from The Importance of Being Earnest
How do the characters of Gwendolen and Juliet develop different themes about names?
1 GWENDOLEN:... there is very little music in the name jack, if any at all, indeed. It does not thrill. It produces absolutely no vibrations.... I have known several jacks, and they all, without exception, were more than usually plain. Besides, Jack is a notorious domesticity for John! And I pity any woman who is married to a man called John. She would probably never be allowed to know the entrancing pleasure of a single moment's solitude.
1. Gwendolen thinks names can prevent happiness, but juliet thinks names lead to happiness.
• 2.
Gwendolen thinks names can reveal personality, but Juliet thinks names do not reflect personality.
(from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde)
• 3. Gwendolen thinks names should please others, but juliet thinks names do not need to please anyone.
4. Gwendolen thinks names should be fancy, but Juliet thinks names should be simple like flower names.
from Romeo and Juliet
1 JULIET: What's in a name? that which we call a rose,
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes, Without that title.
2. Gwendolen thinks names can be a source of judgment and prejudice, but Juliet believes that names do not define a person's worth or character.
In The Importance of Being Earnest, Gwendolen believes that names hold significance and can influence a person's impression and happiness. She associates the name "Jack" with plainness and lack of charm, suggesting that a name can prevent happiness and solitude. Gwendolen also believes that names like "John" are synonymous with domesticity, implying that a woman married to a man with such a name may lack personal freedom.
On the other hand, in Romeo and Juliet, Juliet expresses a contrasting view about names. She argues that a name is merely a label and does not define a person's essence. She suggests that if Romeo were called by a different name, he would still possess the same qualities and be equally perfect. Juliet believes that names do not reflect a person's true nature, emphasizing that love should not be influenced by names or social labels.
Overall, Gwendolen's perspective on names in The Importance of Being Earnest centers around their potential impact on happiness and societal judgments, while Juliet's view in Romeo and Juliet rejects the importance of names in defining love and character.