Why is it considered such a classic?

Granted, it is a pretty unique short in terms of animation. The background design and angles give it an artistic look. But I never found this cartoon to be particularly funny or ground breaking.

We basically see Elmer chasing after Bugs, and Bugs ends up tricking him by crossdressing. We've seen that a million times before, and aside from that nothing much happens in this short. I personally never considered it funny when Bugs dressed up like a woman, but that's my taste. The point is I find this short pretty lacking in humour. The funniest bit IMO is when we see Bugs and Elmer ballet dancing around the garden. It's also pretty funny how both characters sing their catchphrases in opera form. None of this is really hilarious. The Rabbit of Seville (1950) on the other hand is a Bugs Bunny short that parodies opera, while still incorporating a lot of great visual jokes. And like I said, the animation here is great for a Warner Bros cartoon. But it still looks like a basic Merry Melodies short. It's not nearly as dynamic or intense as, let's say, The Sorcerer's Apprentice from Fantasia (1940). It's because of this that I expect the short to be funny, since it doesn't offer you an epic emotional journey. The ending gives it a bit of an edge, no one expected Bugs to actually die. But instead of playing it completely straight, he still breaks the fourth wall by saying: "Well what did you expect from an opera, a happy ending?". It breaks the mood for me.

I just think this short is not well balanced. It could've been a lot better if they had either made it funnier or more serious.