complete guide to the importance of being earnest

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The Complete IB Screwed Guide to...

The Importance of Being Earnest

By Oscar Wilde


Background Information

Oscar Wilde was born in 1854 and died in 1900, thus he lived during the Victorian era. He

was Irish, but lived in England for much of his life, especially his later years. Wilde first saw

success in literature during his primary school years, winning prizes and later university

scholarships for his work. He married Constance Lloyd in 1884 and had two children, but

was later discovered to have a homosexual relationship with a young man. During that time,

such behaviour was illegal, which meant that Wilde was tried and convicted for being a

sodomite and for gross indecency. His imprisonment and exile are seen to have been the

main contributing factors to his death.

The play The Importance of Being Earnest was first performed in 1895 and is a comedy

subtitled ‘A Trivial Play for Serious People.’ Like many of Wilde’s other texts, the play

comments on the superficiality of Victorian society, along with Romantic concepts,

especially “Art for Art’s sake.” His works form part of the Aesthetic movement.

During the Victorian era, English society was divided into three distinct

classes: the upper class, the middle class and the working class. At that

time, religion was very important; however this began to lessen

towards the end of the era. The Industrial Revolution took place during

this era, seeing the population of England increased dramatically, and

there were many significant industrial developments (railways,

factories, machines, and the ‘invention’ of the police force). In addition,

many educational reforms took place, making schooling compulsory,

even for those in the working class. Reforms at the time aimed to close

the gap between the classes.

Along with deep religious beliefs, the Victorians had other strong values, including clear

gender expectations, codes of public behaviour, the sacred nature of marriage and the

importance of family unity. The expectations of those in lower classes were different from

those in the upper class, and they lived in starkly different conditions. There were strict

rules surrounding courtship and marriage.


Characters

None of the characters undergo any real growth or development. They are one-dimensional

characters that reflect Wilde’s view of the upper class as shallow and superficial.

Algernon Moncrieff

Algernon is seen to be the personification of Wilde himself, being very dandy and frivolous.

Through him, Wilde delivers many epigrams and paradoxical comments on society. He is

amoral - acting in a very self-serving manner, but never out of malice towards anyone else:

he essentially does not know right from wrong. He sees it as his sole duty to live beautifully.

He is the play’s secondary hero.

Speech and costume are both important for constructing Algernon as dandy. Many of his

statements (such as ‘Divorces are made in Heaven’ - Act I) demonstrate his nonchalant

attitudes towards matters of importance like marriage. As such, he portrays the trivial

aspect of the upper class. He is seen to live his life entirely for pleasure, and reflects the

concept of ‘Art for Art’s sake.’ His character is exaggerated, or hyperbolic, which makes him

more humorous, and allowing Wilde to make his social criticisms more palatable to the

audience. In particular, the way he constantly eats shows his desire to satisfy his own

physical desires, while his society prevents such behaviour.

Like Jack, Algernon has a fictional friend named Bunbury, who is an invalid that Algernon

pretends to visit in order to avoid unpleasant engagements. In this way, Algernon can

indulge in his own desires and escape duty. In spite of this, his feigned sense of duty in

caring for an invalid maintains the facade of a serious and dutiful person, demonstrating the

measures the aristocracy had to take to escape the oppressive moral values held during that

time. Nevertheless, Algernon is clearly portrayed as much more self-absorbed than Jack.

The difference between Jack and Algernon here is that Algernon acknowledges his

deception, whilst Jack doesn’t. However, he is merely pleased with his own ingenuity: this

does not suggest contempt for others. In his eyes, his own pleasure overrides everything

else, seeing his life as a work of art he creates himself. As such, he contributes to Wilde’s

aesthetic philosophy.


Jack Worthing

In comparison to Algernon, Jack appears to be the more serious, conformist character with a

greater sense of responsibility. However, this is shown to be false with the truth about his

‘brother’ Ernest is revealed. He reflects the Victorian values of appearing to uphold

responsibility and duty, whilst behaving in a hypocritical and self-serving manner. Hence,

Jack’s character is crucial for satirising the ‘morality’ of the aristocracy. Nevertheless, his

attitudes towards marriage and behaviour usually counteract those of Algernon, reflecting

the more serious approach to Victorian life.

His character is exaggerated, but this makes his recognisable to the audience and allows

Wilde to portray the ideas and attitudes of the Victorian upper class.

Lady Bracknell (Augusta Fairfax)

Lady Bracknell represents the snobbish, hypocritical and trivial nature of the upper class.

She delivers a number of epigrams that reflect Wilde’s ideas of the aristocracy. She presents

the complication of the play by refusing to allow Jack to marry Gwendolen. As such, she

represents the repressive values of the aristocracy, being a powerful, arrogant and proper

woman.

She was not born into the aristocracy, but married well, which brought her into the upper

class. All her extreme opinions are the result of her new position, which allows her to speak

of topics such as marriage, class, gender, religion and death in this way. As such, she

contributes to Wilde’s satirical commentary on the upper class. She is seen to discriminate

against others, especially through her interview with Jack. Her expectations are ruthless,

demanding sufficient property and social status, but completely ignoring any kind of deeper

connection.

As a result of her social status, she has a great deal of authority, which she exerts over every

other character in the play. She presents the conflict of the play by forbidding the marriage

of Jack and Gwendolen. She states that the lower classes should not be educated, as this

would threaten the very authority she takes advantage of.

