Comparative Analysis of 'The Bear' and 'Importance of Being Earnest'

This essay provides a comparative analysis of two plays: Anton Chekhov's one-act comedy, "The Boor or Bear," and Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest." The essay begins by summarizing the plot of Chekhov's play, highlighting the absurdities arising from the characters' ignorance and societal norms. It focuses on the conflict between Elena Popova and Grigory Smirnov, exploring their arguments about love and the comedic resolution. The essay then shifts to Wilde's play, examining its satire of Victorian society and the triviality of its values, particularly the emphasis on being "earnest." The essay analyzes characters like Algernon and Gwendolen to illustrate Wilde's mockery of societal expectations and the importance given to superficial matters. The essay concludes by comparing the comedic techniques and thematic concerns of both plays, demonstrating how both authors use humor to critique societal conventions and human behavior.

Running Head: DRAMA ESSAY
Drama Essay
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Name

1DRAMA ESSAY
The Boor or Bear- Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov’s “The Boor or Bear” is a one-act comedy play which shows the
absurdities of a situation which is brought on the characters in the play due to their own
ignorance of their personalities or the feelings they portray on the outside owing to the societal
norm. The play was written in Russian and was as complete nonsensical text which was similar
to those of the French and was considered as the full trivial mode of writing compared to the
Russian portrayal of the realistic ways of life.
The plot of the text starts abruptly with the writer beginning with an entirely simplistic
way of point of attack where we see the protagonist Elena Popova still mourning the death of her
husband which happened seven months back and is persuaded her servant Luka to go out of the
state (Chekhov). This is met by a refusal on her part as she claims that she has promised her dead
husband to stay loyal to his memories, who has been caught cheating on her during his life.
There is an abrupt entry of Smirnov who has come to collect a debt of 1200 roubles but is asked
to wait for a day Elena did not have the money and her steward will only be available after a day.
The conflict in character comes out in a comic manner when they both break into an
argument about love and Smirnov, who saw himself as a misogynist is shown to realize that he
has started falling for the crude manner Elena had fought with him (Chekhov). The end is abrupt
for when Elena comes out with the pistol to fight, he admits his feelings and later is caught in the
act of kissing by the gardener and Luka.
The importance of Being Earnest- Oscar Wilde
Like, “The bear”, “The Importance of Earnest” also deals with the absurdity of the trivial
nature of societal burden borne by people without understanding their obligations towards

2DRAMA ESSAY
themselves. The play is a mock piece on the triviality of the Victorian society and the way
matters of no importance are endowed with heaviness and grandeur.
The characters are used in context to define the different Victorian absurdity where the
men depict the absurd amount of emphasis put on the quality of being earnest while none of
them is shown to be anywhere near it (Wilde). The two women who are prospective brides both
show their inclination of choosing their husband on the basis of their names that is Earnest as
Gwendolen puts through that she can only trust a Christian name and is supported by Cecily in
her attempt to degrade the choice of any woman who marries any man named other than Earnest.
The triviality of thought and everyday life in the Victorian society is mocked by Wilde in
the voice of Algernon, who is heard exclaiming his displeasure that he does not understand
people who fail to give matters of meals the importance they should provide (Wilde). He agrees
that though it is a dining room matter people should give it the influence they are supposed to be
delivered.

3DRAMA ESSAY
Works- Cited
Chekhov, Anton. The Bear. N.p., 2019. Web. 13 Dec. 2019.
Wilde, Oscar. "The Importance Of Being Earnest." Jacneed.com. N.p., 2019. Web. 13 Dec.
2019.