Shakespeare's revenge tragedy, "Hamlet," critiques the society of Denmark using powerful monologues and dramatic action. On the other hand, Wilde's comic drama pokes fun at the high morality of Victorian Society. One serious theme that I noticed in "The Importance of being Ernest" was the consistent act of deception throughout the entire play.However this lack of honesty was not lonesome for insightful comedy and avisible foreshadowing of upcoming events accompanied it. Meaning that theplay was cleverly written with humor and provided us with an obvious chainof facts that would lead up to us unraveling the end of the play. This playcritiques the need to lie or exaggerate the truth, in order to "fit in" the norm of English society during the 1890's. The unique characters in this play portray a nonchalant attitude along with subtle gestures in a tribute to not being (earnest); they were not being honest. Specifically, they all had uniquecharacteristics that made it easier for them to not being honest. Once it starts,it continues and that is evident within the characters of this play. That is whythere is always an "Importance of Being Earnest". One could read Hamletsimply, simplistically even, as a revenge tragedy. Hamlet's father, the king of Denmark, is killed by his brother, Claudius, who, overriding the rights ofsuccession, appropriates both the crown and the wife of Hamlet's father. Theghost of the father reveals everything to his son, and all the elements of therevenge tragedy are in place: Hamlet has an obligation to avenge the murder,the usurpation, and the adultery. This he does by killing Claudius at the end of the play. However it is clear that the theme of vengeance is merely a vehicle used by Shakespeare in order to articulate a whole series of themes central to humanity: relationships between father and son, mother and son, and Hamlet and his friends, love relationships, power wielding, madness,feigned madness, dissembling...
