OSCAR WILDE The Importance of Being Earnest

A play first staged at St. James’s Theatre, London, 14 February 1895. It is written in a plain prosaic, contemporary way. It has three acts.

CHARACTERS

JOHN WORTHING, JP: He is the main character of the story. He is a young Englishman who in the presence of certain people calls himself Ernest, or makes up a brother named so who is very ill. He was an orphan, found in a handbag on a train and therefore does not know his mother. However, he lives in London in a nice area. He is the guardian of Cecily Cardew.

ALGERNON MONCRIEFF: He is a good friend of Jack Worthing. He is also used to play another character, as Jack does. This is the character of Bunbury who is his brother. He is very witted and smart and will find really amusing playing characters in the game he calls “Bunburying”.

REVD CANON CHASUBLE: He is the religious man of the play. He is a very good friend of Miss Prism, with whom he might share more than a simple friendship.

MERRIMAN: He is the servant of Cecily Cardew

LANE: He is Algernoon Moncrieff’s servant.

LADY BRACKNELL: She is in charge of Gwendolen, to whom she teaches. She is very strict and old-fashioned. Her strictness might even be considered a mock, this is, she takes her personal precepts to unimaginable rates which, at least for a nowadays reader, seem to be quite comical. In one occasion she asks Jack: “Do you smoke?” to which she is answered with a feeling of guilty affirmatively. However, she answers “I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind.” Or even she asks him to “produce at any rate one parent of either sex” immediately in order to be suitable for her daughter.

GWENDOLEN FAIRFAX: She is Lady Bracknell’s daughter. She will get engaged to John. Her views of what happens in her time are really objective and even critical. “We live in an age of ideals” says she in one of her dialogues. And so she knows and participates of it: “my ideal has always been to love someone of the name of Ernest. She is also guided in her living by apparences.

CECILY CARDEW: Cecily is Jack's ward and lives with him in the country. Young and pretty, she is favored by Algernon, who pretends to be Jack's brother Ernest. Cecily has heard about this brother, and has written correspondences between the two of them for months by the time she meets Algernon/Ernest. Like Gwendolen, she is interested in marrying only if her husband's name is Ernest.

MISS PRISM: Miss Prism takes care of Cecily at Jack's country house. She clearly loves Chasuble, though his celibacy prohibits her from telling him directly.

SYNOPSIS

In Algernon Moncrieff's stylish and artistic London flat in 1895 Algernon enters. He asks Lane if he has prepared the cucumber sandwiches for Lady Bracknell's arrival, then takes two of the finished sandwiches and sits on the sofa. They discuss marriage a little, Algernon thinks it is "demoralising”. Lane brings in Ernest Worthing (who is listed as "John Worthing" in the cast list and "Jack" in the body of the play, although both Lane and Algernon believe his name is Ernest), who has just returned from the country. Jack discovers that Lady Bracknell, Algernon's aunt, and Gwendolen, her daughter, are coming to tea. Then he reveals he has come to London to propose to her. Jack joins Algernon on the sofa, and Algernon says before Jack can marry Gwendolen, he has to clear up the issue of Cecily. Algernon calls Lane to bring in Jack's cigarette case; he shows that the inscription is from someone named Cecily. Jack says she is his aunt, and he wants the case back. Algernon is doubtful, since she has written “From little Cecily, with her fondest love to her dear Uncle Jack”. Jack says his name is Ernest in town and Jack in the country. Algernon says he has always suspected Jack was a "Bunburyist," and now he has proof.

Jack explains that Thomas Cardew, who adopted him, wanted him to be the guardian of his granddaughter, Cecily. Cecily now lives at Jack's place in the country under the guidance of Miss Prism. Since Jack must maintain a high level of morality to set an example, he needs an excuse to get into town. Therefore, he has invented a younger brother named Ernest who lives in Albany. Ernest's constant problems frequently require Jack's attendance. Then curiously, Algernon confesses that he has created an invalid character in the country of whom he takes care, Bunbury, for when he needs to get out of town. Lane introduces Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen. Algernon tells Lady Bracknell that he will be unable to attend her dinner tonight, as Bunbury is ill. He goes with her into the music room. Jack confesses to Gwendolen that he likes her, and she admits that she likes him too, especially since she has always wanted to love someone named Ernest. Jack is happy, but he asks her if she would still love him if his name were not Ernest, if it were Jack for instance. She would not, she maintains. He proposes to her, and she accepts.