As a side note, Lady Bracknell does not have a different last name from her daughter -

Bracknell was the name of their estate, hence the titles Lord and Lady Bracknell.


Gwendolen Fairfax

Gwendolen reflects the shallow, artificial nature of the upper class, mainly through her

obsession with the name Ernest. Wilde uses this to reflect how the aristocracy focused on

the facades and appearances of a person, rather than true morals. As a result, she is blind to

Jack’s deception. Also, her appearance and style are more important to her than anything

else.

She is seen to be very smart and persistent in reaching her goals, such as following Jack to

the country after his proposition. Wilde utilises her character to illustrate the hypocrisy of

the upper class through the contradictory statements she makes.

Cecily Cardew

She is seen to be almost exactly the same as Gwendolen, portraying the same ideas. She too

is obsessed with the name Ernest, overlooking all other characteristics. She lives in an

imaginary world, to the point that she dreams that Ernest has already proposed to her, even

writing herself letters on his behalf. Like Gwendolen, she believes that the way someone

does something is more important than why.

However, there are still some points of difference between them. She is raised in the

country amongst nature, being more unspoiled than Gwendolen. However, the boring

lifestyle has also driven her to desire excitement, hence her fascination with Ernest’s

(Algernon’s) wickedness. Wilde utilises her character to comment on the dullness of

education. It is interesting that Cecily is the only character who does not speak it witty

epigram, but in a more realistic manner.

Miss Prism

She is Cecily’s governess, pushing for her to live a respectable life and criticising anything

that goes against Victorian values, especially Ernest. Her exaggerated attitudes lead her to

make statements so ridiculous they inspire laughter. Overall, she may be seen to represent

Victorian education. She teaches Cecily to conform to society by maintaining meaningless

intellectual pursuits.

She is seen to be secretly in love with Reverend Chasuble. Along with her novel, this

highlights to the audience that there is a part of her that goes against society. However, this


is completely suppressed by social values, and she serves to enforce the same ideals that

prevent her from being who she truly desire to be.

Reverend Chasuble

He is the rector, sharing romantic feelings for Miss Prism. However, he still maintains an

image of morality and respectability. He serves to represent the religious ideas of the

Victorian era, and could be viewed as a symbol of the Church. Algernon and Jack abuse his

authority, requesting name changes through christening, showing how the aristocracy did

not have a true respect for divinity, but treated the church as another facade that could be

used to their own advantage. In this way, Chasuble’s character is essential for Wilde’s

commentary on religion. His conversations with Miss Prism show how clichéd religion is,

especially through her frequent statement of “As a man sows, so shall he reap” (Act II).

Lane

Lane is Algernon’s manservant. As a member of the working class, Lane does not have a

significant role in the play. His few lines still reveal a great deal, portraying him as the voice

of reason and reality. At the beginning of the play, he is the only one who knows about

Algernon’s Bunburying.

Techniques

Satire

Wilde satirises the values, morals and attitudes of the upper class. The use of inversion and

irony gives the play a satirical tone, thereby criticising the traditional ideas of the upper class

in the Victorian era. This also adds to the humour of the play.

Inversion

This is particularly used by Algernon (i.e. ‘Washing one’s clean linen in public’). Wilde inverts

a number of cliché sayings to create humour, whilst illustrating that the morals and values

of the upper class are a facade. This technique allows Wilde to satirise the Victorian

aristocracy.


Irony

This is used to create humour and helps to build satire in the play. Situational irony is used

to demonstrate the nature of the upper class. There is also a great deal of irony in Lady

Bracknell’s dialogue, given that she is a member of the aristocracy.

Epigram

This is a brief, witty, cleverly expressed statement. In the play, these are usually said by

Algernon, although Lady Bracknell also delivers some.

Pun

Play on words using word or phrase that has two meanings. Examples include Lady

Bracknell’s comments about train stations and her suggesting that Cecily may be

“connected” with London train stations, implying that her family heritage may be a station.

Motif

The most common motif in the play is food, which is used to highlight the triviality of the

upper class.

Stage Directions

These are important during the conflict between Gwendolen and Cecily as it helps to deliver

the physical humour.

Foreshadowing

This is seen when Jack predicts in act one that Cecily and Gwendolen would be calling each

other sisters within half an hour of knowing each other, and Algernon adds that it would

only happen after they called each other a lot of other things first. The conflict that occurs

after the arrival of Gwendolen in act two reflects this, with them calling each other sister

soon after.


Themes

Class

“ALGERNON: Divorces are made in Heaven” (Act I)

This quote is important as it contributes to Wilde’s satirical criticism of the hypocrisy

of the aristocracy. The use of inversion undermines the Victorian concept of

marriage, thereby satirising the aristocracy. Algernon is a member of the upper class,

and as such, he is expected to convey the expected high moral standards. However,

this quote undermines the moral values of the upper class. In this way, Wilde

illustrates the hypocrisy of the upper class, showing their facade of morality to be

false. As such, the quote represents a paradox: at first it seems ridiculous, but in

reality it conveys the truth.

