The Importance of Being Earnest

Oscar Wilde

The Importance of Being Earnest Written in 1895 A Comedy in 3 Acts Satire Immediate hit when first performed Criticizes Victorian moral and social values Bridges Victorian period/literature with Modern Uses wit, puns, exaggeration, and wordplay to create humor

Possible Theme... In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing --Gwendolen Act 3

Main Characters Brief overview John Worthing, aka “Jack”, aka “Earnest” Algernon Montcrief, Jack’s friend Lane, the butler for Algernon Rev. Chausible, the preacher in the country Lady Bracknell, mother of Gwendolyn Gwendolyn, wants to marry a man named “Earnest” Cecily, Jack’s ward Miss Prism, Cecily’s governess

Characters John "Jack" Worthing: Protagonist and most sympathetic character. As a baby he was found in a handbag on a railway line, and doesn’t feel at home in aristocratic society. He lives in the country but has invented a wicked brother named "Ernest" whose scrapes require Jack's attendance in the city. Algernon Moncrieff: Algernon is Jack’s foil. He believes pleasure is the sole purpose of life (a hedonist) and has created a friend named Bunbury who’s an invalid and “necessitates” that Algernon to leave the city whenever he pleases. He calls this activity, "Bunburying," –and accuses Jack of “Bunburying.” Claims that Bunburying is necessary in marriage—”three is company, two is none”

More Characters Lady Bracknell: the antagonist of the play, blocking potential marriages. She is a caraicature of typical Victorian classism; she does not allow Gwendolen to marry Jack when she finds out he is an orphan, (and has carelessly lost his family) and she dislikes Cecily as a mate for her nephew Algernon until she learns that Cecily is wealthy. Gwendolen Fairfax: Lady Bracknell's daughter, and romantically linked to Jack. Though she returns his love, Gwendolen appears self-centered and flighty. Like Cecily, she desires nothing but to marry someone named Ernest. Cecily Cardew: Jack's young ward and lives with him in the country. Young and pretty, Algernon is smitten with her when he pretends to be Jack’s brother Ernest and visits Jack’s estate in the country. Cecily has heard about Jack’s brother, and has written correspondences between the two of them for months by the time she meets Algernon/Ernest. Like Gwendolen, she is only interested in marrying a man named Ernest.

The Characters: Miss Prism: is Cecily's governess. She obviously loves Chasuble, but because he is a priest she cannot tell him her feelings. Lane: Algernon's butler delivers a number of droll lines which show that he is far from a passive servant. Chasuble: A rector, (clergyman) Chasuble frequently visits Jack's country house to see Miss Prism. Though he is a committed minister, he seems well matched for the educated Miss Prism. Merriman: Jack's butler, minor character, but in one scene he and another servant force the bickering Gwendolen and Cecily to maintain supposedly polite conversation.

Settings Time: Around 1890 Place(s): London (“the City”) Jack’s House in the Country (a very large estate) The village church

Settings Jack’s Country House

Settings Jack’s Drawing Room

Settings Lady Bracknell’s mansion in London

Background Time Period: Victorian Era Queen Victoria 1837— England became the wealthiest country in the world. British expansion led to notion of “White Man’s Burden”—duty to spread culture and order to world. Industrial Revolution changed England to modern, industrial state

Victorian Fashion For the Gentlemen

Victorian Fashion For the Ladies

Victorian Period People did not just “drop in” to visit - they made formal appointments Refreshments were expected when visitors came to “call” (visit) - usually tea and cake or tiny, elegant cucumber sandwiches Men were expected to be well-educated Women were expected to marry well

Characters Grotesque original meaning was restricted to an extravagant style Today used as a general adjective for the strange, fantastic, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant Who is overly extravagant, fantastic and unpleasant? Caricature description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristic(s) Emphasis on (usually) one trait Who’s flightly, whimsical, not tethered to reality?

Gender Roles Men dominated the public sphere in politics and industry Women relegated to the private sphere to oversee household and supervise children The “ideal” Victorian woman was quiet and demure.

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Aesthetic Movement From the beginning, there is a focus on appearances. Algernon doesn’t play the piano accurately, but with “wonderful expression”—this is part of the Aesthetic Movement. This movement championed “art for art’s sake”—they enjoyed art for pure pleasure without paying attention to the conventional laws of composition. Gwendolen also sees this “in matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.” This class cherishes appearances and style over anything else.

Earnestness vs. Triviality Wilde ridicules the proper, “earnest” but often hypocritical behavior of the Victorian upper class who advocated a rigid adherence to a strict moral code and notions of duty and propriety— all while engaging in dishonorable conduct. Earnest exposes the obsession with trivial matters of exhibited by the Victorian upper class. Wilde shows the emptiness of the elite class when they focus on trivial matters: muffins, clothes, names. Superficial items are treated serious

Being “earnest” Earnestness becomes a character trait that embodies haughtiness and affection rather than true seriousness. Gwendolen states, “My ideal has always been to love some one of the name of Ernest. There is something in that name that inspires absolute confidence.” Jack’s invention of “Earnest” is not a man who could inspire confidence.

