Characters
There are two characters who went by the same name, “Ernest.” What were their real names?
Jack and Algernon.
What is hypocrisy?
Claiming to have beliefs and standards that one does not actually hold in reality.
What 3 things in the play are treated as trivial?
Marriage, death, and honesty.
How does the wordplay in “The Importance of Being Earnest” criticize Victorian society?
It exposes the superficiality and hypocrisy of the upper class.
What did Algernon call having a double identity?
"Bunburying."
Who did Algernon fall in love with?
Cecily
How is the title, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” an example of hypocrisy?
The wordplay makes use of the word, "Earnest," despite Jack and Algernon being dishonest characters.
In Act I, how did the views on marriage contrast between Jack and Algernon?
Jack sees marriage as heartfelt, while Algernon sees it as conventional, reflecting the triviality of taking things seriously.
“It has always been a girlish dream of mine to love someone whose name was Ernest. There is something in that name that seems to inspire absolute confidence.” How does this quote criticize the Victorian era?
It exposes the era's superficiality, prioritizing titles over true characters.
What food did Jack and Algernon argue about in Act II?
Muffins.
Who is Algernon’s strict and controlling aunt?
Lady Bracknell
How does Algernon express hypocrisy, in terms of marriage?
Algernon described marriage as more of a business and not romantic, but later on falls in love with Cecily and wants to marry her.
“To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.” How does this quote show triviality?
Lady Bracknell trivializes death, treating it as a personal tragedy caused by carelessness.
What does Wilde mainly satirize in The Importance of Being Earnest?
Societal issues and arrogance of aristocrats during the Victorian era.
What object was Jack found in as a baby?
A handbag.
Who is Gwendolen's mother?
Lady Bracknell
Mrs. Prism teaches Cecily about being responsible and diligent. How does Mrs. Prism show hypocrisy right after?
She allows herself to be distracted and goes on a walk with Dr. Chausible.
How is Gwendolen and Cecily’s interest in marrying a man named Ernest an example of triviality?
They show superficiality, prioritizing aesthetic sound instead of honesty.
How does Wilde show that the Victorian era values style rather than sincerity?
Portraying characters that prioritize superficial appearances rather than true sincerity.
Miss Prism acts strict and moral. What irresponsible action In Act III contradicts these standards?
She was distracted by her own literary work, resulting in her accidentally leaving a baby (Jack) in a handbag and placing her three-volume manuscript in a perambulator.
What does Jack pretend his brother Ernest is like in order to escape his responsibilities?
Irresponsible and disgraceful
How does Jack and Algernon express hypocrisy in their Bunburying?
They create fake identities for themselves to escape Victorian social obligations.
How is the contrast between the disputes about food and the reactions to marriage and death and example of irony?
It treats serious matters with triviality and trivial matters with seriousness.
Why do Cecily and Gwendolen forgive Algernon and Jack after confessing their Bunburying?
Algernon and Jack made arrangements to be rechristened "Earnest," an example of satire that criticizes superficiality.
What was the dessert that Jack served to guests despite not liking it himself.
Tea-cake