the importance of being earnest

what is the subtitle of the play?

a trivial comedy for serious people

according to wilde, what is the philosophy of the play?

we should treat all the trivial things in life seriously and all the serious things in life with sincere and studied triviality

where is wilde from, what relevance does this have to the play?

he is from dublin, so he can criticise the british class system as an outsider

what is the significance of the name john worthing?

it is an everyman name, might suggest he is worthy of something

what is john worthing’s profession?

justice of the peace

what is algernon’s full name?

algernon moncrieff

what is the significance of the name algernon moncrieff?

its a flamboyant name

what is the relevance of the name reverend canon chasuble?

very religious, shows he may be a religious caricature

what in the opening stage directions gives us an impression of algernon’s class?

the “morning room” at his home in “half moon street”, a posh street in london

what happens in the opening of the play?

algernon and lane discuss piano, and lady bracknell’s upcoming visit

how do we see algernon’s superficiality from the outset?

“i dont play accurately - anyone can play accurately - but i play with wonderful expression”, also suggests his nonconformity

what food is being prepared from lady bracknell?

cucumber sandwiches

what is the significance of the motif of cucumber sandwiches?

they are synechdoche for upper class extravagance as they are not filling, showing they don’t need to eat

how is the hyperbolic nature of the upper classes shown in the opening lines?

sandwich making is referred to as the “science of life”, philosophical ideas are implied to trivial things

what is the first mention of marriage and how does it set the tone for the rest of the play?

algernon asks “is marriage so demoralising as that?”, shows marriage will be the subject of satire

how does lane respond to algernon’s critique of marriage as “demoralising”?

“i have only been married once. that was in consequence of a misunderstanding between myself and a young person”, “person” might suggest homosexual undertones as a woman is not named

which quote between algernon and lane shows the disconnect between victorean men and their family lives?

“i dont know that i am much interested in your family life, lane” “i never think of it myself”

where in algernon and lane’s opening lines do we see subversive attitudes towards the upper classes?

“if the lower orders dont set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them?”

where does jack return from at the start of act 1?

“the country”

what does algernon do when jack returns from the country?

asks him questions about what he does and who he’s with, to which jack replies vaguely

which of jack’s evasive replies to algernon’s questioning about the country is a wildean epigram which sets up the opposition of country and town?

“when one is in town one amuses oneself. when one is in the country one amuses other people”

who is jack supposedly flirting with, and how does algernon describe it?

he flirts with gwendolen, it is “perfectly disgraceful”

when jack and algernon discuss gwendolen, how is the juxtaposition between the two characters shown?

algernon sees jack’s proposal as “business”, while jack is excited to propose and calls algernon “utterly unromantic”

what do we learn about algernon’s attitude towards marriage in the opening conversation with jack?

“it is very romantic to be in love. but there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal”, he is cynical and sees a disconnect between marriage and love

which institution does jack reference when talking about marriage, when was it founded and how does algernon respond to this?

“the divorce court” which was founded in 1858, algernon replies “divorces are made in heaven”

what is the significance of “divorces are made in heaven”?

it shows the extent of algernon’s subversion, as divorce was taboo and at odds wiht religion

what might the early juxtaposition between town and country foreshadow?

double lives

what are all upper class characters associated with?

excess

how do we see gwendolen associated with excess?

“gwendolen is devoted to bread and butter”

when jack asks for algernon’s consent to marry gwendolen, how does algernon respond?

“before i allow you to marry her, you will have to clear up the question of cecily”

which character does algernon suspect jack of having a suspicious relationship with in act 1?

cecily

what causes algernon to question jack’s relationship with cecily?

his cigarette case has an inscription which reads “from little cecily with her fondest love”

how does algernon find out jack’s name is not ernest?

the inscription on his cigarette case is addressed to jack

what is the explanation to the inscription on jack’s cigarette case?

cecily is his aunt who is short

how does algernon react when jack tells him his name isnt ernest?