Irony! Earnest or Ernest? Earnest means honest, genuine, real. The word ‘earnest’, as it is used in the title, denotes sincere. Jack and Algernon are deceitful characters who assume the name of Ernest; Jack so he can get away to London; Algernon so he can meet Cecily by pretending to be Jack’s brother. The play on words, Earnest and Ernest, is a double deceit as neither Jack nor Algernon is ‘earnest’ and both lie about their identities.

Classes Theoretically, it is expected the well- mannered and educated upper class to set the moral example for the coarser lower classes, but Algernon comments on the lack of “moral responsibility” of the lower class. Algernon completely reverses the concept, essentially justifying upper-class irresponsibility and self- indulgence

Eating Characters tend to mask their true feelings—or experience nervousness & distress—while eating or commenting on food. Act I, Algernon eats all the cucumber sandwiches, and then complains about the lack of sandwiches. Act 2, Cecily serves tea to Gwendolen, and despite her polite façade, insulted her guest by providing the food she didn’t want. Tea time is a social expectation, especially among the upper class. It is ironically appropriate that Wilde uses these tea settings for moments that should be highly emotional but cannot be because of the constraints of proper etiquette.

Contradiction At the end of Act 2, the ladies go into the house, while the men stay outside eating muffins. At first the women are annoyed the men aren’t paying attention to them. When the men do look, they express indignation. Then Gwendolen insists that the women not speak first, but she does. Wilde employs these contradiction for pure comic effect.

Appearances Lady Bracknell’s statement about Lady Harbury looking “looks quite twenty years younger” shows how she should be expected to be a grieving widow appearing ill and sad. Instead, the death has rejuvenated Lady Harbury and looks better than before. She must appear happy!

Bunburying Algernon has invented an invalid friend named Bunbury, who enables him to escape undesirable social obligations. Bunbury allows Algernon to violate social conventions (i.e. cancel dinner plans and undesirable visits) without gaining the reputation of being unreliable.

Being “Ernest” Gwendolen considers Ernest to be a name that “inspires absolute confidence.” She calls it a “divine name” that has a “music of its own.” The irony is that she is basing her choice of husband on a most ridiculous assumption and thoroughly superficial trait. At the end Gwendolen tells Jack he has become “someone else” when in fact that statement isn’t fully true. Jack is still the same person he always was. He simply has more information about his background and parentage. The irony is further complicated because, as the orphaned Jack Worthing, he was unworthy to marry the daughter or Lord & Lady Bracknell, but not that he is a Moncrieff, he is a suitable match.

Identities The suggestion is that both men find the society and roles they live in restrictive. To be the person they want to be they must lie or deceive. This creates the confusion of a split in social identity and respectability.

Dr. Chasuble & Miss Prism He calls Miss Prism Egeria to compare her to a Roman goddess who was known as an instructress of young women. Miss Prism doesn’t understand his allusion and assumes he has forgotten her name. She, consequently corrects him and reminds him that her name is Laetitia. Miss Prism’s inability to understand Dr. Chasuble’s allusion reveals her ignorance.

Writing about Satire The Importance of Being Earnest mocks the shallowness and trivialities of England’s elite class in the 1890’s. Wilde uses wit and his absurd characters to show a lack of sympathy and understanding. The closed-mindedness and insincerity of the upper class are apparent. By using satire, Wilde shows the upper classes’ arrogance and demonstrates that social standing and prestige do not equate to integrity or “earnestness.”

Writing about the Play In this satire, Wilde mocks the upperclass idea that the wealthy elite are of a stronger moral stance. When Lady Bracknell “orders” Jack to produce family by the end of the season, this shows her inflexible belief in the requirments of belonging to upperclass society— even if attempting to meet those standards is impossible. Wilde shows how “trvial” appearances can be by having Gwendolen and Cecily desire to marry Ernest simply for his name.

Satire Lady Bracknell, when discussing acts of charity, explains: “Nor do I in any way approve of the modern sympathy with invalids. I consider it morbid. Illness of any kind is hardly a thing to be encouraged in others.” Wilde uses wit and this absurd character to show a lack of sympathy and understanding. The closed-mindedness and insincerity of the upper class are apparent.

Comedy of Manners This play heavily relies upon class stereotypes, expectations, and manners. Could this play be replicated for a non-hierarchical society? Lady Bracknell’s “requirements” seem the foundation for the elite class. Cecily and Gwendolyn seem focused on appearances/names only. “Style is the thing”—and to be the envy of everyone. The upper-class is most desired—then Earnest could only be relevant in this society.

Literary Vocabulary Comedy - light-hearted literature with humor and a happy ending Satire - literary writing that makes fun of or criticizes the faults of people or groups. Purpose is to point out flaws Wit - using words to be clever and funny with language Pun - a play on words Reductio ad absurdum—Reducing a serious problem to an absurd solution Irony, Hyperbole, Litotes Fallacies—Faults in logic

Earnest--Vocabulary Provincial: Unsophisticated or undignified or small Notorious: Famous but in a negative way Profligate: Shamelessly and wasteful of talent or person Vacillating: Wavering Quixotic: Idealistic character (Don Quixote) who is rash and idealistic in seeing the world

More Vocab Misanthrope: Pessimistic person generally dislikes all around him Impetuous: Impulsive and done with little thought Superciliously: Scornfully, arrogantly, disdainfully Effrontery: Nerve, boldness, arrogance Ostentatious: Brazen, flashy and showy Capacious: Roomy