The Importance of Being Earnest Major characters John "Jack" Worthing: Jack is the play's protagonist and the play's most sympathetic character. He was found in a handbag on a railway line, and feels less at home in aristocratic society than does Algernon. He lives in the country but has invented a wicked brother named "Ernest" whose scrapes reuire Jack's attendance in the city. Algernon Moncrieff: Algernon, the foil to Jack, is a hedonist who has created a friend named !unbury whose status as a permanent invalid allows Algernon to leave the city whenever he pleases. He believes this activity, "!unburying," "!unburying," is necessary, necessary, especially if one is going to get marriedsomething he vows never to do. Lady Bracknell: #ady !racknell is the antagonist of the play, play, blocking both potential marriages. $he embodies typical %ictorian classism& she does not allow wendolen to marry Jack when she finds out he is an orphan, and she dislikes (ecily as a mate for her nephew Algernon until she learns that (ecily is wealthy. !endolen airfa#: wendolen is #ady !racknell's daughter, and is the ob)ect of Jack's romantic attention. *hough she returns his love, wendolen appears self+centered self+centere d and flighty. #ike (ecily, she desires nothing but to marry someone named Ernest.
oung g and pretty, she $ecily $arde!: (ecily is Jack's ward and lives with him in the country. oun is favored by Algernon, who pretends to be Jack's brother Ernest. (ecily has heard about this brother, and has written correspondences between the two of them for months by the the time she meets Algernon-Ernest. #ike wendolen, she is only interested in marrying a man named Ernest. Miss %rism: iss /rism is the (ecily's governess. $he obviously loves (hasuble, though the fact that he is a priest prohibits her from telling him so directly. Lane: Algernon's butler delivers a number of droll lines which show that he is far from a passive servant. $has&'le: A rector, (hasuble freuently visits Jack's country house to see iss /rism. *hough he is celibate, he seems well matched for the educated iss /rism. Merriman: Jack's butler, erriman has a less significant role than #ane has, but in one scene he and another servant force the bickering wendolen and (ecily to maintain supposedly polite conversation. a)or *hemes
%lot ()er)ie! Jack 0orthing, 0orthing, the play1s protagonist, is a pillar of the community in Hertfordshire, where he is guardian to Cecily Cardew, the pretty, eighteen+year+old granddaughter of the late *homas (ardew, who found and adopted Jack when he was a baby. 2n Hertfordshire, Jack
has responsibilities3 he is a ma)or landowner and )ustice of the peace, with tenants, farmers, and a number of servants and other employees all dependent on him. 4or years, he has also pretended to have an irresponsible black+sheep brother named Ernest who leads a scandalous life in pursuit of pleasure and is always getting into trouble of a sort that reuires Jack to rush grimly off to his assistance. 2n fact, Ernest is merely Jack1s alibi, a phantom that allows him to disappear for days at a time and do as he likes. 5o one but Jack knows that he himself is Ernest. Ernest is the name Jack goes by in #ondon, which is where he really goes on these occasionsprobably to pursue the very sort of behavior he pretends to disapprove of in his imaginary brother. Jack is in love with Gwendolen Fairfax , the cousin of his best friend, Algernon Moncrieff . 0hen the play opens, Algernon, who knows Jack as Ernest, has begun to suspect something, having found an inscription inside Jack1s cigarette case addressed to 67ncle Jack8 from someone who refers to herself as 6little (ecily.8 Algernon suspects that Jack may be leading a double life, a practice he seems to regard as commonplace and indispensable to modern life. He calls a person who leads a double life a 6!unburyist,8 after a none9istent friend he pretends to have, a chronic invalid named !unbury, !unbury, to whose deathbed he is forever being summoned whenever he wants to get out of some tiresome social obligation. At the beginning of Act 2, Jack drops in une9pectedly on Algernon and announces that he intends to propose