downs” are Clever speech, insults and “put-downs” are traded between characters.traded between characters.

– Society is often made up of cliques that are Society is often made up of cliques that are exclusive with certain groups as the in-crowd, exclusive with certain groups as the in-crowd, other groups (the would-be-wits, desiring to be other groups (the would-be-wits, desiring to be part of the witty crowd) and some (the witless) part of the witty crowd) and some (the witless) on the outside.on the outside.


Farce (can be combination of Farce (can be combination of high/low)high/low)– The plot is full of coincidences, The plot is full of coincidences,

mistimings, mistaken identities.mistimings, mistaken identities.– Characters are puppets of fate – they Characters are puppets of fate – they

are twins, born to the wrong class, are twins, born to the wrong class, unable to marry, too poor, too rich, have unable to marry, too poor, too rich, have loss of identity because of birth or fate loss of identity because of birth or fate or accident, or are (sometimes) twins or accident, or are (sometimes) twins separated, unaware of their double.separated, unaware of their double.


Low ComedyLow Comedy– Subjects of the humor consists of dirty jokes, Subjects of the humor consists of dirty jokes,

dirty gestures, sex, and eliminationdirty gestures, sex, and elimination– The extremes of humor range from The extremes of humor range from

exaggeration to understatement with a focus exaggeration to understatement with a focus on the physical like long noses, cross eyes, on the physical like long noses, cross eyes, humped back and deformities. humped back and deformities.

– The physical actions revolve around slapstick, The physical actions revolve around slapstick, pratfalls, loud noises, physical mishaps, pratfalls, loud noises, physical mishaps, collisions – all part of the humor of man collisions – all part of the humor of man encountering and uncooperative universe.encountering and uncooperative universe.

Victorian Period 1832-1900. Queen Victoria took throne in 1837 (at 18) Queen Victoria took throne in...

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