Lady Bracknell comes in, and Gwendolen informs her of their engagement. Lady Bracknell says that only she or her father can engage Gwendolen, and orders her to wait in the carriage. After she leaves, Lady Bracknell interrogates Jack, asking about his habits, his income, his background, and so on. She finally says she will not allow her daughter to marry him.

Jack tells Algernon what happened, and also says he will kill off his brother Ernest later in the week. Algernon expresses interest in meeting Cecily, but Jack does not want this to happen, as she is young and pretty. He has no doubt, however, that she and Gwendolen will become good friends. Lane introduces Gwendolen. She tells Algernon to turn his back, and expresses her fear to Jack that her mother will not let them marry. She asks for his address in the country, and Algernon writes this down and checks a train timetable. Lane comes in, and Algernon tells him he will be going Bunburying tomorrow. Algernon expresses some anxiety over Bunbury.

In the garden at Jack's country house, Miss Prism and Cecily discuss Jack's serious nature. Dr. Chasuble enters the garden. He and Miss Prism leave for a walk together. Ernest Worthing arrives there. Cecily, excited to meet Jack's brother, tells Merriman to bring him to her. Algernon enters, pretending to be Ernest. He and Cecily briefly discuss his bad reputation. When he learns that Jack will be back Monday afternoon, Algernon announces that he must leave Monday morning. Cecily also discloses that Jack has decided to send Ernest to Australia. He flirts with Cecily and they exit into the house.

Miss Prism and Chasuble return. Jack enters the garden, dressed in black. He tells Miss Prism he has returned earlier than expected, and explains that he is dressed in black for his brother, who died in Paris last night. Chasuble suggests he will discuss it in his sermon next Sunday, and Jack asks him if he would christen him this afternoon. He agrees, and Cecily emerges from the house. She tells him his brother is in the dining room; Jack says he doesn't have a brother. She tells him not to disown his own brother, and runs into the house to bring out Algernon.

Jack refuses to shake Algernon's hand, but Cecily says that "Ernest" has been telling him about his friend Bunbury, and that someone who takes care of an invalid must have some good in him. Algernon leaves. Merriman enters and says he has put up Ernest in the room next to Jack's. Jack orders the dogcart, as Ernest has been called back to town. Jack tells Algernon he must leave although Algernon expresses an interest in Cecily.

Algernon tells Cecily that Jack has ordered him to leave. Algernon says things which bring Cecily to a great delight, then tells Merriman that the dogcart can come back next week. He asks Cecily to marry him, and she points out that they have already been engaged for three months as ever since she heard of Jack's wicked brother Ernest, she has loved him. She shows him the box of letters he "wrote" to her (which she really wrote to herself). She also admits that she loves him because his name is Ernest, and only Ernest. Gwendolen has asked to see Mr. Worthing (Jack). Cecily tells her that she is not Ernest's ward, but his brother Jack's, as she is going to marry Ernest. Gwendolen feels she has the claim, since Ernest asked to marry her yesterday. The girls argue and insult each other.

Cecily and Gwendolen assume coldly polite manners, adding insults at every turn. Jack enters the garden, and he and Gwendolen kiss. She asks if he is engaged to Cecily; he laughs and denies it. Cecily says she knew there was a misunderstanding, as the man before them is her Uncle Jack. As Gwendolen goes into shock, Algernon enters, and Cecily calls him Ernest and they kiss. She asks if he is married to Gwendolen; he denies it. Gwendolen says that his name is Algernon. Cecily is shocked, and she and Gwendolen hold each other for protection and make up. They ask Jack to explain. He confesses he has no brother Ernest, nor any brother at all. Jack is angry at Algernon for what his Bunburying has got them into, and for deceiving Cecily. Algernon thinks that Jack has deceived Gwendolen. They both simply want to marry their loves, though the possibility of that now occurring seems unlikely. They have both arranged for Chasuble to christen them "Ernest" later that evening. Jack repeatedly tells Algernon to go, but he refuses.

