Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Importance of Being Earnest a play written by Oscar Wilde. Play divided in 3 Act.

1. The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde’s PREPARED BY KHUSHI RATHOD

2. Table of contents 5. Themes 2. About the Play About Oscar Wilde 3. Characters 4. Summary 6. Symbols 7. Reference

3. Oscar Wilde Born : 16 October 1854 Dublin, Irela nd Died: 30 November 1900 (aged 46) Paris, France Occupation : Author, poet,playwright Period : Victorian era Genre: Epigram, drama, short story, criticism, journalism Notable works : The Picture of Dorian Gray ,The Importance of Being Earnest

4. Published : 1890 Published : 1895

5. The Importance of Being Earnest Written by : Oscar Wilde Published :14 February,1895 Full Title : The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People Type of Work : Play

6. Key Facts Full Title The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People Type Of Work Play Genre Social comedy; comedy of manners; satire; intellectual farce Language English Act 3 Act each act in 2 parts Setting (Time & Place ) 1890s ,London (Act I) and Hertfordshire, a rural county not far from London (Acts II and III) Protagonist Jack Worthing, known as “Ernest”

7. Jack Worthing Algernon Moncrieff Gwendolen Fairfax Cecily Cardew Lady Bracknell Miss Prism Dr. Chasuble

8. Summary Act : 1 Jack's Proposal Plan : Jack visits Algernon and announces his intention to propose to Gwendolen. Algernon's Confrontation : Algernon confronts Jack about his true identity using a cigarette case and demands to know who "Jack" and "Cecily" are. Jack's Confession : Jack admits his real name isn’t Ernest, reveals Cecily is his ward, and explains the fictional brother he created named Ernest. Gwendolen's Obsession : Jack proposes to Gwendolen, who reveals she is fixated on the name Ernest and insists she would only marry someone with that name. Lady Bracknell's Disapproval : Lady Bracknell interviews Jack about his family background and, upon learning he was found in a handbag as a baby, forbids the marriage between Jack and Gwendolen.

9. Act : 2 Algernon's Deception : Algernon arrives at Jack’s country estate, pretending to be Jack’s fictional brother, Ernest. Jack's Mourning : Jack returns home in mourning, with a story that his fake brother Ernest has died in Paris, only to find Algernon posing as Ernest. Cecily's Engagement : Algernon proposes to Cecily, but she surprises him by revealing that she already considers them engaged due to a romance she imagined months ago. Name Obsession : Like Gwendolen, Cecily is drawn to the name Ernest, believing it “inspires absolute confidence.”

10. Gwendolen's Arrival : Gwendolen visits Jack unexpectedly and meets Cecily in the garden, leading to confusion when both claim to be engaged to Ernest Worthing. Tea Party Conflict : The tea party between Cecily and Gwendolen becomes tense as they realize they are both engaged to the same man, or so they think. Revelation of Lies : Jack and Algernon arrive, and the truth comes out—there is no brother named Ernest, and both women have been deceived. Women’s Reaction : Shocked and angry, both Cecily and Gwendolen leave together, upset by the deception.

11. Act : 3 Confrontation : Cecily and Gwendolen confront Jack and Algernon about their deceptions. Reassurance : Algernon admits he pretended to be Jack’s brother to meet Cecily, and Jack’s evasive reply to Gwendolen reassures her that he made up his brother to see her more often. The women are somewhat appeased. Name Issue : The women are still concerned about the name "Ernest," but when Jack and Algernon reveal plans to be christened as Ernest, the couples reconcile. Lady Bracknell's Arrival : Lady Bracknell arrives, having followed Gwendolen from London, and disapproves of Gwendolen's engagement to Jack. Cecily’s Wealth : Lady Bracknell becomes interested in Algernon’s engagement to Cecily after learning she is wealthy and will inherit more money.

12. Jack's Refusal : Jack refuses to allow Cecily to marry Algernon unless Lady Bracknell consents to his marriage with Gwendolen, but Lady Bracknell declines. Miss Prism’s Revelation : Dr. Chasuble mentions Miss Prism, which prompts Lady Bracknell to demand her presence. Miss Prism reveals she lost a baby years ago, accidentally placing it in a handbag. Jack's Identity : Jack retrieves the handbag, leading to the discovery that he is the legitimate son of Lady Bracknell’s sister, making him Algernon’s older brother. His real name is Ernest John. Resolution : The truth reconciles everyone, and the couples embrace, with Jack finally understanding “the vital Importance of Being Earnest.”

13. Hypocrisy vs. Inventiveness Moral Difference Hypocrisy of Jack Algernon's Creative Deception Artistic Life Algernon as Wilde's Hero

14. 2. Secret Lives Victorian Repression Jack and Algernon's Alternate Identities Secret Lives Throughout the Pla y Marriage as the End of Freedom Continuing Deception Post-Marriage

15. 3. Perpetuating the Upper Class Victorian Class System Aristocratic Snobbery Jack's Politics Jack's Residence French Revolution as a Warning Education and Ignorance Fear of Social Revolution

16. 4. Courtship and Marriage Victorian Values in Marriage Marriage as a Selection Process Lady Bracknell's Investigations Importance of Wealth and Appearance Lack of Love and Joy Marriage as a Legal Contrac t

17. The Double Life Food Fiction and Writing

18. Reference : Fridell, Sara. “Dualism in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest.” GUPEA , 2014, https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/handle/2077/36471/gupea_2077_36471_1.pdf?sequence=1 . Accessed 3 September 2024. Hazra, Suchismita. “Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest: A Critique of The Victorian Society * Suchismita Hazra.” World Wide Journals , January 2013, https://www.worldwidejournals.com/paripex/recent_issues_pdf/2013/January/oscar-wildes-the-importance-of-being-earnest-a-critique-of-the-victorian-society_January_2013_4691915877_7602907.pdf . Accessed 3 September 2024. Jamal, Nynu V. “International Journal Of English and Studies.” International Journal Of English and Studies (IJOES) , 2021, https://www.ijoes.in/papers/v3i5/19.IJOES-Nynu%20V% 20 Jamal (163-165).pdf . Accessed 3 September 2024. Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest . Prakash Books, 2015.

19. Summary Act : 1 Jack's Proposal Plan : Jack visits Algernon and announces his intention to propose to Gwendolen. Algernon's Confrontation : Algernon confronts Jack about his true identity using a cigarette case and demands to know who "Jack" and "Cecily" are. Jack's Confession : Jack admits his real name isn’t Ernest, reveals Cecily is his ward, and explains the fictional brother he created named Ernest. Gwendolen's Obsession : Jack proposes to Gwendolen, who reveals she is fixated on the name Ernest and insists she would only marry someone with that name. Lady Bracknell's Disapproval : Lady Bracknell interviews Jack about his family background and, upon learning he was found in a handbag as a baby, forbids the marriage between Jack and Gwendolen. Thank You