Oscar Wilde:Oscar Wilde:

“The Importance of “The Importance of Being Earnest”Being Earnest”

Fabio PesaresiFabio Pesaresi

Dramatis PersonaeDramatis Personae

Jack WorthingJack Worthing ErnestErnest

Algernon Algernon MoncrieffMoncrieff BanburyBanbury

Gwendolen Fairfax

lover

cousin

Country Country City City Jack Jack (Ernest)(Ernest)

(Banbury)(Banbury) AlgernonAlgernon

CecilyCecily Gwendolen Gwendolen

Miss PrismMiss Prism Lady Bracknell Lady Bracknell

The proposalThe proposal

Jack proposes to GwendolenJack proposes to Gwendolen

She accepts, because she can only She accepts, because she can only love someone whose name islove someone whose name is

Ernest !!!Ernest !!!

The interviewThe interview

Lady Bracknell asks JackLady Bracknell asks Jack

about his house,about his house,

his habitshis habits

his parentshis parents

Jack’s originJack’s origin

Mr Thomas CardewMr Thomas Cardew

found Jackfound Jack

in a handbagin a handbag

in the cloakroom in the cloakroom at Victoria at Victoria StationStation

►Miss Prism and Cecily studyingMiss Prism and Cecily studying

►Miss Prism goes to see Dr Miss Prism goes to see Dr ChasubleChasuble

►Algernon (Ernest) arrivesAlgernon (Ernest) arrives

In the countrysideIn the countryside

Jack in mourningJack in mourning

► Announces that his brother has diedAnnounces that his brother has died

► Surprised by the presence of AlgernonSurprised by the presence of Algernon

► Tells him to go awayTells him to go away

► Goes to Dr Chasuble to be christened Goes to Dr Chasuble to be christened with the name of Ernestwith the name of Ernest

The proposalThe proposal

Algernon-ErnestAlgernon-Ernest

proposes to proposes to

Cecily who says:Cecily who says:

““We have been engaged for three We have been engaged for three months”months”

““I love you because you are so I love you because you are so wickedwicked

and because I always wanted to and because I always wanted to marry someone whose name is marry someone whose name is

Ernest !!!”Ernest !!!”

Cecily:

► meets Cecilymeets Cecily

► they become friendsthey become friends

► They discover they are both engaged to They discover they are both engaged to Ernest Worthing Ernest Worthing

► They quarrelThey quarrel

► They quarrel with the two menThey quarrel with the two men

GwendolenGwendolen

ReconciliationReconciliation

►The men try to make peaceThe men try to make peacewith the two young womenwith the two young women

►They announce they are going to They announce they are going to be rechristened that afternoonbe rechristened that afternoon

Lady BracknellLady Bracknell

►Forbids marriage between Forbids marriage between Jack and GwendolenJack and Gwendolen

►Asks about Cecily and gives consent Asks about Cecily and gives consent to marriage with Algernon (she is to marriage with Algernon (she is rich!)rich!)

►Jack forbids the marriageJack forbids the marriage

RecognitionRecognition

►Miss Prism was the governess at Miss Prism was the governess at the house of Lady Bracknell’s the house of Lady Bracknell’s sistersister

►She lost the baby: JackShe lost the baby: Jack

New situationNew situation

►Jack is Algernon’s elder brotherJack is Algernon’s elder brother

►his real name is……..his real name is……..

ErnestErnest

CommentaryCommentary►Comedy of manners:Comedy of manners: complicated plot, full of complicated plot, full of intrigueintrigue

►Nonsensical playNonsensical play

►SatireSatire

►Shallow characters (no depth)Shallow characters (no depth)

►Wilde creates an entire world, Wilde creates an entire world, frivolous and lightfrivolous and light

►Witty languageWitty language

►Elegant mannersElegant manners

Misapplied logicMisapplied logic

Lady Bracknell:Lady Bracknell:

““Let’s go. We have already missed Let’s go. We have already missed five, if not six, trains. To five, if not six, trains. To

miss many more might expose us miss many more might expose us to comment on the platform”to comment on the platform”

Misapplied logicMisapplied logic

Jack:Jack:

““I have lost both my parents.”I have lost both my parents.”

Lady Bracknell:Lady Bracknell:

““Both? That seems like Both? That seems like carelessness!”carelessness!”

Misapplied logicMisapplied logic

Algernon: “I must take the first train Algernon: “I must take the first train on Monday morning. I have a buisiness on Monday morning. I have a buisiness appointment I am anxious to miss.”appointment I am anxious to miss.”

Cecily: “Couldn’t you miss it anywhere Cecily: “Couldn’t you miss it anywhere but in London?”but in London?”

Algernon: “No: the appointment is in Algernon: “No: the appointment is in London”London”

ParadoxParadox

Lady Bracknell:Lady Bracknell:

““You have a town house, I hope?You have a town house, I hope?A girl with a simple, unspoiled A girl with a simple, unspoiled

nature like Gwendolen could nature like Gwendolen could hardly be expected to live in hardly be expected to live in

the country.”the country.”

ParadoxParadox

GwendolenGwendolen

on her father who is not very on her father who is not very famous in society:famous in society:

““I think that is quite as it should I think that is quite as it should be. The home seems to me to be the be. The home seems to me to be the

proper sphere for the man.”proper sphere for the man.”

Sparkling languageSparkling language

Algernon, Algernon, about a recently widowed lady:about a recently widowed lady:

““I hear her hair has turned quite I hear her hair has turned quite gold gold from grief”from grief”

Sparking languageSparking language

Jack, about Lady Bracknell:Jack, about Lady Bracknell:

““a monster, without being a myth,a monster, without being a myth,

which is unfair!”which is unfair!”

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