ENGL 212 Week 6 Discussion

ENGL 212 Week 6 Discussion | regent-university

Week 6 Discussion

One aspect of the 19th-century that Oscar Wilde satirizes in the play is the disregard of religion. Wilde shows how many people of the age do not take religion and religious faith seriously. He satirizes this disregard of religion chiefly through the character of Canon Chasuble. Although the fact that he is a canon helps to show that he is a high-ranking and powerful member of the clergy, Wilde satirizes him as a largely comical figure who most members of the community do not take seriously. It is evident when Cecily tells Algernon, “Oh, yes. Dr. Chasuble is a most learned man. He has never written a single book, so you can imagine how much he knows” (Wilde 42). Therefore, the canon appears as an ineffective man. Besides, he seems like one who does not have strong values, as expected of a man with his standing in the Church. While he preaches on celibacy, he cannot control his lustful thoughts on Miss Prism, unintentionally revealing his nature by stating, “Were I fortunate enough to be Miss Prism’s pupil, I would hang upon her lips” (Wilde 28). Therefore, even his congregation does not take him seriously and thus continues to have more children. Accordingly, Wilde uses Chasuble to mock the religious ideals of the time and show the disregard that 19th-century society had for something as important as religion and religious faith.