to wendolen. Algernon confronts him with the cigarette case and forces him to come clean, demanding to know who 6Jack8 and 6(ecily8 are. Jack confesses that his name isn1t really Ernest and that (ecily is his ward, a responsibility imposed on him by his adoptive father1s will. Jack also tells Algernon about his fictional brother. Jack says he1s been thinking of killing off this fake brother, since (ecily has been showing too active an interest in him. 0ithout 0ithout meaning to, Jack describes (ecily in terms that catch Algernon1s attention and make him even more interested in her than he is already. wendolen and her mother, Lady Bracknell, arrive, which gives Jack an opportunity to propose to wendolen. Jack is delighted delighted to discover that wendolen returns his affections, but he is alarmed to learn that wendolen is fi9ated on the name name Ernest, which she says 6inspires absolute confidence.8 wendolen makes clear that she would not consider marrying a man who was not named Ernest. #ady !racknell interviews Jack to determine his eligibility as a possible son+in+law, and during this interview she asks about his family background. 0hen Jack e9plains that he has no idea who his parents were and that he was found, by the man who adopted him, in a handbag in the cloakroom at %ictoria $tation, #ady !racknell is scandali:ed. $he forbids the match between Jack and wendolen and sweeps out of the house. 2n Act 22, Algernon Algernon shows up at Jack1s J ack1s country estate posing as Jack1s brother Ernest. eanwhile, Jack, having decided that Ernest has outlived his usefulness, arrives home in deep mourning, full of a story about Ernest having died suddenly in /aris. He is enraged to find Algernon there masuerading as Ernest but has to go along with the charade. 2f he doesn1t, his own lies and deceptions will be revealed. 0hile Jack changes out of his mourning clothes, Algernon, who has fallen hopelessly in love with (ecily, asks her to marry him. He is surprised to discover that (ecily already considers that they are engaged, and he is charmed when she reveals that her fascination with 67ncle Jack1s brother8 led her to invent an elaborate romance between herself and him several months ago. Algernon is less enchanted to learn that part of (ecily1s interest in him derives from the name Ernest, which, unconsciously echoing wendolen, she says 6inspires absolute confidence.8 Algernon goes off in search of Dr. Chasuble, the local rector, to see about getting himself christened Ernest. eanwhile, wendolen arrives, having decided to pay Jack an une9pected visit. wendolen is shown into the garden, where (ecily orders tea and attempts to play hostess. (ecily has no idea how wendolen figures into Jack1s life, and wendolen, for her
part, has no idea who (ecily is. wendolen wendolen initially thinks (ecily is a visitor to the anor House and is disconcerted to learn that (ecily is 6r. 0orthing1s 0orthing1s ward.8 $he notes that Ernest has never mentioned having a ward, and (ecily e9plains that it is not Ernest 0orthing who is her guardian but his brother Jack and, in fact, that she is engaged to be married to Ernest 0orthing. wendolen points out that this is impossible as she herself is engaged to Ernest 0orthing. 0orthing. *he tea party degenerates into a war of manners. Jack and Algernon arrive toward the clima9 of this confrontation, each having separately made arrangements with ;r. (hasuble to be christened chris tened Ernest later that day. Each of the young ladies points out that the other has been deceived3 (ecily informs wendolen that her fianc< is really named Jack and wendolen informs (ecily that hers is really called Algernon. *he two women demand to know where Jack1s brother Ernest is, since both of them are engaged to be married to him. Jack is forced to admit that he has no brother and that Ernest is a complete fiction. !oth women are shocked and furious, and they retire to the house arm in arm. Act 222 takes place in the drawing room of the anor House, where (ecily and wendolen have retired. 