Terms/Characters
Algernon
Augusta
Bracknell
Brighton
Bunbury
Cardew
Cecily
Chasuble
Empire
Ernest
Fairfax
Gwendolen
Halfmoon
Jack
Manuscript
Moncrieff
Paris
Victoria
Woolton
Worthing
Identify: The Importance of Being Earnest – Quotations
1.You have always told me [your name] was Ernest. I have introduced you to everyone as Ernest. You answer to the name of Ernest. You look as if your name was Ernest. You are the most earnest-looking person I ever saw in my life. It is perfectly absurd you’re saying that your name isn't Ernest. It's on your cards.
2. I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever now-a-days. You can't go anywhere without meeting clever people. The thing has become an absolute public nuisance. I wish to goodness we had a few fools left.
3. The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.
4. What an impetuous boy he is! I like his hair so much. I must enter his proposal in my diary.
5. 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.
Questions:
1.Why was Miss Prism’s novel never published?
2.Why does Prism think it’s not a good idea to reform bad men?
3.Why is Cecily frightened about meeting Ernest?
4.Why does Algernon feel that Jack should not be christened?
5.What reason does Jack give for going to Algernon’s house?
6.Why is Gwendolen critical of Jack’s proposal?
7.What is Bracknell’s view on marriage?
8.What is Cecily’s opinion of her uncle in Act 1?
9.Why does Cecily keep a diary?
10.What is the confusion between Gwendolen and Cecily?
11.How do Cecily and Gwendolen forgive their fiancés?
12.Why does Jack disapprove of the engagement between Algernon and Cecily? What examples does he present to justify the reason for his disapproval?
13.What is Jack’s real name, and how is that fact revealed?
Other things to know:
-What information is revealed about Jack through the interview with Lady Bracknell?
-What information does Jack reveal about Cecily to Lady Bracknell?
Essay
1.At the beginning of the play, Algernon says to Lane, "I don't play accurately--any one can play accurately—butI play with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep science forLife."
What can you infer about Algernon's character by this statement, and how do the values and beliefs
expressed explain his behavior in the play?
2. In Act I, several ideas about love are expressed. Identify these ideas, and explain how a conflict between them underlies the plot of the play.
3. Lady Bracknell is reluctant to allow Gwendolen to marry Jack because his parentage is uncertain: he was found in a hand-bag in Victoria Station, and there is no way to determine his social standing.
In general, how is the issue of class status treated in this play? Explain your answer with examples from the text.
4. Are the female characters in this play (e.g., Cecily, Gwendolen, Lady Bracknell, and Miss Prism) presented as stereotypes, intentional deviations from stereotypes, or mentally and emotionally complex individuals? Usetextual examples to support your answer.
5. In a well-organized essay, trace the theme of the creation, discovery, and evaluation of identity in this play.
Hi Ms. Kati