“ALGERNON: Really, if the lower orders don’t set us a good example, what on earth is the

use of them? They seem, as a class, to have absolutely no sense of moral responsibility” (Act

I)

This statement is very ironic as it gives the opposite view to the attitudes in Victorian

England. At that time, the upper class saw themselves as the moral guardians of

society. Algernon implies that the lower classes should give moral guidance to the

upper class. This is ironic because, in Victorian England, the upper class viewed

themselves as the moral guardians of society. Here, however, Algernon suggests that

the upper class actually lacks morality, and needs to be guided by the lower orders.

While the irony contributes to the humour of the play, it also conveys a more serious

message of how the image of morality that was upheld by the upper class was

merely a facade.

“JACK: When one is in town one amuses oneself. When one is in the country one amuses

other people. It is excessively boring” (Act I)

Jack suggests that life as an aristocrat is boring and menial. He also shows the

shallow nature of the upper class - openly changing his behaviour to suit the


different expectations in the two places. He does not act naturally, but maintains a

facade as is seen fit.

“ALGERNON: Yes, but I have not been christened for years” (Act II)

Algernon demonstrates a complete disregard for the sacred, religious nature of this

ceremony. Rather, he shows that the upper class used and abused the institution of

religion (along with marriage) for their own benefit. They have no true sense of

morality, but maintain this as a facade. Following a religion was viewed equally as

significant as following the fashion: changing when best suited.

“LADY BRACKNELL: The number of engagements that go on seems to me considerably above

the proper average that statistics have laid down for out guidance” (Act III)

There is inversion in this quote, since statistics are meant to reflect the trends in

society, whilst Lady Bracknell suggests that statistics are presented as the ideal

behaviour that should be followed by the upper class. This demonstrates the

ridiculous obsession of the aristocracy with maintaining the right superficial

appearances. The statistics represent what is expected on them, contributing the the

play, which is a comedy of manners.

“LADY BRACKNELL: To be born, or at any rate bred, in a hand-bag, whether it had handles or

not, seems to me to display contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life that reminds

one of the worst excesses of the French Revolution. And I presume you know what that

unfortunate movement led to?” (Act I)

Lady Bracknell references the usurpation of the monarchy in France, undermining

the entire class structure. Here, she suggests that any change to the class structure

of England would be disastrous, especially since that would cause Lady Bracknell to

lose her position in society. The movement was ‘unfortunate’ because, without the

lower classes on the bottom, there would be no ‘top’ for the aristocracy to occupy.


“JACK: Cannot repentance wipe out an act of folly? Why should there be one law for men,

and another for women?” (ACT III)

Wilde demonstrates that judgements from society are contradictory. This links to

Miss Prism’s attitude towards “Ernest,” showing the upper class to be unforgiving.

Wilde uses men and women as an example of this here; however, he was not a

feminist, so it should not be interpreted that way.

“LADY BRACKNELL: Never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon. Only people who can’t

get into it do that” (Act III)

This reflects the nature of society with its exclusive groups, with those in the upper

class believing themselves to be better than others simply because they are in the

right group. The quote clearly illustrates that they believe that everyone desires to

be in that group. However, it is ironic that Wilde, who was a member of the upper

class, utilised the play to speak disrespectfully of society, in a humorous way.

“GWENDOLEN: I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade. It is obvious that our social

spheres have been widely different” (Act II)

As well as been a snide comment at Cecily, this line demonstrates a key feature of

the upper class: they did not work. Instead, they lived off their estates. Wilde

highlights that the upper class really have no other purpose in society that to look

down on others: they do not contribute productively to society, and as illustrated

throughout the play, they certainly do not act as examples to the rest of society.

Marriage


This quote is an inversion of the cliché statement ‘Marriages are made in Heaven.’ As

a result, Algernon makes light of the serious institution of marriage and the religious

values of the age. This quote is one of the epigrams of the play, reflecting the key

theme of marriage.


This statement reflects Algernon’s negative attitude towards the institution of

marriage. In the Victorian era, marriage formed part of the facade of high moral

standards maintained by the upper class. For Algernon to make such a statement

would have been scandalous in those times. As such, this quote is humorous, but

also demonstrates the hypocrisy of the upper class in a satirical manner. The

audience sees that marriage at that time was not for love, but for mutual economic

and social benefit: like a business deal.

It is also significant that this quote is located at the beginning of the play, as it allows

the audience to see how Algernon’s attitude to marriage develops throughout the

play. The audience sees the irony of Algernon falling in love with Cecily upon first

meeting her and promptly proposes to her. This criticises the fickle nature of the

upper class in relation to marriage, as well as other institutions, using humour to

soften Wilde’s critique.

“ALGERNON: The amount of women in London who flirt with their own husbands is perfectly

scandalous... It is simply washing one’s clean linen in public.” (Act I)

This statement is an inversion of the saying ‘Don’t wash your dirty laundry in public,’

along with the idea that women who flirt with the men who aren’t their husbands

are scandalous. This contributes to the satire of the play, whilst portraying how

society seems to promote hostility or mutual indifference between married partners.

The idea of a wife expression affection to her husband is frowned upon by society.

“ALGERNON: You don’t seem to realise, that in married life three is company and two is

none.” (Act I)

This expands on Algernon’s attitude towards marriage. Furthermore, it highlights

that a marriage at that time was not a deep relationship between two people, but

involved other people such as the family. This can be related to Lady Bracknell’s

attitude of treating marriage like a business deal: it is not a matter of love between

the couple, it is an arrangement for the mutual benefit of the two associated

families. The third person that Algernon alludes to may be expanded to represent

the whole of society.


