Characters
Jack's Ward
Cecily Cardew
How does Algernon get the address for Jack's country estate?
He eavesdrops on Jack & Gwendolyn's conversation
"Bunburyist/Bunburying"
Someone who goes out of their way to avoid social obligation (usually through deceit)
Who says: "...once a week is quite enough to dine with one's own relatives"?
Algernon
Give an example of hypocrisy in the play
Lady Bracknell accepting Cecily after finding out she's rich; Cecily & Gwen only loving the men if their names are Ernest; Chasuble ignores shallow reasons for christening Algy & Jack, etc...
Jack in the City but Algernon in the Country
Ernest
Where was Jack found abandoned?
Railway Station (Victoria Station, The Brighton Line)
"Etiquette"
Customary code of how to be polite while in a society
Why does Lady Bracknell say: "I would strongly advise you...to try and acquire some relations as soon as possible..."?
Jack wants to marry Gwendolyn, but Lady Bracknell won't approve the match without Jack having a family name
What are Lady Bracknell's concerns when judging people?
Family connections, wealth, social standing, propriety (conforming to morals)
Lady Bracknell
How does Algernon first learn about Cecily?
He secretly reads an inscription on Jack's cigarette case
"Christening"
A Christian rite of adopting a new/Christian name as a sign of inclusion in a Christian church
Who was Gwendolyn talking to when she said: "He grows more interesting hourly. I am not sure, however, that the news inspires me with feelings of unmixed delight"?
Cecily
Explain the significance of the title of the play, The Importance of Being Earnest
Everyone in the play is vapid, phony, hypocritical compared to the title that implies honesty, seriousness, & sincerity; Wilde is commenting on the nature of shallow Victorian relationships and how people need to be real with one another in order to form actual meaningful relationships
A terrible governess, tutor, and author
Miss Prism
Why do both Jack & Algernon get christened as "Ernest"?
Both of their ladies like that name & want to marry a man named Ernest
"Rector"
A member of the clergy who has charge over a parish
Who said: "There are principles at stake that one cannot surrender. Which of us should tell them? The task is not a pleasant one."
Gwendolyn
In what ways does Cecily engage in bunburying?
She creates a fictional romance with Ernest
Algernon's servant in the city
Lane
Why does Gwendolyn not want to eat cake?
Cake is rarely seen in high society houses anymore
"Earnest"
Serious, sincere, & honest
Who is Lady Bracknell talking about when she says: "He was eccentric, I admit. But only in later years. And that was the result of the Indian climate, and marriage, and indigestion, and other things if that kind"?
Earnest Moncrieff, Sr.
In what way does Lady Bracknell engage in bunburying?
She is of low birth, but because she has married into money she puts on airs