Name : Dhruvita Dhameliya
Roll no : 03
Semester :1
Year : 2021 - 2023
Topic : Importance of being earnest
E-mail ID : dhameliyadhruvita24@gmail.com
Submitted to : S. B. Gardi Department of English Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Introduction :
“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”
-Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde in full Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, born October 16, 1854, Dublin, Ireland- died November 30, 1900, Paris, France, Irish wit, poet, and dramatist whose reputation rests on his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), and on his comic masterpieces Lady Windermere’s Fan 1892 and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). He was a spokesman for the late 19th-century Aesthetic movement in England, which advocated art for art’s sake, and he was the object of celebrated civil and criminal suits involving homosexuality and ending in his imprisonment (1895–97)
Born: October 16, 1854 Dublin Ireland
Awards And Honors :
Newdigate Prize (1878)
Notable Works : “A Woman of No Importance” ,“De Profundis”, “Intentions”,“Lady Windermere’s Fan”, “Poems” “Ravenna”, “Salomé”, “The Ballad of Reading Gaol”, “The Happy Prince and Other Tales”, “The Importance of Being Earnest”, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
Movement / Style: Aestheticism Decadent
The Importance of Being Earnest :
Introduction :
The play opens in the morning room at Algernon Moncrieff’s flat in Half-Moon Street, London. Lane, Algernon’s servant, is arranging tea and cucumber sandwiches because Algernon’s aunt, Lady Bracknell, is coming for a visit. Meanwhile, Algernon is playing the piano in the adjoining room. When he asks Lane whether he has heard him play, Lane says he didn’t think it was polite to listen. ”That’s too bad,” says Algernon, for he doesn’t play accurately, but with a wonderful expression. On Algernon’s question why the servants constantly drink the champagne during dinner parties, Lane responds that the bachelors have much better wine than married couples. Algernon is shocked by the possibility that marriage could be so demoralizing. Lane can not confirm it, being that he was married only once, and that was because of a misunderstanding. After Lane leaves the room, Algernon wonders if the lower orders are of any use if they don’t set an example.
Characters :
John (Jack) Worthing :
Jack Worthing. Jack is an orphan who was adopted by a wealthy man named Thomas Cardew, who is now dead. Jack is the guardian for Cecily Cardew, Thomas Cardew's 18-year-old granddaughter. Jack is respected in his community, and is an upstanding citizen who not only owns land but serves as a justice of the peace. Jack resides in the town of Hertfordshire. However, Jack lives a double life.
Jack - country
Earnest - London
Jack is in love with his friend Algernon’s cousin, Gwendolen Fairfax. The initials after his name indicate that he is a Justice of the Peace.
Jack : "Gwendolin, it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his
life he has been speaking nothing but the truth. Can you forgive me?" - Responsible and Romantic
Kinds of characters:
Based on main part or roles in this story, Jack Worthing belongs to main or major character. Because the story focuses on Jack Worthing and most of the story is talking about him from he went to the country to met Algernon Moncrieff until he and he knows about his family.
Based on the personal traits, Jack Worthing belongs to Complex or Round Character. Because he showed his depth personality in this story and he posses both good and bad traits. Jack Worthing care about Cecily to have a more knowledge and the other side he has bad traits like he lies to Gwendelon about the real name was Jack because he falls on with her.
Based of possibility to change, Jack belongs to Dynamic Character because at the beginning he lies to Gwendelon about his named but in the middle of the story he tells the truth about his named to Gwendelon because he was falling in love with her.
Algernon Moncrieff :
He was young man, charming, handsome, romantic, selfish and brilliant. Algernon is like jack, too, leads a double life, being Algernon in the city and Ernest in the country. Algernon, unlike Jack, is not serious and is generally out for his own gratification. He falls in love and proposes to Jack's ward, Cecily, while posing as Jack's wicked younger brother,Ernest.
Algernon Moncrieff: "I really don’t see anything romantic in proposing. It’s very romantic to be in love but there’s nothing romantic about a definite proposal. Why, one might be accepted. One usually is I believe. Then the whole excitement is over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty"- Romantic and Brilliant
Kind of characters:
Based on main part or roles in this story, Algernon belongs to main or major character. Because the story focuses on Algernon and most of the story is talking about him from he met Jack until he knows that Jack is the brother.
Based on personal traits, Algernon belongs to Complex or Round Character. Because he showed his depth personality in this story and he posses both good and bad traits. Algernon help Jack to to meet with Gwendelon but the other side Algernon have the bad traits, he lies to Cecily about the real name because he falls in love with her.
Based of possibility to change, Algernon belongs to Dynamic Character because at the beginning he lies to Cecily about his named but in the middle of the story he tells the truth about his named to Cecily because he was falling in love and wants to marry her.
Gwendolen Fairfax :
She is a beautiful, intellectual,and love Jack very much.Gwendelon is Algernon’s cousin and Lady Bracknell’s daughter. She is romantic and confidence person we can see that when she speak with Jack about her feeling. In the middle of the story he felt angry with Jack because Jack was lie to her and at the end of the story she accept Jack to be her husband.