“you look as if your name was ernest. you are the most earnest looking person i ever saw in my life”

how are professionals treated with contempt in act 1?

jack - “it is very vulgar to talk like a dentist when one isnt a dentist. it produces a false impression”

what is algernon’s term for someone who leads a double life?

a “bunburyist”

how do gwendolen and jack flirt in act 1?

when jack calls her “quite perfect”, she responds “i hope i am not that. it would leave no room for developments, and i intend to develop in many directions”

how does wilde use the motif of cucumber sandwiches to develop lady bracknell’s character?

when she arrives, she requests “one of those nice cucumber sandwiches you promised me”, is buying into the excess

which line tells us a lot about gwendolen’s place as a woman in her introduction?

“i hope i am not that, it would leave no room for developments, and i intend to develop in many directions”, forward and euphemistic

what does lady bracknell request when she arrives at algernon’s house?

“i’ll have a cup of tea and one of those nice cucumber sanwiches you offered me”

does algernon give lady bracknell a cucumber sanwich when she arrives?

no, algernon ate them before she arrived, but lane claims “there were no cucumbers in the market this morning”, showing how the upper classes collude with the lower classes

how is illness associated with homosexuality?

when algernon’s “poor friend bunbury is very ill again”

how do gwendolen and jack end up alone leading up to the proposal?

algernon leaves to help jack with his proposal and asks lady bracknell to follow, she asks gwendolen to follow her but gwendolen “remains behind”

what is the dynamic between jack and gwendolen when they’re alone?

gwendolen is dominant, jack speaks “nervously” and speaks inchoerently, when jack professes his love she says “yes i am quite well aware of the fact”

how do we get a sense of gwendolen’s intelligence?

she has a imprressive vocabulary, referring to “metaphysical speculations” and she understands the true nature of men, stating that they often “propose for practice”

how has gwendolen educated herself?

“the more expensive monthly magazines”

when jack tells gwendolen he loves her, how does she respond?

she says she loves him because he is named ernest, “my ideal has always been to love someone of the name of ernest”

what in the proposal scene might suggest that Gwendolen does not love ernest?

she wants ernest to look at her lovingly “especially when there are other people present”

do any characters adhere to stereotypes? what is the significance of this?

they all defy stereotypes, which might suggest that marriage causes people to adhere to stereotypes

how does lady bracknell react when she finds jack proposing to gwendolen? what is the significance of this?

“rise, sir, from this semi-recumbent posture. it is most indecorous”, she is using language to intimidate him

what are lady bracknell’s views on gwendolen’s engagement?

“an engagement should come on a young girl as a suprise, pleasant or unpleasant, as the case may be. it is hardly a matter that she could be arrange for herself”

how might modern and contemporary audiences react to lady bracknell’s views on marriage?

cop are more used to arranged marriages, cor might find this dislikeable

what is significant about the questions lady bracknell gives jack when she finds out he’s engaged to gwendolen, and what is significant about jack’s answers?

when lady bracknell asks a reasonable question such as “ do you smoke”, and jack gives the traditionally incorrect answer “i must admit i smoke”, lady bracknell affirms him “i am glad to hear it”, showing the absurdity of middle class marriage

how can we see lady bracknell’s intimidation of jack?

she makes him say “i know nothing lady bracknell”

how is lad bracknell’s social power established during the interrogation scene?

jack’s unfashionable housing could “easily be altered”, she can change the opinions of lots of people

how does lady bracknell invert serious and trivial during the interrogation scene?

“now to minor matters, are your parents living?”

why does lady bracknell decide against gwendolen and jack’s engagement?

jack’s unknown parentage

how does lady bracknell insult jack at the end of the interrogation scene?

“you can hardly imagine that i and lord bracknell would dream of allowing our only daughter - a girl brought up with the utmost care - to marry into a cloak room and form an alliance with a parcel”

how does jack describe lady bracknell? what is the significance of this?

a “gorgon”, a classical allusion of a woman who turns men to stone

what dies algernon say about the possibility of gwendolen becoming like her mother? what is the significance of this?

“all women become like their mothers. that is their tragedy. no man does. that’s his”, wilde was particularly close to his mother

what quote might suggest women are not deserving of earnestness?

“the only way to behave to a woman is to make love to her, if she is pretty, and to someone else if she is plain”

what shows jack’s submissive attitude?