“LADY BRACKNELL: I hadn’t been there since her poor husband’s death. I never saw a woman

so altered; she looks quite twenty years younger.” (Act I)

There is inversion in this statement, as the usual saying suggests that grief over

death of a loved one makes one look significantly older. While this quote is

humorous, it also demonstrates that the loss of a partner does not represent the loss

of a loved one, as there is no love in marriage. In fact, Wilde suggests that marriage

itself is so tiresome that it causes premature aging, not the traditional view.

“MISS PRISM: No married man is ever attractive except to his wife. CHASUBLE: And often, I

am told, not even to her.” (Act II)

In the play, Miss Prism is meant to represent the voice of reason due to her age and

position as governess. However, instead of displaying morality, she demonstrates

that she is yet to find a husband. Using this statement, Wilde undermines the views

of morality and right behaviour that should be associated with Miss Prism.

Furthermore, her prudish ideas are exaggerated in order to criticise the narrow-

minded views of marriage of the aristocracy.

“LADY BRACKNELL: To speak frankly, I am not in favour of long engagements. They give

people the opportunity of finding out each other’s character before marriage, which I think is

never advisable” (Act III)

In the play, Lady Bracknell is constructed to represent the Victorian aristocracy. Her

opinion on marriage highlights how marriage was not the result of love, but was an

impersonal business arrangement between the two families. Not only does Wilde

suggest that married partners do not have a deeper connection, he shows that a

marriage could not function if the partners tried to form an actual relationship.

“ALGERNON: All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does.

That’s his” (Act I)

This epigram highlights that all women are essentially the same. Wilde portrays

Gwendolen as equally as closed minded and superficial as her mother.


“CECILY: It would hardly have been a really serious engagement if it hadn’t been broken off

at least once. But I forgave you before the week was out” (Act II)

This demonstrates the fickle and superficial nature of the upper class. It also

highlights that marriage and all the behaviours related to it (i.e. the engagement) are

done according to expectations. This reinforces the idea that marriage only took

place because it was expected, and not out of any deeper connection.

“LADY BRACKNELL: I am quite ready to enter your name, should your answers be what a

really affectionate mother requires. Do you smoke?” (Act I)

The irony here is that Lady Bracknell’s questions are completely irrelevant to what a

truly affectionate mother would want to know. Rather than caring for whether Jack

loves Gwendolen and would treat her well, she focuses on superficial habits. In this

way, Wilde highlights that marriage itself in the upper class was based on such

shallow aspects, rather than a deep connection with the partner.

Morality

“MISS PRISM: I am not in favour of this modern mania for turning bad people into good

people at a moment’s notice. As a man sows so let his reap” (Act II)

This statement contradicts the religious idea of preaching forgiveness to all people

and allowing for a chance to repent of past wrongdoings. Whilst she is meant to be

the voice of reason, Miss Prism instead highlights the hypocrisy of the upper class,

going against the institution of religion. As such, Wilde demonstrates that the upper

class lack real morality, as they treat religion as it suits them, following the trends of

the time - ‘modern mania.’

Triviality

The play is subtitled ‘A Trivial Play for Serious People.’

This is an inversion of the true nature of the play. The audience of the play would

have been the Victorian upper class, who Wilde was criticising as trivial and

superficial. The underlying social critique of the play in fact makes it quite serious,


hence this subtitle itself is an inversion of the actual nature of the play and its

audience.

“ALGERNON: I hate people who are not serious about meals. It is so shallow of them” (Act I)

The inversion of this statement creates humour, as well as highlighting that the

upper class were only serious about superficial, trivial things. Equally, they are seen

to be trivial about serious matters. The motif of food is repeated throughout the

text, emphasising that the upper class only maintains a facade of seriousness - in

reality, they are trivial.

“ALGERNON: When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me. Indeed, when I

am in really great trouble, as any one who knows me intimately will tell you, I refuse

everything except food and drink.” (Act II)

Inversion is used in this quote of the idea of refusing food and drink when one is

depressed to ill. Since Algernon is so passionate about food, this contributes to the

motif of food in the text, which highlights the triviality of the upper class. In the

context of the issue Algernon was facing over the exposure of his deception and

Cecily’s refusal to marry his, the audience sees that he is more focused on eating

that dealing with the issue. As a member of the upper class, this shows that the

aristocracy were superficial, having little concern for deeper issues and being more

worried about trivial things like food.

“ALGERNON: I haven’t quite finished my tea yet! and there is still one muffin left” (Act II)

The ridiculousness of Algernon’s excuse not to leave creates humour. Once again,

the motif of food is used here to highlight the focus of the upper class on trivial

things. With more serious issues taking place around him, Algernon’s priority

remains with food, demonstrating the superficiality of the upper class.

“LADY BRACKNELL: We live, I regret to say, in an age of surfaces” (Act III)

This quote summarises the key ideas of the play, in that the upper class is shallow

and trivial. Wilde highlights how people in that era were focused on the outward

appearances of members of society, rather than anything deeper. This can be related


to marriage, and how this institution was only upheld to maintain the facade of

morality within the aristocracy. It can also be connected to the motif of food, which

demonstrates the triviality of the upper class through their focus on superficial

things.

