Wilde And George Bernard Shaw Essay, Research Paper
IRONY
the Challenge of Acting Oscar Wilde And George Bernard Shaw
Irony is another staple tool of wit in Style acting, and it often seems to come effortlessly to British actors because the British rarely say what they mean. “The speech we hear is an indication of what we don’t hear… One way of looking at speech is to say it is a constant stratagem to cover nakedness,” says British playwright Harold Pinter. But I notice that some American actors (other than native New Yorkers) are made uneasy by the notion that what they are saying is a decoy from the true intention, that the language distracts from what the character is actually thinking They worry that the underlying meaning is not obvious enough and in their attempts to communicate it they destroy all irony because if it isn’t delicate, it’s not irony. It’s nudge,nudge or worse.
Meaning one thing while saying something else is like singing a harmony with yourself, and the dominant tune is the spoken words. If they are convincing in their own right, and the audience realizes the unspoken irony a second later, it’s funny. The character need not necessarily grasp the irony: awareness is not always part of the equation.
Another form of irony springs from the contradiction between words and actions. When this is deliberate it can be crude, such as “how very amusing” said with a straight face. Action should not reinforce an irony or it will overload it. For example, “I like you already more than I can say” should not be accompanied by a hostile stare. In fact, the action that accompanies irony should be ambiguously appropriate. In other words, it should be capable of being interpreted as the truth by the recipient, and recognizable cover up by the audience. It’s a fine line to tread.
Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is a minefield of irony, and you will fall all too easily into leaden unfunniness if the you don’t have a light touch.The structure of Oscar Wilde’s dialogue in The Importance of Being Ernest, and the formal gestures and movements that express it, are what some actors and directors take to be the style of the play. They are, of course, part of the style, but if one relies exclusively on form it should be no great surprise when the whole thing turns out to be a brittle bore. If the actors rely on the form to save them and don’t dig below the surface, the play becomes an exercise in verbal and physical geometry. But if we look for the human and social drives that fuel the dialogue, then the play will have a life as well as a form.
Having identified the irony in this way, the next step is to abandon it and trust the text. The mere fact that the actress has fully acknowledged the existence of the underlying meaning will forever color her delivery of the lines. You don’t have to do any more. Say the lines as if you mean them. The irony you acknowledged in rehearsal will permeate your delivery. The biggest danger is heavy handedness:
look at me, I don’t mean what I’m saying.
Sometimes it’s hard to persuade actors that irony needs remarkably little assistance, and that they can use a completely truthful inflection without losing the discord between the words and what lies underneath. All they have to do is to know the truth.
Другие работы по теме:
Rape Fantasies Essay Research Paper
“Rape Fantasies” Irony is the use of words to express something different from and opposite to their literal meaning. It is used with tone and style to create humorous situations. There are various forms of irony. Margaret Atwood uses situational irony, dramatic irony, and verbal irony in “Rape Fantasies”.
Beowulf And Irony Essay Research Paper OConnor
Beowulf And Irony Essay, Research Paper O?Connor uses irony in ?Good Country People? to give the reader a better sense of what she is trying to communicate to the reader, and show the meaning
Ironies Of Life Essay Research Paper Ironies
Ironies Of Life Essay, Research Paper Ironies Of Life Irony is a word that has been around in my life since I was six years old. I remember it exactly, the day that the word entered my vocabulary. My mom and I were driving to my grandma?s house and I was reading a ?Calvin and Hobbes? comic from the paper earlier that morning.
The Test Of Salem Essay Research Paper
The Tests of Salem The Crucible is a play, which brings attention to many timeless issues. The nature of good and evil, power and its corruption, honor and integrity and irony are all brought up in Arthur Miller s The Crucible. Irony what doe sit men? Irony means incongruity between what is expected to happen and what actually occurs.
Irony Of Macbeth Essay Research Paper IRONY
Irony Of Macbeth Essay, Research Paper IRONY IN MACBETH Shakespeare s play Macbeth portrays much irony. Such as the scene where Macbeth is made to believe that he is supposed to become king when really he is not. Another ironic scene is where Macbeth, on the outside gives the impression that he is trustworthy and loves Duncan, yet on the inside he longs for the death of Duncan.
