Jan 3, 2010

Private Lives | Topics for Further Study

Choose an episode of a television "situation comedy," and compare its dialogue to that of Private Lives. In what ways do they differ? How is the humor in Coward's play achieved in contrast to the humor of the sitcom?

Coward is often compared to an earlier British dramatist known for his satiric wit, Oscar Wilde. Read Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) and compare and contrast it with Private Lives.

Assume that Victor and Sybil divorce their spouses after the play ends and marry each other. Write a brief description of their lives together...