Algernon is a comic for contemporary audiences because of his dandyism, his pleasure in self-gratification, his inverted morals and his double life. Wilde presents Algernon as a dandy figure who is more interested in style than substance; indeed, Algernon's nature can be seen through Algernon's house, which is described in the opening captions as an extravagant setting "luxuriously and artistically furnished". Algernon also shows lack of concern for formality and accuracy reflected in the way he responded to Lane's polite criticisms of Algernon's skill at playing the piano. Algernon said that feeling was his forte and that he "holds science for life," showing his artistic talent and ease, as well as his belief that expression and feeling are much more important things. Algernon's excessive concern with being elegant and fashionable could also be seen through his preoccupation with specific dress requirements for his false identity, Bunbury, in Act 1, where he asks Lane to wear his elegant clothes, the smoking jacket and Bunbury suits. Algernon's dandyism can also be seen in the way he places particular importance on mundane things such as his pleasant hobby of drinking champagne and eating in Act 1. This can be demonstrated through the way he eats cucumber sandwiches before arriving of Lady Bracknell but decides to eat again after she leaves. Algernon is therefore recognizable to Victorian audiences for his wealth and his idea of ​​having "art for art's sake", a slogan associated with the Aesthetic movement, which is against Victorian moralism, making him a character suitable for mocking from when it was superficial and superficial. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Furthermore, Algernon is presented as a figure who loves indulgence and self-gratification. In Act 1 Algernon's desire for food can be seen. Jack comments that Algernon is "eating as usual" and Algernon responds by saying that it is "customary in good society to have a light refreshment at 5 o'clock". When Jack reaches for some cucumber sandwiches, Algernon stops him and eats them, claiming they are for his Aunt Augusta. When all the sandwiches have been consumed, Algernon tells his aunt that the store was out of cucumbers. After she leaves, Algernon decides to go out to dinner. This shows how food is a symbol of self-gratification in the show, the idea that food should be eaten for style also shows how Algernon needs to satisfy his desire to do something that is quintessentially English. According to Jack, the food he eats is also called "reckless extravagance". Algernon is relatable to Victorian audiences as food was seen as a sign of class and wealth, but is comical because it is satirical and against Victorian ideals of virtue and modesty. Algernon is also portrayed as a character with reversed morals and ideas about marriage. According to him, it is romantic to be in love but "there is nothing romantic about a final proposal" and that when "the excitement is over", "the very essence of romance is uncertainty". Algernon trivializes marriage while Victorians usually view marriage very seriously, reflecting an inversion of Victorian ideals in the play. He also promotes the idea of ​​affairs and infidelity by saying, “Three is company and two is nobody.” suggesting that ideas of loyalty and honor are meaningless. His cynicism about love and marriage is reflected in his bachelor lifestyle and in the reference to champagne in Act 1, that "in married familieschampagne is rarely of a first-rate brand." He also mentions "divorce courts" and that he regards relationships as "simply a boring bunch of people." Algernon's character is comical because serious matters are trivialized and trivial things are made very serious and important to him. Therefore, the Victorians might laugh at it, but the play is highly sarcastic, satirical and essentially mocks Victorian ideals and morals. In a historical context, Algernon is recognizable to the Victorian audience as a dandy figure. A dandy figure is a young man who is very concerned about his clothes and appearance and often finds himself in the position of the upper class man. When Wilde wrote the play it was at the time of the movement aesthetic, Wilde described the idea of ​​"art for art's sake" through Algernon Algernon's apartment is described in the opening scene as "luxuriously and artistically furnished", which suggests wealth and superficiality, even the extravagant life that Algernon lives. and the Victorian upper class. This also foreshadows how Wilde will use this play to satirize the unrealistic values ​​and morals held by the upper class. Wilde was greatly influenced by the aesthetes of the time and the way Algernon states that "anyone can play [the piano] accurately but I play with wonderful expression...feeling is my forte" complements this idea. Algernon's use of the nouns “expression” and “feeling” shows that Algernon's belief of art is more important as an extension of artistic styles than as an accurate representation of reality. The “afternoon tea” hosted by Lane symbolizes the leisure and idleness of the upper classes and also highlights that Algernon clearly values ​​style over substance. He recognizes no duty other than to live a wonderful life, create comedy and even poke fun at Victorian views on trivial matters such as appearances, this is perfect for a dandified character