The Odd Couple Summary Essay Research Paper
Zach Melamed English 12/19/00 The Odd Couple Act 1 Five friends, all guys are sitting around playing poker in Oscar’s apartment. The place really messy because Oscar’s wife left him. The men are just hanging out, playing cards and eating food. Murray, a policeman,
The Importance Of Being Ernest Essay Research
Paper The play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is full of irony. Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, the protagonists in the play, get themselves into a complicated situation called Bunburyism (as Algernon refers to it). They pretend to be someone that they are not to escape their daily lives.
Oedipus Rex 2 Essay Research Paper Oedipus
Oedipus Rex 2 Essay, Research Paper Oedipus Rex a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles in the early days of antiquity is based upon an even more ancient story in Greek mythology. Sophocles, however, knowing that his audience is aware of the outcome of the play utilizes that foreknowledge to create various situations in which dramatic and verbal irony play key roles.
Cask Of Amontillado Essay Research Paper Nicholas
Cask Of Amontillado Essay, Research Paper Nicholas Di Maria Eng lit. Mr. Bonnetti Irony in the Cask of Amontillado Throughout the semester, we read many short stories, and all of them had some dramatic
A Long Lasting Comedy Essay Research Paper
A Long Lasting Comedy In today?s world we are all exposed to comedy. We see comedy in a variety of ways. These ways include: movies, plays, situational comedies on television, and stand up comedians. However, there is something very different about the typical comedy today compared to the play ?The Importance of Being Earnest? written by Oscar Wilde.
Oscar Claude Monet Essay Research Paper Oscar
Oscar Claude Monet Essay, Research Paper Oscar Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris, France. Monet spent most of his childhood in Le Havre, France. In Le Havre, Monet studied drawings and painted seascapes with a French painter Eugene Louis Boudin in his teens. By 1859 Monet committed himself a career to be an artist.
Definition Of Drama Essay Research Paper 1
Definition Of Drama Essay, Research Paper 1. Write a brief history of drama from its beginnings to the twentieth century. Drama is defined by Aristotle as “a criticism of life, on a stage, with action, characters and dialogue.” The Greek word for “deed” or “action” is dram. In traditional Greek drama, the chorus is also considered as a character in the development of the plot.
Othello Essay Research Paper The play Othello
Othello Essay, Research Paper The play Othello was written be William Shakespeare in the latter years of Shakespeare?s career. Shakespeare composed, revised, and acted in many theatrical performances throughout his life, he also owned the Globe theater where many of his works were performed. The work Othello was based on a story by Giraldi Cinthios, Tale of a Moor, which was a mellow drama about a moor and his doubts about his wife?s fidelity.
A Tale Of Two Cities Charles Dickens
(1812-1870) Essay, Research Paper Dickens conceived the idea for this complicated plot while acting in a play. Every event penned in A Tale of Two Cities
Irony In Animal Farm Essay Research Paper
Animal Farm is a classic portrayal of how power can effect the goals and hopes of a society. In this essay, I will explore the irony of Animal Farm, and how it used to satirize communism and dictatorships.
Oscar Romero Essay Research Paper Individuals often
Oscar Romero Essay, Research Paper Individuals often become heroes because of the extraordinary courage they demonstrate. An unyielding determination to do what is right, true, and just became a guiding principle for Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero. He informed the world about all the people who had been tortured, slaughtered, and of those who had “disappeared” in his country, El Salvador.
The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar 2
The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900) Essay, Research Paper Oscar Wilde, the witty Edwardian poet, playright, and author, was noted for his refined demeanor. The same mannerisms
Citizen Kane Essay Research Paper Citizen KaneWhat
Citizen Kane Essay, Research Paper Citizen Kane What makes an excellent movie? Orson Welles starred and produced in the movie Citizen Kane, now known as the greatest movie ever made. Citizen Kane loosely portrays the life of William Randolph Hearst. In the movie, the use of sound, great acting, and irony help make this movie number one.
