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 proposalJack proposes to GwendolenJack proposes to Gwendolen

She accepts, because she can only love She accepts, because she can only love someone whose name issomeone 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 at in the cloakroom at Victoria StationVictoria Station

►Miss Prism and Cecily studyingMiss Prism and Cecily studying

►Miss Prism goes to see Dr ChasubleMiss Prism goes to see Dr Chasuble

►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 with Goes to Dr Chasuble to be christened with the name of Ernestthe 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 months”We have been engaged for three months”

““I love you because you are so wickedI love you because you are so wicked

and because I always wanted to marry and because I always wanted to marry someone whose name is 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 be They announce they are going to be rechristened that afternoonrechristened that afternoon

Lady BracknellLady Bracknell

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

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

► Jack forbids the marriageJack forbids the marriage

RecognitionRecognition

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

►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

The reversal of logicThe reversal of logicLady Bracknell: Do you smoke?Lady Bracknell: Do you smoke?

Jack: Well, yes, I must admit I smoke.Jack: Well, yes, I must admit I smoke.

Lady Bracknell: I am glad to hear it. A Lady Bracknell: I am glad to hear it. A man should have an occupation of man should have an occupation of some kind.some kind.

Nature and societyNature and society

Lady Bracknell:Lady Bracknell:

A girl with a simple, unspoiled nature, A girl with a simple, unspoiled nature, like Gwendolen, could hardly be like Gwendolen, could hardly be

expected to reside in the country.expected to reside in the country.

ConventionsConventions

Lady Bracknell:Lady Bracknell:

To lose one parent … may be To lose one parent … may be regarded as a misfortune; to regarded as a misfortune; to

lose both looks like lose both looks like carelessness.carelessness.

A social RevolutionA social Revolution

Lady Bracknell:Lady Bracknell:

To be born … in a hand-bag … seems to To be born … in a hand-bag … seems to me to display a contempt for the me to display a contempt for the

ordinary decencies of family life that ordinary decencies of family life that reminds me of the worst excesses of reminds me of the worst excesses of

the French Revolution.the French Revolution.

NatureNature

Cecily: Cecily: You dear romantic boy. I hope your You dear romantic boy. I hope your hair curls naturally, does it?hair curls naturally, does it?

Algernon: Algernon: Yes, darling, with a little help from Yes, darling, with a little help from others.others.

Cecily: Cecily: I am so glad.I am so glad.

NonsenseNonsenseAlgernon: Algernon: This world is good enough for me, cousin Cecily.This world is good enough for me, cousin Cecily.Cecily: Cecily: Yes, but are you good enough for it?Yes, but are you good enough for it?Algernon: Algernon: I'm afraid I'm not that. That is why I want you to reform I'm afraid I'm not that. That is why I want you to reform

me. You might make that your mission, if you don't mind, cousin me. You might make that your mission, if you don't mind, cousin Cecily.Cecily.

Cecily: Cecily: I'm afraid I've no time, this afternoon.I'm afraid I've no time, this afternoon.Algernon: Algernon: Well, would you mind my reforming myself this afternoon?Well, would you mind my reforming myself this afternoon?Cecily: Cecily: It is rather quixotic of you. But I think you should try.It is rather quixotic of you. But I think you should try.Algernon: Algernon: I will: I feel better already.I will: I feel better already.Cecily: Cecily: You are looking a little worse.You are looking a little worse.Algernon: Algernon: That is because I am hungry.That is because I am hungry.Cecily: Cecily: How thoughtless of me. I should have remembered that when How thoughtless of me. I should have remembered that when

one is going to lead an entirely new life, one requires regular and one is going to lead an entirely new life, one requires regular and wholesome meals. Won't you come in?wholesome meals. Won't you come in?

HypocrisyHypocrisyCecily: Cecily: I have never met any really wicked person before. I feel rather I have never met any really wicked person before. I feel rather

frightened. I am so afraid he will look just like everyone else. He does!frightened. I am so afraid he will look just like everyone else. He does!Algernon: Algernon: You are my little cousin Cecily, I'm sure.You are my little cousin Cecily, I'm sure.Cecily: Cecily: You are under some strange mistake: I am not little. In fact, I believe I You are under some strange mistake: I am not little. In fact, I believe I

am more than unusually tall for my age. But I am your cousin Cecily. You, I am more than unusually tall for my age. But I am your cousin Cecily. You, I see from your card, are Uncle Jack's brother, my cousin Ernest, my wicked see from your card, are Uncle Jack's brother, my cousin Ernest, my wicked cousin Ernest.cousin Ernest.

Algernon: Algernon: Oh! I am not really wicked at all, cousin Cecily. You mustn't think Oh! I am not really wicked at all, cousin Cecily. You mustn't think that I am wicked.that I am wicked.

Cecily: Cecily: If you are not, then you have certainly been deceiving us all in a very 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, 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 pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time. That would be hypocrisy.hypocrisy.

Algernon: Algernon: Oh! Of course I have been rather reckless.Oh! Of course I have been rather reckless. Cecily: Cecily: I am glad to hear it.I am glad to hear it.

CommentaryCommentary►Comedy of manners:Comedy of manners:

complicated plot, full of intriguecomplicated plot, full of intrigue

►Nonsensical playNonsensical play

►SatireSatire

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

►Wilde creates an entire world, frivolous Wilde creates an entire world, frivolous

and lightand light

►Witty languageWitty language

►Elegant mannersElegant manners

Misapplied logicMisapplied logic

Lady Bracknell:Lady Bracknell:

““Let’s go. We have already missed five, Let’s go. We have already missed five, if not six, trains. To miss many more if not six, trains. To miss many more might expose us to comment on the might expose us to comment on the

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

Misapplied logicMisapplied logicAlgernon: “I must take the first train on Algernon: “I must take the first train on

Monday morning. I have a business Monday morning. I have a business appointment I am anxious to miss.”appointment I am anxious to miss.”

Cecily: “Couldn’t you miss it anywhere but Cecily: “Couldn’t you miss it anywhere but in London?”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 nature A girl with a simple, unspoiled nature

like Gwendolen could hardly be like Gwendolen could hardly be expected to live in the country.”expected to live in the country.”

ParadoxParadoxGwendolenGwendolen

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

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

sphere for the man.”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!”