The Importance of being Earnest

1. This drama was not my favorite to read. Although it was not that difficult to understand, I found it boring, and not very funny. Some aspects were found humourous such as how high society was viewed, however I was not drawn into the play like I was within the Taming of a Shrew. Regardless, of my disinterest I found the drama more appealing then some other things that I have read such as Bus Stop. Despite these criticisms I did like the things that I had analyzed about the play, regarding identity.

2. Oscar Wilde's portrayal of identity is individually viewed as important. Having both characters, Jack and Algemon having a dual identity allows the reader to visualize the pros and cons of having another identity. Wilde could be saying that this dual identity sometimes allows individuals to discover themselves, within this process. However through this discovery one could argue that he is not stating that you will always get what you want in life, by not being yourself. The main idea that could be conveyed is that sometimes we can not be ourselves to always get what we want in life, and we must all have these dual identities not to the extent of making up a totally different human being, but rather to bring out a superficial side to us all in order to achieve what we want or need to achieve in life.

The Taming of the Shrew

1. I found this literature by Shakespeare quite fascinating as it can relate to modern times. There are many women in this world who often do not see themselves in need of "taming." I believe it was a quote in the popular Sex in the City that states something that some women enjoy running wild and are not suppose to be tamed. This particular quote catches my eye as I read The Taming of the Shrew. At times I find it difficult to read because of the Shakespearean English that it is written in, however it is helpful to have it correspond to the movie "10 things I hate about you." However, so far I have enjoyed reading it and find it quite humorous.

2. Within this play the audience views a conflict between Katharina and Petrucchio. Katharina seems to be an angry, outspoken women, whom enjoys degrading and insulting men.Petrucchio also has some of the same qualities both selfish, and degrading. The humor that is found is within this conflict is that Petrucchio seems to be determined to "tame" Katharina as he asks for her hand, and forces marriage upon her. During the scene in which Katharina and Petrucchio, are getting married, Petrucchio arrives late and in an outrageous outfit, creating a mockery of the wedding.The conflict an individual could find humor in Shakespeare choosing these two characters to get married. When an individual thinks of marriage or the initial aspect of marriage the idea of love and passion is brought to mind. However, Shakespeare could possibly be hinting that marriage does not always begin with this overwhelming love aspect, and instead could be viewed as love is something in which we must climb to, instead of falling in. If we fall in love, then the literal translation is that we fall into a hole and are unable to climb out.