After asking the men to explain themselves, the women decide to forgive them, then quickly change their minds, their "Christian names are still an insuperable barrier." The men reveal that they are to be re-christened this afternoon, and the couples hug. Lady Bracknell arrives, and Gwendolen informs her of her engagement. Lady Bracknell tells Jack that he may not speak any more to her daughter. Lady Bracknell asks Algernon about his friend Bunbury; he says that Bunbury died that afternoon.

Jack introduces Cecily to Lady Bracknell, and Algernon says that he is engaged to her. To Jack's increasing frustration, Lady Bracknell continually doubts the reputability of Cecily's background. Only when Lady Bracknell discovers Cecily has a large personal fortune does she warm to her and give her consent. Jack, however, says that as his ward, Cecily may not marry without his consent, and he declines to give it. He reveals that Cecily is under his guardianship until she turns 35. Cecily feels she cannot wait this long to be married. Jack tells Lady Bracknell that if she consents to his marriage with Gwendolen, he will consent to Cecily's with Algernon. Lady Bracknell refuses and tells Gwendolen to get ready for the train.

The christenings are ready. Lady Bracknell refuses to allow Algernon to be baptized, and Jack tells Chasuble that the christenings will not be necessary any more. Chasuble says he will leave. Lady Bracknell knows of Miss Prism and says she needs to meet her. Miss Prism enters and, upon seeing Lady Bracknell, goes pale. Lady Bracknell accuses her of kidnapping a baby boy from her house 28 years ago. Under Jack's questioning, Miss Prism reveals she accidentally left the baby in a handbag on the Brighton railway line. Jack leaves excitedly to immediately return with the handbag. Miss Prism recognizes it as her own. Jack tells her he was the baby. Lady Bracknell informs Jack that he is the son of her sister, making him Algernon's older brother. Jack asks Lady Bracknell what his original name was. She says he was named as his father, but she cannot remember his name. They locate his name under the Army Lists, as he was a General: Ernest John Moncrieff. Gwendolen is ecstatic. All three couples, Chasuble and Miss Prism, Algernon and Cecily, and Jack and Gwendolen, embrace. Jack tells Lady Bracknell that he has realised, for the first time in his life, "the vital Importance of Being Earnest."

PERSONAL OPINION

A great show of wit and sarcastic humour. It is a great play indeed and you can understand the way Wilde tried to criticise in some way the Victorian life, in which a stupid thing like being named Ernest would carry one to be a different and much better person. Moreover, it is interesting to notice the pun in the name Ernest and “earnest”, which indeed means sincere, frank. Therefore, Wilde used his linguistic wit in all the details of the play. Wilde also laughs at people who believe in that way of seeing life, just concentrating on the appearances. Then, for example, he puts the young liar friends in a difficult situation from which they get out airly thanks to the goodness of their two beloved girls. I mean with this that he might try to let the reader see how trying to be someone else will not carry anything good not even to oneself interests, but just the opposite. Trying to behave and change your appearance to get involved into “social life” or whatever, is not fair and acceptable for oneself’s respect. In reference to the behaviour of other characters in the play, I think Wilde tried also to criticise old customs and behaviours which would still be in vogue in his time in relation to love and marriage. Such as the way in which everything changes when Lady Bracknell discovers the fortune Cecily and accepts her for her nephew Algernon. Or the way in which Lady Bracknell crearly loves Chausuble but does not tell him a word about it for the fact that he is a priest. These are some examples of old-fashioned customs of the Victorian life, that kind of life which is indeed the main theme of this play.