0hen Jack and Algernon enter from the garden, the two women confront them. (ecily asks Algernon why he pretended to be her guardian1s brother. brother. Algernon Algernon tells her he did it in order to meet her. wendolen asks Jack whether he pretended to have a brother in order to come into #ondon to see her as often as possible, and she interprets his evasive reply as an affirmation. *he women are somewhat appeased but still concerned over the issue of the name. However, when Jack and Algernon tell wendolen and (ecily that they have both made arrangements to be christened Ernest that afternoon, all is forgiven and the two pairs of lovers embrace. At this moment, #ady !racknell1s arrival is announced. #ady !racknell has followed wendolen from #ondon, having bribed wendolen1s wendolen1s maid to reveal her destination. $he demands to know what is going on. wendolen again informs #ady !racknell of her engagement to Jack, and #ady !racknell reiterates that a union between them is out of the uestion. Algernon tells #ady !racknell of his engagement to (ecily, prompting her to inspect (ecily and inuire inuire into her social connections, which she does in a routine and patroni:ing manner that infuriates Jack. He replies to all her uestions with a mi9ture of civility and sarcasm, withholding until the last possible moment the information that (ecily is actually worth a great deal of money and stands to inherit still more when she comes of age. At this, #ady !racknell becomes genuinely interested. Jack informs #ady !racknell that, as (ecily1s legal guardian, he refuses to give his consent to her union with Algernon. #ady !racknell suggests that the two young people simply wait until (ecily comes of age, and Jack points out that under the terms of her grandfather1s will, (ecily does not legally come of age until she is thirty+five. #ady !racknell asks Jack to reconsider, and he points out that the matter is entirely in her own hands. As soon as she consents to his marriage to wendolen, (ecily can c an have his consent to marry Algernon. However, #ady #ady !racknell refuses to entertain the notion. $he and wendolen are on the point of leaving when ;r. (hasuble arrives and happens to mention (ecily1s governess, Miss Pris. At this, #ady !racknell starts and asks that iss /rism be sent for. 0hen the governess arrives and catches sight of #ady !racknell, she begins to look guilty and furtive. #ady !racknell accuses her of having left her sister1s house twenty+eight years before with a baby and never returned. $he demands to know where the baby is. iss /rism confesses she doesn1t know, e9plaining that she lost the baby, baby, having absentmindedly placed it in a handbag in which she had meant to place the manuscript for a novel she had written. Jack asks what happened to the bag, and iss /rism says she left it in the cloakroom of a railway station. Jack presses her for further details and goes racing offstage, returning a few moments later with a large handbag. 0hen iss /rism confirms that the bag is hers, Jack throws himself on her with a cry of 6other=8 2t takes a while before the situation is sorted out, but before too long we understand that Jack is not the illegitimate child of iss /rism but
the legitimate child of #ady !racknell1s sister and, therefore, Algernon1s older brother. 4urthermore, Jack had been originally christened 6Ernest John.8 All these years Jack has unwittingly been telling the truth3 Ernest is his name, as is Jack, and he does have an unprincipled younger brotherAlgernon. Again Again the couples embrace, iss /rism and ;r. (hasuble follow suit, and Jack acknowledges that he now understands 6the vital 2mportance of !eing Earnest.8
Major Themes Manners and sincerity: !he a"or #arge# of $ilde%s sca#hing social cri#icis is #he
hy&ocrisy #ha# socie#y crea#es. Fre'uen#ly in (ic#orian socie#y) i#s &ar#ici&an#s co&or#ed #hesel*es in o*erly sincere) &oli#e ways while #hey harbored con*ersely ani&ula#i*e) cruel a##i#udes. $ilde ex&oses #his di*ide in scenes such as when Gwendolen and Cecily beha*e #hesel*es in fron# of #he ser*an#s or when Lady Bracknell wars #o Cecily u&on disco*ering she is rich. +owe*er) #he &lay #ruly &i*o#s around #he word ,earnes#., Bo#h woen wan# #o arry soeone naed ,-rnes#), as #he nae ins&ires ,absolu#e confidence, in o#her words) #he nae i&lies #ha# i#s bearer #ruly is earnes#) hones#) and res&onsible. +owe*er) Jack and Algernon ha*e lied abou# #heir naes) so #hey are no# really ,earnes#., Bu# i# also #urns ou# #ha# #hey were bo#h inad*er#en#ly #elling #he #ru#h /or os# of i#) a# leas#0. !he ra&id fli&1flo&&ing of #ru#hs and lies) of earnes#ness and du&lici#y) du&lici#y) shows how #ruly uddled #he (ic#orian *alues of hones#y hone s#y and res&onsibili#y were. Dual identities: As a subse# of #he sinceri#y #hee /see abo*e0) $ilde ex&lores in de&#h