“JACK: Oh, that’s nonsense Algy. You never talk anything but nonsense. ALGERNON: Nobody

ever does” (Act I)

Algernon illustrates that the entirety of the upper class, despite the facade of

seriousness, actually talk nothing but nonsense, focusing on trivial things like names

and food, and ignoring genuinely serious issues.

“CECILY: There is something in that name that seems to inspire absolute confidence. I pity

any poor married woman whose husband is not called Ernest” (Act II)

There is twofold dramatic irony in this quote. Firstly, the audience realises that

Algernon is not called Ernest, which undermines Cecily’s very reason for marrying

him. In addition, the audience knows that Algernon is not a person to put confidence

in due to his deceptive behaviour.

This quote also highlights the shallowness of the upper class. Just as Gwendolen said

that she could only marry a man with the name Ernest, Cecily suggests that she

could accept no other name. As such, the audience is invited to see that they are

focused on trivial things like names, rather than considering their relationship or any

deeper connection. In this way, the quote helps to develop the character of Cecily

(compare to Gwendolen, their characters are practically the same), showing her to

be a typical aristocratic woman who was focused on appearances and superficial

traits.

“LADY BRACKNELL: He has nothing, but he looks everything. What more can one desire?”

(Act III)

This demonstrates how the judgements of class were based entirely on appearances.

Algernon’s wealth, appearances and social status are shown to be more important

than his character.


“GWENDOLEN: We live, as I hope you know, Mr Worthing, in an age of ideals. The fact is

constantly mentioned in the more expensive monthly magazines” (Act I)

This further highlights how the upper class were focused on appearances, with no

judgement of true, inner character. After this quote, Gwendolen goes on to declare

that she loves Jack simply because he is called Ernest, showing how trivial she is.

From this, the audience is invited to see that the entirety of the upper class is this

superficial.

“CECILY: A man who is much talked about is always very attractive. One feels there must be

something in him, after all. I daresay it was foolish of me, but I fell in love with you, Ernest”

(Act II)

Once again, this highlights the shallowness of the upper class, as Cecily feel in love

with Algernon based on superficial characteristics (read: his name). She fell in love

with what other people said of him, not what he actually was. This demonstrates

how the upper class were more focused on what other people thought, which links

back to Gwendolen’s comment about the magazines that she read and followed.

Both women fall in love without any true understanding of the person.

“ALGERNON: Well, one must be serious about something, if one wants to have any

amusement in life. I happen to be serious about Bunburying” (Act II)

This again highlights the triviality of the upper class, since Algernon was only serious

about an entirely superficial activity. It also contributes to the theme of deception,

showing the upper class to be nothing more than a facade of morality, when they are

actually shallow and changeable.

“GWENDOLEN: In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing” (Act III)

Gwendolen demonstrates the idea that how someone does something is more

important than why they do it. This reflects how the aristocracy were more

concerned with superficial appearances, rather than true morality. The trivial

attitude towards ‘matters of grave importance’ shows that the upper class only take

trivial things seriously, and have little regard for anything truly serious.


Deception

“JACK: My name is Ernest in town and Jack in the country” (Act I)

Jack reveals that he deceives people about his name while in London, and lies to

those in the country about a fictional, poorly behaved brother. It is ironic that he

would use “Ernest” as his fake name, considering this does not make him at all

earnest.

“JACK: My dear fellow, the truth isn’t quite the sort of thing one tells to a nice, sweet, refined

girl. What extraordinary ideas you have about the way to behave to a woman” (Act I)

The comment here is on the unspoken rules of social interactions. Wilde

demonstrates that trivial customs are taken seriously by the upper class.

Furthermore, it is ironic that someone who goes by the name of “Ernest” is not

actually earnest, seen through his dishonesty.

“CECILY: I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being

really good all the time. That would be hypocrisy” (Act II)

The irony is that Algernon does in fact lead a double life, but not in the way that

Cecily implies. It is also ironic that a member of the upper class suggests that

hypocrisy is unacceptable, since the upper class is all about maintaining a false

image.

“ALGERNON: Nothing will induce me to part with Bunbury, and if you ever get married,

which seems to me extremely problematic, you will be very glad to know a Bunbury. A man

who marries without knowing a Bunbury has a very tedious time of it” (Act I)

Algernon points out that having a false friend would be necessary in marriage in

order to escape when suited. This reinforces the idea that there is no love between

partners in marriage. Furthermore, Wilde hints at the idea that married partners

must deceive each other if they are to have a happy marriage.


Education

“LADY BRACKNELL: I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance.

Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone. The whole theory of

modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education

produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes,

and probably lead to acts of violence is Grosvenor Square” (Act I)

The first part of this quote is humorous, since Lady Bracknell suggests that ignorance

is something to be valued. In this way, Wilde suggests that despite all that they

profess to know, the upper class are in fact completely ignorant. At the time, Queen

Victoria was introducing new education systems, but Lady Bracknell suggests that

this will not do anything.

Wilde also insults the English education system, pointing out that it does nothing for

the upper class because they are already at the head of society. Education makes no

difference to their social position, nor do they learn anything truly profound from it.

The only benefit from education is that the lower orders did not receive it, which

kept them at the bottom of the social ladder.

Lady Bracknell states that education would be dangerous to the upper class. On the

surface, she is suggesting that this would be due to violence from the lower classes.

