The Importance of Being Earnest

Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing are friends.
Jack lives in the country and visits London pretending to be "Ernest" to enjoy a double life.
Algernon discovers Jack’s secret and decides to visit Jack’s country estate pretending to be "Ernest" himself.
Jack wants to marry Gwendolen Fairfax, Algernon's cousin.
Gwendolen loves him because she believes his name is Ernest.
Lady Bracknell (Gwendolen’s mother) disapproves of Jack because of his mysterious origin—he was found in a handbag!

Algernon arrives at Jack’s country house pretending to be Jack’s brother "Ernest."
He falls in love with Cecily Cardew, Jack’s ward.
Cecily also loves him, partly because she believes his name is Ernest.
Jack returns and is furious to find Algernon pretending to be Ernest.
Both couples (Jack–Gwendolen and Algernon–Cecily) discover they are engaged to "Ernest."
Confusion and mistaken identities lead to chaos.

Miss Prism is revealed to be the one who misplaced baby Jack in a handbag years ago.
Jack is actually the long-lost brother of Algernon—so he is "Ernest" by birth.
Both couples are happily united.
Jack realizes the importance of being "Ernest"—both in name and in truth.

Jack Worthing (Ernest): Leads a double life; respectable in the country, carefree in the city.
Algernon Moncrieff: Witty and clever; also leads a secret life called “Bunburying.”
Gwendolen Fairfax: Jack’s love interest; obsessed with the name Ernest.
Cecily Cardew: Jack’s ward; romantic and imaginative.
Lady Bracknell: Gwendolen’s strict and snobbish mother.
Miss Prism: Cecily’s governess; holds the key to Jack’s past.
Dr. Chasuble: A clergyman; has feelings for Miss Prism.

The Duality of Identity: Jack and Algernon both pretend to be someone they’re not.
The Satire of Victorian Society: Wilde mocks the upper class’s obsession with marriage, status, and appearance.
The Importance of Names: Both women are in love with the name Ernest, not the man.
Hypocrisy and Deception: Characters lie and pretend, showing how superficial society can be.
Marriage: Treated comically as a social contract rather than a romantic ideal.

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”
– Algernon; reflects the play’s focus on lies and half-truths.
“I’ve now realized for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest.”
– Jack; a pun on both the name and the virtue of honesty.
“To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
– Lady Bracknell; satirizes upper-class values.
“All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his.”
– Algernon; a witty observation about gender and family.
“In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.”
– Gwendolen; mocks Victorian obsession with appearances.

Wit and Wordplay: Wilde uses clever dialogue and puns throughout the play.
Irony: Situations turn out opposite to what characters expect (e.g. Jack is Ernest).
Farce: Exaggerated characters and absurd situations create comedy.
Epigrams: Short, witty statements with a twist in meaning.

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