to play. Secondly, Algernon is also recognizable to Victorian audiences as a figure of self-gratification. Algernon is from the upper classes, and the audience at that time will be very recognizable. He is rich and spends time and money on trivial things like appearance and style, which seem very important to him. In the opening scene, Algernon asked Lane if he had made "cut cucumber sandwiches for Lady Bracknell" and then finished them before Lady Bracknell arrived. This portrays his self-gratification and also the fact that he is greedy. The use of “cucumber sandwiches” portrays the bath as it appears to be the culmination of Algernon's life, which was probably the life of the upper classes of the time, idle and idle. Algernon "takes two" sandwiches in the opening scene immediately after Lane "passes them [to Algernon] on a tray" also shows his self-gratification, this seems to suggest that he didn't ask Lane to make them because of Lady Bracknell, it seems that he did. do it alone. Later in Act I, where Algernon “[takes] the empty plate in horror” and cries, “Good God! Path! Why are there no cucumber sandwiches? I specially ordered them” seems to go against Victorian ideals of virtue and modesty; Dramatic irony is also used here, as the audience knows that he has finished them all. “Cucumber sandwiches” are also a symbol of food and suggest a euphoria about sex and lust. Food and gluttony suggest and replace other appetites and indulgences. Wilde uses Algernon and symbolism to satirize these values ​​which are exaggerated and adverse. Third, Wilde also uses Algernon to represent the reversal of Victorian ideals about marriage and Victorian morality in general. Algernon commented on the wedding saying that it is "very romantic to bein love, but there is nothing romantic about a permanent proposal." He is suggesting that only chasing and flirting are interesting and romantic in a relationship, once people settle down for marriage, it is no longer about love At that time, the Victorians took marriage very seriously, however, Wilde uses Algernon to create comedy and to trivialize and satirize the Victorian attitude towards marriage. This is very relevant to Wilde's life as Wilde had affairs extramarital affairs and is commenting on the values ​​and purpose of marriage - seems to suggest that it was appropriate behavior to have extramarital affairs. Algernon reverses the phrase "two is company, three is crowd" to "three is company and two is none", this furthers the he idea of ​​infidelity as it is a hidden convention to have extramarital affairs at that time, this contrasts with the idea that Victorians are conservative and strict to their morals. Another example of inversion in the play is when Lady Bracknell usurps the father's role in interviewing Jack, as typically this was the father's job. Inversions in the play are used by Wilde to create comedy as serious things are trivialized and trivial things are made serious, this is also completed at the beginning of the play: "A trivial comedy for serious people" - seems to act as a comedy disclaimer and is in complete contrast to what happens in the play. Algernon is described as depicting a feminine trait; this suggests Wilde's sexuality and the double life that both Algernon and Wilde led. Wilde was homosexual and was imprisoned in 1895. Before that, he had had extramarital affairs with Lord Alfred Douglas and some other men while married. His wife was pregnant with their second child when he had these affairs. Through The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde portrays the two different characters and lives he lived through Algernon and Jack. Both Algernon and "Ernest" live double lives: Algernon has an imaginary friend called Mr Bunbury and "Ernest" has an imaginary brother called Jack. As defined by Algernon, Bunburying is the practice of creating an elaborate deception that allows someone to behave badly while appearing to uphold the highest standards of duty and responsibility. This is especially reflected in how Algernon and "Ernest" are escaping their social and moral obligations by using the identities of Mr Bunbury and Jack, however these identities allow them to appear much more responsible than they actually are. Using the word "Bunbury" and using it regularly in the form of a noun, verb and adjective shows Algernon as a foolish and unintelligent upper class man - this is slightly ironic as the upper class is supposed to be more educated and therefore more intelligent. A reversal of expectations creates the comedy and is shown in the relationship between Algernon and Lane, this is especially evident when Algernon does not seem to be overly bothered by Lane drinking champagne: “Why… do servants invariably drink champagne? I simply ask for information." And Lane seems unashamed and the audience can interpret Lane's experience with wine by describing it as "of superior quality." As for ideas and authorship, Algernon is a proponent of aestheticism and a stand-in for Wilde himself. Algernon has no moral convictions and recognizes no duty other than the responsibility to live beautifully. He is recognized as a dandy figure, self-gratifying, has a reversal of Victorian ideals and morals of marriage, and has a double life who is upper class, would have been very recognizable to contemporary audiences and is therefore comical as it is used by Wilde.