Gwendolen: "I am always smart!" - confidence
Kind of characters
Based on main part or roles in this story, Gwendelon belongs to main or major character. Because the story focuses on Gwendelon and most of the story is talking about him from she met the man that she like, Jack, and until she accept Jack to be her husband.
Based on personal traits, Gwendelon belongs to Flat character, because she shows a simple personality in the story. She only concerns with her own interests and she doesn’t care about others. She just think about their realtionship with Jack.
Based on possibility to change, Gwendelon belongs to Static Character because her personality and attitude remains the same in the story.She still love with Jack at the beginning until the end of the story.
Cecily Cardew
Jack Worthing's ward, daughter of his adopted father, Sir Thomas Cardew. she is being tutored at Jack's secluded country estate by Miss Prism, her governess. She is romantic and imaginative, and feeling the repression of Prism's rules. A silly and naïve girl, she declares that she wants to meet a "wicked man." Less sophisticated than Gwendolen, she falls in love with Algernon but feels he would be more stable if named Ernest.
Kind of characters
Based on main part or roles in the story, Cecily belongs to main or major character. Because the story focuses on Cecily and most of the story is talking about her from at the beginning of the story when she learn about German language until the end of the story she falls in love with Algernon.
Based on personal traits, Cecily belongs to Flat character, because she shows a simple personality in the story. She only concerns with her own interests and she doesn’t care about others. She just think about their realtionship with Algernon.
Based on possibility to change, Cecily belongs to Static Character because her personality and attitude remains the same in the story.She still love with Algernon at the beginning until the end of the story.
Lady Bracknell
She was an old woman belief that style is more important than substance and that social and class barriers are to be enforced. Lady Bracknell is Algernon's aunt trying to find a suitable wife for him. A strongly opinionated matriarch, dowager, and tyrant, she believes wealth is more important than breeding and bullies everyone in her path. Ironically, she married into the upper class from beneath it. She attempts to bully her daughter, Gwendolen.
Lady Bracknell :
"I’m glad to hear it. A man should have an occupation of some kind" - Very strict and selective to select her daughter’s husband.
Kinds of character :
Based on the main part or roles in this story, Lady Bracnell belongs to Minor character in this story, because she only appears in some part of this story. She doesn’t show himself up from the beginning until the end of the story.
Based on personal traits, Lady Bracnell belongs to Complex or Round Character. Because she showed her depth personality in this story and she posses both good and bad traits. At the beginning she reject Jack because Jack didn’t where is the family but at the end of the story she accept Jack to marry her daughter because she knows about Jack’s family.
Based of possibility to change, Lady Bracknell belongs to Dynamic Character because at the beginning she reject Jack that want to marry her daughter but at the end of the story when Miss Prism tell about the story, she accepted Jack to marry her daughter.
Miss Prism
She was an old woman who is very smart. She is educating Cecily to have no imagination or sensationalism in her life. She teach Cecily about other language like German language. She becomes the source of Jack's revelation about his parents.
Miss Prism: The goodended happily, and the bad unhappily.
Kind of characters
Based on the main part or roles in this story, Miss Prism belongs to Minor character in this story, because she only appears in some part of this story.
Based on personal traits, Miss Prism belongs to Flat character, because she shows a simple personality in the story. She only concerns with her own interests and just educating Cecily.
Based on possibility to change, Miss Prism belongs to Static Character because her personality and attitude remains the same in the story.
Rev. Canon Chasuble
He was an old man and also the source of Victorian moral judgments, but under the surface he appears to be an old lecher. His sermons are interchangeable, mocking religious conventions. Like the servants, he does what Jack wants: performing weddings, christenings, sermons, funerals, and so on. However, beneath the religious exterior, his heart beats for Miss Prism.
Kinds of characters
Based on the main part or roles in this story, Rev. Canon Chasuble belongs to Minor character in this story, because he only appears in some part of this story.
Based on personal traits, Rev. Canon Chasuble belongs to Flat character, because he shows a simple personality in the story. He only concerns with his own problems and interests.
Based on possibility to change, Rev. Canon Chasuble belongs to Static Character because his personality and attitude remains the same in the story.
Conclusion :
This play is quite interesting because the genre of this play is comedy. The title itself ‘The importance of being Ernest’ and the name ‘Ernest’ gives a special meaning in this story. Ernest means honest and serious and this name is used by the two major characters Jack and Algy in order to impress their girlfriends. Another interesting fact in this story is the role of mother who is quite strict with her daughter. In this case the Gwendolin’s mother, she is very strict to choose the husband of her daughter, Gwendolin. Jack, who wants to propose her daughter refused by her because he comes from unknown family. This plot itself is full of surprises. Beside the fact that the two Ernests -Jack and Algy are not the real Ernest, another surprise is when finally Mrs. Prism tells the truth that the baby whom she sent to Brighton railway is Jack and he is actually Algernon’s older brother. The last surprise is come from the ending of this story, that the name of their father was Ernest John Moncrieff and Jack knows the vital of being Ernest.
Words count : 2106
References :
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-importance-of-being-earnest/summary
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