However, the deeper message behind this may be seen to be that if the lower

classes became educated, it would close the divide between the classes. This would

be detrimental to Lady Bracknell’s position in society. The aristocracy would be

‘endangered’ because they would no longer be different from the lower class. It

would threaten the social hierarchy entirely. In fact, they would be lower, since they

are ignorant and have no beneficial education.

“JACK: I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever nowadays. You can’t go

anywhere without meeting a few clever people. The thing has become an absolute public

nuisance. I wish to goodness we has a few fools left” (Act I)

Whilst humorous, this comment also illustrates that cleverness appears threatening

to the upper class, pointing out their superficiality. Wilde essentially makes fun of


the upper class, suggesting that, despite their education, they are not at all clever. In

fact, he shows that society would be rather overwhelmed by only a few clever

people.

Art for Art’s Sake

“ALGERNON: I don’t play accurately - anyone can play accurately - bit I play with wonderful

expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep science for Life”

(Act I)

Wilde was part of the Aesthetic movement; hence this play contributes to the idea of

Art for Art’s sake. This reflects the idea that the emotion behind a work of art is

critical to its value. In order to appreciate art, the artist needs to have expressed

their own feelings through it. Although technique is somewhat important, Wilde

suggests that emotion is more important.

“ALGERNON: It is perfectly phrased! and quite as true as any observation in civilised life

should be” (Act I)

Wilde shows that Algernon was more concerned about the way he expresses himself

than anything else. Algernon talks in epigrams and witticisms, showing a desire to

present himself well and appear clever to those around him. Even if he is talking

absolute rubbish, his attitude is to live his life aesthetically, focusing on making

everything beautiful.

Act I

If you get a question about the opening of a play, you can discuss how Wilde spends very

little time giving descriptions of the setting, costumes or introducing the characters. Instead,

he practically launches straight into the play, with many details simply assumed. This may be

seen to be because the point of the play is conveyed through the dialogue - the witticisms,

epigrams and puns. Elaborate descriptions of other details would not contribute anything

significant to the play. That said, it is still important that Algernon’s apartment is


“luxuriously and artistically furnished,” (Act I), since this reflects the superficiality of the

upper class, the idea of ‘Art for Art’s sake’ and the dandy nature of his character. Also, the

presence of a piano shows that he valued art.

Themes and Ideas

Class - Algernon’s speech and behaviour are used to critique the culture of the Victorian

aristocracy. His short soliloquy reveals his snobbish, upper class nature, viewing the lower

classes differently. Lady Bracknell is seen to have no care for the serious issue of an invalid’s

health, being more concerned about her social calendar.

Triviality - Algernon’s desire for food reflects his desire for self-gratification. Furthermore,

his serious attitude towards food shows that the upper class were more concerned with

trivial things. He is obsessed with image and outward appearance, reflecting the theme of

superficiality.

Marriage - Epigrams delivered by Algernon in response to Jack’s desire to marry Gwendolen

and his opinions of marriage highlight the nature of marriage for the upper class: mainly

that it was not out of love. Gwendolen’s declaration that she fell in love based on a name

highlights this triviality. Lady Bracknell almost acts as a caricature of the aristocracy through

her treatment of marriage. The dialogue reflects Wilde’s idea of marriage, portraying it as a

facade that hides the lack of morality in the upper class. The audience is invited to see that

there is no true love within a marriage.

Deception - Lane is seen to deceive Algernon about the amount of wine consumed so that

he could please himself by taking some. The act of Bunburying - which both Algernon and

Jack use to escape their duties - is also revealed, leading double lives. This demonstrates

that neither is trustworthy, but will both lie and deceive in order to please themselves.

Art for Art’s Sake - This is mainly portrayed through Algernon’s attitudes and appearance.

Character Relationships

Algernon - He is seen to be vain, focused on his appearance and his own pleasure (mainly

through food and Bunburying). His trivial attitudes reflect Wilde’s ideas of the upper class,

allowing him to comment on the superficiality of the aristocracy through Algernon’s


character. He also reveals the hypocrisy of married life: the partners appear to be happy

together, while secretly leading double lives behind their backs.

Lane - This is the only act that Lane appears in. His conversation with Algernon reveals

attitudes that existed between the Victorian classes, especially when Algy tells Lane he does

not wish to hear about his private life. Also, it is amusing that Algernon appears no more

concerned than Lane over the stealing of the wine. His dismissal of something rather

significant reinforces the triviality of the upper class, as well as the apparent acceptability of

deception.

Jack - Initially he is presented as an upstanding citizen, upholding his duties, manners and

morals. However, it is soon revealed that he is just as deceptive as Algernon, leading a

double life that allows him to escape duty in order to please himself. There is a pun in the

name Jack uses - “Ernest” - since this deceptive behaviour makes him the opposite of

earnest. The superficial expectations of the aristocracy are seen when Gwendolen demands

that he redo the proposal properly, ensuring that he follow all the expected manners and

words.

Lady Bracknell - She presents the conflict of the play by preventing Gwendolen and Jack

from getting married. Her interview with Jack demonstrates the superficiality of Victorian

values, values social standing over true goodness. She begins by asking completely trivial

questions, such as whether he smoked. Her statements are absurd, but are essential to

reveal the heartless nature of the upper class.