Othello Essay Research Paper Irony in OthelloOne
Othello Essay, Research Paper Irony in Othello One of the main themes that runs throughout William Shakespeare?s ?Othello? is that of irony. Both verbal irony and dramatic irony are found in the play. This irony is used to show the audience outside views on characters and situations. In Shakespeare?s ?Othello?, irony is present in the lives of Othello, Desdemona, and Iago to further the development of their character and the plot.
Symbolism In The Rocking Horse Winner Essay
, Research Paper D. H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking-Horse Winner” is a short story that widely uses many techniques in which elaborate on the importance of many topics discussed. The character foils, which add to Paul’s character, give a sense of the boy’s growing need to gamble and become lucky. The whispering house is a main symbol in the plot that leads to the outcome of the story and the main force that drives the young boy to find a winner.
Oscar De La Hoya Essay Research Paper
Oscar De La Hoya is a famous professional boxer. He is known all over the world for his looks, talent in the ring and his great sportsmanship. He is one of the best fighters in the
Irony In Your Every Day Life Essay
, Research Paper Assignment: Freewrite on the irony in your every day life. Then polish it up and write a paragraph about the irony you encounter. Isn’t That Ironic?
Oscar Schindler Essay Research Paper Oscar Schindler
Oscar Schindler Essay, Research Paper Oscar Schindler: People die, it’s a fact of life. He wants to kill everybody? Great, what am I supposed to do about it? Bring everybody over? Is that what you think? Send them over to Schindler, send them all. His place is a ‘haven,’ didn’t you know? It’s not a factory, it’s not an enterprise of any kind, it’s a haven for rabbis and orphans and people with no skills whatsoever.
Dramatic Irony In A Dolls Hous Essay
, Research Paper Dramatic Irony in A Dolls House Irony serves the purpose of accentuating a story, it also adds to its creativity and originality. There are numerous types of
What Is Irony Essay Research Paper Irony
What Is Irony? Essay, Research Paper Irony is a method of assertion used by authors in literature and poetry. Although many writers have employed this literary technique for centuries, the meaning of the word can be difficult to understand. This essay will help to describe the correct meaning of this diverse word and illustrate how it is used.
Irony In Rape Fantasies Essay Research Paper
Irony in “Rape Fantasies” Rape Fantasies, by Margaret Atwood is overflowing with irony. Almost every type of irony is presented in this short story. From verbal to situational to dramatic irony, this story leaves nothing out. The ironic tone adds depth to the plot and makes the short story much more entertaining.
1984 Irony Essay Research Paper THE IRONIES
1984 Irony Essay, Research Paper THE IRONIES OF 1984 The novel 1984, by George Orwell, has many examples of irony throughout it. The two major types of irony: verbal irony and situation irony, are demonstrated again and again in this novel. In the following essay I will discuss these types of ironies and give examples of each from the book.
The Use Of Irony In
“Macbeth” Essay, Research Paper There are many types of irony used in Macbeth. Without the irony, the tragedy would not be quite so tragic. One type of irony used in Macbeth is verbal irony. This is when a character says
Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper The Irony
Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper The Irony of the Letter ?A? In the book ?The Scarlet Letter? there is plenty of irony. Irony is real important in any book. It?s one of the main components which makes a book come to life. If there was not irony the complexity of a book would not be the same it would be very dull.
Ironies In The Novel 1984 George Orwell
Essay, Research Paper ironies in the novel 1984 george Orwell THE IRONIES OF 1984 The novel 1984, by George Orwell, has many examples of ironythroughout it. The two major types of irony: verbal irony and situationirony, are demonstrated again and again in this novel. In the followingessay I will discuss these types of ironies and give examples of each fromthe book.
Oscar Wilde Essay Research Paper This statement
Oscar Wilde Essay, Research Paper This statement is pronounced by Gwendolen Fairfax, when Jack Worthing proposes to her by standing on his knee. Oscar Wilde tries to demonstrate in this phrase the young woman?s obsession with social acceptance. The mere fact that she is getting a marriage proposal from a good man that adores her is not satisfying enough.