“oh no! i loathe listening” and later repititions

how does algernon find jack’s address and what does he intend to do with it?

jack tells it to gwendolen si she can write to him, algernon decides to go bunburying at his address, pretending to be his brother ernest

how does act 1 end?

algernon tells jack he is going bunburying, he is really going to pose as jack’s brother ernest

how does act 2 open?

in the garden of jack’s manor house with miss prism and cecily

what in the description of jack’s manor house suggests the country is unchanging and old-fashioned?

“grey stone steps” symbolic of mundanety, “old fashioned” garden

which flowers and trees are in jack’s garden and what is the significance of this?

“roses” symbols of love, “yew tree” symbol of death, he’s harminising binary opposites even in the setting

what was wilde’s preferences for staging the opening of act 2? what is the significance?

silk roses and silver sand to represent water, blurs lines between natural and artificial

how does the setting of jack’s manor house contrast to algernon’s house at half-moon street?

natural and rural language, “basket chairs”

what is gwendolen doing in the opening of act 1?

“watering flowers”

what does miss prism instruct gwendolen to do at the beginning of act 1? which motif does that include?

“german grammar”, the motif of german representing order

why does cecily object to her german lesson? what is the significance of it?

“i look quite plain after my german lesson”, shows her superficiality and links her to algernon’s absurdity

how is cecily described by jack in act 1?

“not a silly romantic girl”

why does miss prism say cecily should do her german lesson? what is the significance?

jack “always lays stress on your german when he is leaving for town”, dramatic irony as he is doing what he wants but she must do what she hates, might suggest a more serious effect of bunburying

how does miss prism praise jack? what technique is this an example of?

“i know no one who has a higher sense of duty and responsibility”, dramatic irony

what is miss prism’s profession?

teacher

where do we first see miss prism use biblical language?

“as a man sows so let him reap”

where does wilde use metafiction in act 2?

“i dont like novels that end happily. they depress me so much” “the good ended happily and the bad unhappily. that is what fiction means”

what is the significance of wilde’s use of metafiction?

he puts forward a very stereotypical view of fiction, making the audience question whether he will challenge this

what happens when miss prism states her manuscript for a book was “abandoned”?

cecily believes she means sexually abandoned, revealing that cecily is not as wholesome as she lets on

what is dr chasuble’s profession?

priest

where do we get the first impression of dr chasuble’s love for miss prism?

“were i fortunate enough to be miss prism’s pupil, i would hang upon her lips”

how is jack seen by dr chasuble?

“he is not one of those whose sole aim is enjoyment”

what is cecily’s reaction to hearing that ernest worthing is at the manor, what is the significance of it?

“i am so afraid he will look just like everyone else”, she is not worried about anything rational

how does algernon greet cecily?

“you are my little cousin cecily, i’m sure”

how does cecily respond to algernon’s allegations of being “little”?

“i believe i am more than usually tall for my age”

what is algernon’s initial reaction to cecily’s forwardness?

he is “rather taken aback”

what does cecily’s response “i believe i am more than usually tall for my age” remind the audience of?

gwendolen

when algernon and cecily first meet, what is the repated exclamation he gives and what is the significance of this?

“oh!”

which quote shows cecily’s subversion?

“i hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time”

how does wilde give us a sense of cecily and algernon’s similarity in their first meeting?

“i know… how important it is not to keep a business engagement, is one wants to retain any sense of the beauty of life”, this is similar to algernon’s beliefs

what does algernon want cecily to do for him when they first meet?

“reform” him

how does cecily describe the idea of “reform(ing)” algernon? what does this mean and what is the significance?

“quixotic”, referring to romantic writer don quixote who is associated with cliched stories about a man being changed by love

how does cecily’s taste in men show subversion?

“i don’t think i would know how to catch a sensible man”

where do we see dr chasuble and miss prism’s synchonicity?

“no married man is ever attractive except to his wife” “and often, i’ve been told, not even to her”

where does miss prism mirror dr chasuble’s language?

“i spoke horticulturally. my metaphor was drawn from fruits”

what are the stage directions of jack’s entrance into the manor house?

“enter jack slowly from the back of the garden. he is dressed in deepest mourning”

how can wilde’s stage directions be described?

prescriptive or specific

what does the stage directions of jack emerging “slowly from the back of the garden” create?

extreme visual humour, as the denouement is being delayed as much as possible and jack’s attire contrasts the green world