Gwendolen - The shallowness of her ideas are almost absurd, such as the way she ignores

all factors of Jack’s life and personality except for his name. As such, she reflects the

triviality of the upper class. Gwendolen was more concerned that he was “Ernest” than

“earnest.” There is an interesting inversion of gender roles, as Gwendolen act in a

demanding and controlling manner, while Jack stumbles and appears weak in comparison.

In Victorian society, men were expected to be the patriarchs, being the authoritative figure

in the relationship. In the end, Gwendolen practically does the job of proposing for him, a

complete reversal of the expected events.


Act II

Themes and Ideas

Religion - The dialogue between Miss Prism and Chasuble is key to revealing the hypocrisy

of religion, the way it lacks meaning and has become clichéd

Marriage - Cecily makes an identical declaration to Gwendolen, proclaiming that she only

fell in love with Algernon because he was called Ernest. This, again, highlights the

shallowness of marriage. Miss Prism also reveals that there is no passion in marriage: it is

only performed as a social obligation. Appearances are all that matters: there is no need for

any real love. Wilde shows the process of courtship to be trivial through Algernon’s

imaginary relationship with Cecily, documented in her diary.

Class - The importance of appearances are reinforced through Jack’s clothing, showing how

shallow the aristocracy’s ideas are.


Algernon - He is to deceive other characters in order to please himself, reinforcing the idea

of being self-absorbed. He adopts the role of the wayward younger brother. However, at the

end of the act, he must reveal his true identity. His deception is less malicious, since he does

not lead a double life the way Jack does. Although Algernon temporarily deceives near

strangers, Jack has fooled his closest friends over an extended period of time for his own

benefit. Algernon simply treats the whole situation as an elaborate game, revealing the

dandy element of his character, whilst Jack takes his deception seriously.

Jack - He demonstrates his more responsible side in relation to Cecily, acting protective of

her. The extent of his deception is increased as he attempts to convince the other

characters that Ernest has died. He goes overboard, getting into complete mourning attire

to deceive the other characters. However, both he and Algernon get caught out on their

deceptions. At the end of the act, his real identity is revealed to Gwendolen.

Cecily - She is seen to live in a fantasy world, with shallow ideas of who to marry, just like

Gwendolen. She prefers to tell herself stories - practically deceiving herself - instead of living


in the reality of her situation. Her passions and desires are suppressed by society’s

expectations of education and behaviour, and she has a fascination with the idea of a

wicked man. However, like Gwendolen, she is highly determined and readily takes control of

her situation with Algernon. She does not even wait for him to propose, but presumes their

engagement for him. Wilde presents the converse view of the traditional gender roles.

Gwendolen - Once again, she is seen to take control, organising to go to the country after

Jack, deceiving her parents in the process. In her interactions with Cecily, the audience sees

how they must maintain politeness whilst simultaneously insulting and undermining one

other. She takes charge of her own romantic life. Comedy is created when she and Cecily

treat the recording of their engagements in their diaries as hard evidence of the facts.

Ironically, they are both correct, yet neither of them is correct, since neither man is Ernest.

Miss Prism - The audience sees the potential for a relationship as Chasuble and Miss Prism

flirt with each other through metaphor.

Reverend Chasuble - He represents the Church, with both Algernon and Jack abusing his

authority for their own benefit, asking him to christen them. This shows how the upper class

would use institutions, like the church, solely for their gain.

Act III

Themes and Ideas

Deception - When Jack learns that he has been named Ernest all along, this creates a pun

that he has been “earnest” and “Ernest” the whole time. When he apologises for being

honest, this highlights the hypocrisy of the upper class. His deception was the reality.

Marriage - The fact that Cecily and Gwendolen are so quick to overlook the deception of

Jack and Algernon shows that marriage is based on superficial aspects (i.e. a name, wealth)

rather than a deeper respect or connection.


Class - The behaviour of the characters emphasises many aspects of the Victorian

aristocracy - their fickle nature (such as when Lady Bracknell swiftly changes her mind about

Cecily, and later Jack) and superficiality (Lady Bracknell’s response to Cecily’s wealth).


Algernon - When faced with a serious issue after his double life is exposed, he and Jack

focus more on eating than anything else, showing their triviality. Interestingly, Algernon was

the honest one about his deception, admitting to Cecily that he did it to meet her, which is

true.

Jack - Although he appears to take the matter more seriously than Algernon, he still shows

silly concern for the muffins. He is concerned over his situation; however, he does not feel

any deep remorse for his actions. He is simply frustrated that he is unable to get what he

wants. Furthermore, he lies to Gwendolen when he tells her that he only led a double life to

be near her - this is not true at all.

Cecily - Ironically, she proclaims that their eating of muffins appears to show remorse,

although the audience knows this is not the case. She is shown to be almost exactly the

same as Gwendolen in her attitudes to marriage and life. Her shallowness is particularly

emphasised by her response to Jack and Algernon.

Gwendolen - Her eagerness to forgive Jack shows her superficial values: she did not really

care that her future husband had lied to her and led a double life. In fact, she goes so far as

to see guilt in him that isn’t really there.

Lady Bracknell - She delivers many witty lines that make fun of Jack’s “family” - asking Cecily

if she was ‘connected’ with any railways stations. However, her double standards are

emphasised when she changes her mind about the marriage of Algy to Cecily once she

learns of Cecily’s wealth. Similarly, she changes her mind about Jack when she learns of his

actual lineage.

