Characters
Who is Lane?
Algernons manservant
What happens to the cucumber sandwiches?
Algernon eats them
What theme is exhibited in the play when Jack tells Algernon he speaks nothing but nonsense?
Hypocrisy
"That is strange. Were I fortunate enough to be Miss Prism’s pupil, I would hang upon her lips."
Dr. Chausible
Who is the author of "The Importance of Being Earnest"? Name one other novel/book/play etc. they have written?
Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Who came up with bunburying?
Algernon
Why does Jack invent a brother named Ernest?
To escape his responsibilities in the country and run off to the city whenever he pleases.
What theme is exhibited in the play when Algernon pretends to be Jack's brother while visiting Jack's ward in the country?
Lying/Deceit
"Please don’t touch the cucumber sandwiches. They are ordered specially for Aunt Augusta." [Takes one and eats it.]
Algernon to Jack
What kind of humor does the author use? Name at least 2 examples.
Puns, irony, satire
Who claims to live the life of a celibate?
Dr. Chausible
Why does Lady Bracknell prevent Jack from marrying Gwendolen?
Because he is an orphan and does not know his birth parents. He lacks TRUE social status.
What theme is displayed when Lady Bracknell is "interviewing" Jack and him on his worthiness as a suitor for her daughter?
Status/Class System
“If you are not, then you have certainly been deceiving us all in a very inexcusable manner. I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time. That would be hypocrisy.”
Cecily to "Ernest" aka Algernon
What is the term used for creating an alter-ego? State an example from the play.
Bunburying
Who is obsessed with the name "Ernest?"
Gwendolen and Cecily
What does Algernon discover that causes him to suspect "Ernest" of leading a double life?
A cigarette case with the name "Cecily" engraved on it.
What is the importance of the handbag and the circumstances of Jack's abandonment as a symbol?
The ordinary handbag and the cloakroom make him seem common, or lacking social status.
"Pardon me, you are not engaged to any one. When you do become engaged to some one, I, or your father, should his health permit him, will inform you of the fact. An engagement should come on a young girl as a surprise, pleasant or unpleasant, as the case may be."
Lady Bracknell to Jack
During the Victorian Era, what rules or "social norms" were men and women expected to follow?
Name 2 examples.
Etiquette.
What is Miss Prisms first name?
Lætitia
What does Cecily do to Gwendolyn after they find out they're both marrying "Earnest"?
Puts sugar in her tea and gives her cake instead of bread and butter.
What do the Journal/Diary entries represent?
A fiction life. As Cecily and Gwendolen write in their diary, the information becomes true. Through writing, the women are able to create their own reality.
"I have only been married once. That was in consequence of a misunderstanding between myself and a young person."
Lane
Name and define the three different types of irony.
Provide an example of each.
Verbal, Situational, Dramatic