The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde Plot Summary

The play "The Importance of Being Earnest" is given by the famous writer Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde was one of the most prominent short story writers, a novelist, and a famous dramatist in the Victorian age. This short comedy play was first performed at the St. James Theatre in London (England) on 14 February 1895. This Play touched the heart of thousands of viewers and spread worldwide. This is one of the most prominent plays by Oscar Wilde. The selection of words in this story is commendable, and the title is perfectly chosen. This Play revolves around the two main characters named Jack (Earnest) and Algernon. The category of genre used is the comedy of Manner. The Play consists of a combination of 3 acts in a series.

Characters

There is a diverse and strange collection of characters in the play "The Importance of Being Earnest." The primary characters and their roles are listed below:

1. Jack Worthing (Earnest): Jack is a responsible and respectable young man who lives a double life. He is the Play's leading character and was adopted by Thomas Cardew. Jack is in love with Gwendolen Fairfax.
2. Algernon Moncrieff: Jack's best friend, Algernon, is a charming and humorous character who lives in London. He is known for his clever wordplay. He is the nephew of Lady Bracknell and stepbrother of Gwendolen. Algernon falls in love with Cecily Cardew.
3. Gwendolen Fairfax: Algernon's cousin and the object of Jack's affection. She is in love with Jack (Earnest). She is the only daughter of Lady Bracknell.
4. Lady Bracknell: Gwendolen's overbearing mother, Lady Bracknell, symbolizes Victorian societal norms and aristocratic snobbery. She is highly concerned with social status and wealth and plays a pivotal role in determining the fate of the characters. She agreed to let her daughter marry Jack when she learned about his father.
5. Cecily Cardew: Cecily is a young lady who lives with Jack. Jack looked after her after the demise of her father, Thomas Cardew. She always dreamed of marrying a guy named Earnest. That is why she immediately accepted the marriage proposal of Algernon.
6. Miss Prism is a rigid, stern woman who always sticks to her rules. She also hides a secret from her past that is revealed later in the Play. She is a subject teacher of the German language of Cecily.

These main characters drive the plot of "The Importance of Being Earnest." Each character has a role and contributes to the Play's commentary on society, love, and identity.

Summary

In the Play, Jack has invented the nickname "Earnest." He is the main character of the Play. He usually used his identity to move into the city and lived as Jack in his town with Cecily. Both characters, Jack and Earnest, are the same person with different names.

1. The First Act

The Play, starts with the morning scene in Algernon's room when he is playing piano. Algernon and Earnest are both friends. Earnest arrived at Algernon's home and asked about his cousin, Gwendolen. He asked about her because he liked Gwendolen and wanted to marry her. In return, Algernon asked for Cecily. Jack told every truth of himself to Algernon. During the conversation, it became clear that, in earnest, Jack he adopted this fake identity to escape from his daily life in the countryside.

When Algernon's aunt Lady Bracknell with her daughter Gwendolen reaches Algernon's house, he makes her aunt busy with him and leaves Gwendolen and Jack talking alone in the room. In the conversation, Jack proposes to Gwendolen, and she also accepts her proposal of marriage because she has a soft corner in her heart for Jack. Their conversation was being disturbed by Gwendolen's mother- Bracknell. She arrived at the room and became uncomfortable when she saw Jack in the room.

She tried to maintain enough distance between Jack and Gwendolen. But Gwendolen ignored her mother as she also liked Jack. Gwendolen told her mother that she wanted to marry Jack. Lady Bracknell disagreed with her daughter and started questioning Jack about his financial and family status.

The writer told us that Thomas Cardew adopted Jack when Jack was a baby. He was resting inside a handbag in the courtroom of Victoria Station when Cardew met him. Thomas Cardew was a wealthy man and a kind-hearted gentleman, as we learned from the Play. The character Jack spent his life taking care of Cecily, who was Thomas's daughter, whom he finds exceedingly dull. Algernon wants to meet Cecily but does not say anything. Listening to all this, Lady Bracknell does not behave well and denies letting her daughter marry Jack. She, along with her daughter, leaves the room in anger. The scene ends here.

2. Second Act

The second act was shot in the countryside where Jack lives. Cecily was learning the German language from Miss Prism. At that instance, Algernon reached there. Jack had told Cecily that a brother of his also lives in the city, which looks like him. His name is Earnest. Algernon saw Cecily alone and found it a great chance to talk to her. He told Cecily that he was the brother of Jack with the name Earnest. He proposed to Cecily, and Cecily also accepted her proposal because Earnest is a perfect name; she had always dreamed of marrying a guy named Earnest. After all this, Algernon leaves the scene.

3. Third Act

The third act starts when Gwendolen visits Jack's house. She met Cecily there, and in casual talks, Gwendolen told Cecily that she would marry Earnest. In reply, Cecily says that she is also going to marry Earnest. At this point, Jack and Algernon come into the scene. They are being asked about this confusion, so Jack tells them everything.

He told them that no person existed with the name Earnest. Jack and Earnest are both the names of the same person. Jack changed his name to meet Gwendolen, and Algernon also changed his name to meet Cecily. Both girls insist on their reason. Then, Lady Bracknell reached there, chasing Gwendolen. Both couples inform Lady Bracknell that they had their engagement done. Even after listening to this, Lady Bracknell denied their marriage.

At this, Jack says that Cecily had a solid financial background and the decision of her marriage was in the hands of her caretaker, Jack. So, Lady Bracknell could not deny the marriage of Algernon and Cecily. At this moment, Lady Bracknell looks at Miss Prism and says she is the lady who robbed Lady Bracknell's sister's two children in a handbag and misplaced them at the courtroom of the Victoria station. Jack enquired at Manner's library and found that he was the brother of Algernon; they both had the same dad. The real name of Jack was Earnest. Both brothers hug each other. Lady Bracknell agreed to their marriage as she knew Jack's father and did not consider him an adopted child.

The Play ends here.

The Theme of the Play

We have already mentioned that this Play, 'The Importance of Being Earnest,' reveals the social status of the Victorian age and the concept of being earnest. Here are the key themes explored in the Play:

1. Social Hypocrisy:Oscar Wilde focuses on the hypocrisy and artificiality of Victorian society, especially the upper class. The characters in the Play often maintain appearances and persist in societal expectations, even if it means sacrificing genuineness and honesty.
2. Identity and Appearance: The Play highlights the importance of appearances and names. Characters like Jack and Algernon changed their name for love benefits. Jack changed his name to escape from his daily hectic and depressing life.
3. Artificiality and Morality: The desire for an idealized image rather than genuine compatibility and emotional connection shows society's high expectations.
4. The Power of Language and Humour:Wilde's sharp and witty dialogue plays a central role in the Play. He tried his best to bring comics into the Play at every point.

Overall, "The Importance of Being Earnest" combines social satire and wit to criticize the hypocrisies and stupidity of Victorian society. The Play explores societal expectations, identity, love, and the power of language, all while entertaining the audience with its clever wordplay and comedic situations.

Conclusion

"The Importance of Being Earnest," the various misunderstandings and mistaken identities are revealed, leading to a resolution for the characters and a humorous twist. The Play concludes with two couples happily united: Jack and Gwendolen, Algernon, and Cecily, who reveal their affection for one another. The resolution highlights the power of love and the acceptance of imperfections and deceptions within the Play's satirical tone.

The play "The Importance of Being Earnest" ties up the various plotlines, resolves the misunderstandings, and satirizes the societal norms it has been criticizing throughout the Play. The ending reinforces the themes of love, identity, and the superficiality of appearances while providing a light-hearted and humorous resolution for the characters.