Miss Prism - When she recognises the bag as hers, the audience is invited to expect that she

is the long-lost mother of Jack, as is the case in many other plays of the time.


Reverend Chasuble - The relationship between Miss Prism and Chasuble that was alluded to

in Act II is confirmed right at the end of this act.

Important Quotes

A summarised list of those analysed in this document.


“ALGERNON: The amount of women in London who flirt with their own husbands is

perfectly scandalous... It is simply washing one’s clean linen in public.” (Act I)

“ALGERNON: You don’t seem to realise, that in married life three is company and two

is none.” (Act I)

“ALGERNON: Really, if the lower orders don’t set us a good example, what on earth is

the use of them? They seem, as a class, to have absolutely no sense of moral

responsibility” (Act I)

“JACK: When one is in town one amuses oneself. When one is in the country one

amuses other people. It is excessively boring” (Act I)

“ALGERNON: Yes, but I have not been christened for years” (Act II)

“LADY BRACKNELL: The number of engagements that go on seems to me

considerably above the proper average that statistics have laid down for out

guidance” (Act III)

“LADY BRACKNELL: To be born, or at any rate bred, in a hand-bag, whether it had

handles or not, seems to me to display contempt for the ordinary decencies of family

life that reminds one of the worst excesses of the French Revolution. And I presume

you know what that unfortunate movement led to?” (Act I)

“JACK: Cannot repentance wipe out an act of folly? Why should there be one law for

men, and another for women?” (ACT III)

“LADY BRACKNELL: Never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon. Only people who

can’t get into it do that” (Act III)

“GWENDOLEN: I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade. It is obvious that our

social spheres have been widely different” (Act II)



“ALGERNON: The amount of women in London who flirt with their own husbands is

perfectly scandalous... It is simply washing one’s clean linen in public.” (Act I)

“ALGERNON: You don’t seem to realise, that in married life three is company and two

is none.” (Act I)

“LADY BRACKNELL: I hadn’t been there since her poor husband’s death. I never saw a

woman so altered; she looks quite twenty years younger.” (Act I)

“MISS PRISM: No married man is ever attractive except to his wife. CHASUBLE: And

often, I am told, not even to her.” (Act II)

“LADY BRACKNELL: To speak frankly, I am not in favour of long engagements. They

give people the opportunity of finding out each other’s character before marriage,

which I think is never advisable” (Act III)

“ALGERNON: All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man

does. That’s his” (Act I)

“CECILY: It would hardly have been a really serious engagement if it hadn’t been

broken off at least once. But I forgave you before the week was out” (Act II)

“LADY BRACKNELL: I am quite ready to enter your name, should your answers be

what a really affectionate mother requires. Do you smoke?” (Act I)

“MISS PRISM: I am not in favour of this modern mania for turning bad people into

good people at a moment’s notice. As a man sows so let his reap” (Act II)

The play is subtitled ‘A Trivial Play for Serious People.’

“ALGERNON: I hate people who are not serious about meals. It is so shallow of them”

(Act I)

“ALGERNON: When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me. Indeed,

when I am in really great trouble, as any one who knows me intimately will tell you, I

refuse everything except food and drink.” (Act II)

“ALGERNON: I haven’t quite finished my tea yet! and there is still one muffin left”

(Act II)

“LADY BRACKNELL: We live, I regret to say, in an age of surfaces” (Act III)

“JACK: Oh, that’s nonsense Algy. You never talk anything but nonsense. ALGERNON:

Nobody ever does” (Act I)


“CECILY: There is something in that name that seems to inspire absolute confidence. I

pity any poor married woman whose husband is not called Ernest” (Act II)

“LADY BRACKNELL: He has nothing, but he looks everything. What more can one

desire?” (Act III)

“GWENDOLEN: We live, as I hope you know, Mr Worthing, in an age of ideals. The

fact is constantly mentioned in the more expensive monthly magazines” (Act I)

“CECILY: A man who is much talked about is always very attractive. One feels there

must be something in him, after all. I daresay it was foolish of me, but I fell in love

with you, Ernest” (Act II)

“ALGERNON: Well, one must be serious about something, if one wants to have any

amusement in life. I happen to be serious about Bunburying” (Act II)

“JACK: My name is Ernest in town and Jack in the country” (Act I)

“JACK: My dear fellow, the truth isn’t quite the sort of thing one tells to a nice, sweet,

refined girl. What extraordinary ideas you have about the way to behave to a

woman” (Act I)

“CECILY: I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and

being really good all the time. That would be hypocrisy” (Act II)

“ALGERNON: Nothing will induce me to part with Bunbury, and if you ever get

married, which seems to me extremely problematic, you will be very glad to know a

Bunbury. A man who marries without knowing a Bunbury has a very tedious time of

it” (Act I)

“LADY BRACKNELL: I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural

ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone. The

whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at

any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious

danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence is Grosvenor

Square” (Act I)

“JACK: I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever nowadays. You can’t go

anywhere without meeting a few clever people. The thing has become an absolute

public nuisance. I wish to goodness we has a few fools left” (Act I)


“ALGERNON: I don’t play accurately - anyone can play accurately - bit I play with

wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep

science for Life” (Act I)

“GWENDOLEN: In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing”

(Act III)

“ALGERNON: It is perfectly phrased! and quite as true as any observation in civilised

life should be” (Act I)