wha# i# eans #o ha*e a dual iden#i#y in (ic#orian socie#y. socie#y. !his duali#y is os# a&&aren# in Algernon and Jack%s ,Bunburying, /#heir crea#ion of an al#er ego #o allow #he #o e*ade res&onsibili#y0. $ilde hin#s #ha# Bunburying ay co*er for hoosexual liaisons) or a# #he *ery leas# ser*e as an esca&e fro o&&ressi*e o&&r essi*e arriages. 2#her charac#ers also crea#e al#erna#e iden#i#ies. For exa&le) Cecily wri#es corres&ondence be#ween herself and -rnes# before she has e*er e# hi. 3nlike real en) who are free #o coe and go as #hey &lease) she is able #o con#rol #his *ersion of -rnes#. Finally) #he fac# #ha# Jack has been unwi##ingly leading a life of dual iden#i#ies shows #ha# our al#er egos are no# as far fro our ,real, iden#i#ies as we would #hink. Critique of marriage as a social tool: $ilde%s os# concre#e cri#i'ue in #he &lay is of
#he ani&ula#i*e desires re*ol*ing around arriage. Gwendolen and Cecily are in#eres#ed in #heir a#es) i# a&&ears) only because #hey ha*e disre&u#able backgrounds /Gwendolen is &leased #o learn #ha# Jack was an or&han Cecily is exci#ed by Algernon%s ,wicked, re&u#a#ion0. !heir shared desire #o arry soeone naed -rnes# deons#ra#es #ha# #heir roan#ic dreas hinge u&on #i#les) no# charac#er. !he en are no# uch less shallow4 Algernon &ro&oses #o #he young) &re##y Cecily wi#hin inu#es of ee#ing her. 2nly 2nly Jack sees #o ha*e earnes# roan#ic desires) #hough why he would lo*e #he self1absorbed Gwendolen is 'ues#ionable. +owe*er) #he #he sordidness of #he lo*ers% ul#erior o#i*es is dwarfed by #he &riori#ies of Lady L ady Bracknell) who e&i#oi5es #he (ic#orian #endency #o *iew arriage as a financial arrangeen#. 6he does no# consen# #o Gwendolen%s arriage #o Jack on #he basis of his being an or&han) and she snubs Cecily un#il she disco*ers she has a large &ersonal for#une. Idleness of the leisure class and the aesthete: $ilde good1na#uredly ex&oses #he
e&#y) #ri*ial #ri*ial li*es of #he aris#ocracy4good1na#uredly) aris#ocracy4good1na#uredly) for $ilde also indulged in #his #y&e of lifes#yle. Algernon is a hedonis# who likes no#hing be ##er #han #o ea#) gabol) and gossi& wi#hou# conse'uence. $ilde has described #he &lay as abou# charac#ers who #ri*iali5e serious a##ers and soleni5e #ri*ial a##ers Algernon sees ore worried by #he absence of cucuber sandwiches /which he a#e0 #han by #he serious class conflic#s #ha# he 'uickly soo#hes o*er wi#h wi#. Bu# $ilde has a ore serious in#en#7 he subscribes #o #he la#e189#h1cen#ury &hiloso&hy of aes#he#icis) es&oused by $al#er Pa#er) which argues for #he necessi#y of ar#%s &riary rela#ionshi& wi#h beau#y) no# wi#h reali#y.
Ar# should no# irror reali#y ra#her) $ilde has said) i# should be ,useless, /in #he sense of no# ser*ing a social &ur&ose i# is useful for our a&&recia#ion of beau#y0. be au#y0. !herefore) Algernon%s idleness is no# erely la5iness) bu# #he &roduc# of soeone who has cul#i*a#ed an es#eeed sense of aes#he#ic uselessness. Farce: !he os# faous as&ec# of 2scar $ilde%s li#era#ure is his e&igras7 co&ac#)
wi##y axis #ha# of#en ex&ose e x&ose #he absurdi#ies of socie#y using &aradox. Fre'uen#ly) he #akes an es#ablished clich: and al#ers i# #o ake i#s illogic soehow ore logical /,in arried life #hree is co&any and #wo is none,0. $hile #hese 5ingers ser*e as so&his#ica#ed cri#i'ues of socie#y) $ilde $ilde also e&loys se*eral coic #ools of ,low, coedy) s&ecifically #hose of farce. +e echoes dialogue and ac#ions) uses coic re*ersals) and ex&lodes a fas#1&aced) absurd ending whose i&lausibili#y we o*erlook because i# is so ridiculous. !his #one of wi# and farce is dis#inc#i*ely $ildean only soeone so skilled in bo#h genres could cobine #he so successfully.
