Day 10

                                                        English Literature - Day 10

                                              We are learning to make a drama.

Today, we made a reduced drama on "The Importance of Being Earnest. Click to see the video below.

Starring:

Megh as Algernon Moncrieff (Algy)

Saksith as Jack Moncrieff/ Earnest Worthing

Karan as Lane/ Miss Prism (in the second scene)/ Dr. Chasbule

Tanisha as Cecily

Shruti as Miss Prism (in the first scene)/ Lady Bracknell (Aunt Augusta)

Amber as Gwendolen

Day 9

                                        English Literature - Day 9

                                           We are learning to analyse the playscript.

Today, we were looking at the actual play, which comprises three acts. And we noticed that the vocabulary is quite advanced in the play. We also saw many differences in the actual play and the adapted version in the film.

For example: In the adapted version, Jack and Algy were in the bar, but in the play it says that they were in Algy’s flat. We also read pages 2 and 3, where Karan played Lane, Megh played Algernon (Algy) and Saksith played Jack. To view the playscript, please click here.

Words definition:

Page 2

• Invariably -In every case/in every occasion/always
•   Demoralising - Cause someone to lose confidence/ hope
•   Languidly - Lacking energy
•  Lax – Not strict/ severe

Page 3

• Customary - Usual
• Shropshire- region and counties
• Extravagance - waste

Page 4

• Constituted - made or put together
•   Frantic - Insane / mad / desperate

Page 5

•    Absurd – Senseless
•  Fondest – affection

Page 7

•          Scandalous - shocking and upsetting
•          Absurd – Unreasonable/ Stupid

Page 8

•          Sententiously – Many points in one shot
•          Cynical – lack of respect

Page 9

•          Gravely – serious/ sad
•          Distressed – affected with/ stressed/ worried
•          Accustomed – Usual / Used to it

Page 11

•          Glibly – perform with ease, naturally
•          Metaphysical -  Abstract reason
•          Speculation - to consider a subject

Day 8

                              English Literature - Day 8

                                        We are learning to make a tension diagram.

Day 7

                                        English Literature - Day 7

                                     We are learning to describe relationships in the play.

We looked at how every character is related to each other, and we made a simple drawing, like this:

To put this drawing into simple words: Algernon (Algy) and Earnest (Jack) are best friends, as they have mutual friends and personalities. Earnest has come to the city, to propose to his will-be finance Gwendolen. On the other hand, Gwendolen's mother, Lady Bracknell wants to know about Mr. Worthing (as she must have thought it was inappropriate to just call him "Earnest"). 

Algy is now interested in Jack's niece, Cecily. He too lied to her that his name is "Earnest". And so, he starts flirting with her, and telling her how sweet she looks (most probably for her blonde hair!). When he proposes to her, then they come to know that none of them were Earnest. 

To satisfy both the ladies, they thought of christening their names to "Earnest". But, both of them forgave, and story ends by Jack realising that he was Algy's younger brother, and that he was named "Earnest Moncrieff, after all!

Miss Prism and Doctor Chasuble are additional characters in the play.

Day 5 and 6

                          English Literature - Day 5 and 6

We are learning to understand the man behind the play... (the writer of "The Importance of Being Earnest)

Introduction

Today, we looked at Oscar Wilde, who was a famous and renowned poet and writer in Ireland. He wrote many popular plays like the "An Ideal Husband" and "The Importance of Being Earnest". Also a novel called "The Picture of Dorian Gray". (But the film adaptation was just named "Dorian Gray".

A Brief Biography (short notes)

Oscar Wilde was born on 16th October 1854, in Dublin, Ireland. His father, William Wilde was a highly-praised doctor and his mother, Jane Francesca Elgee was a poet (this may have encouraged him to become one). He had a very high economic strata.

 His occupation was a writer, poet and playwright during the Victorian Era. Wilde was a gay, as he also had a relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas (who was very snobbish and arrogant). It was unacceptable to tolerate gay couple at that time. So Douglas's father didn't approve his son's relationship with a renowned writer. Oscar wasn't happy with that and so he took the matter to the court and sued Douglas' father. Then, he won the case by showing Wilde's text, which shows attraction towards boys. Wilde was imprisoned for 2 years, then he stayed in Paris, where he united with Douglas. He died on 30th November 1990.

Famous Quotes:

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
"I can resist everything except temptation."
"America had often been discovered before Columbus, but it had always been hushed up."
“BE YOURSELF, EVERYONE ELSE IS ALREADY TAKEN”
“It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.”