Literature B2 Units

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

ABOUT THE PLAY
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People was written in 1895. It is a farcical comedy in which the main
character, Jack Worthing, a responsible landowner from the country, invents a fictional brother, Ernest, who is always getting into
trouble. Jack uses his brother as an excuse to make trips to London and escape his tedious social obligations. No one but him
knows that there is no Ernest, the name he uses when he is in London.
Jack is in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, who is the cousin of his best friend, Algernon. Algernon is interested in Jack’s young
ward, Cecily, who is interested in Ernest, having heard all about his exciting life. Jack proposes to Gwendolen, who accepts,
but also confesses that she is fixated on the name Ernest and will not consider marrying any man who isn’t named Ernest.
In the extract below, Gwendolen and her mother, Lady Bracknell, visit Jack, and Lady Bracknell interviews him to determine
his suitability as a potential son-in-law.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854. He went to Trinity College, Dublin and then to
Oxford University, where he became involved in the aesthetic movement, the idea of which
was to make an art of life. Wilde pursued a literary career with great success, becoming a
novelist (The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891), playwright and critic. The Importance of Being
Earnest is considered to be his masterpiece. Wilde was a celebrated member of London’s
fashionable society and was known for his flamboyant style of dress and his contempt for
conventional values. His plays often satirise the conventions of Victorian society.

Act 1 Jack I have a country house with some land, but I don’t
Lady Bracknell … How old are you? 20 depend upon it for my income.
Jack Twenty-nine. Lady Bracknell A country house! How many bedrooms?
Well, that doesn’t matter. I hope you have a house in
Lady Bracknell That’s a very good age to get married. I have
town. Gwendolen must have a house in town.
always believed that a man who wants to get married
5 should know everything or nothing. Which do you know? Jack Well, I do have a house in Belgrave Square but it is
25 rented to Lady Bloxham.
Jack [After hesitating] I know nothing, Lady Bracknell.
Lady Bracknell Lady Bloxham? I don’t know her.
Lady Bracknell I am pleased to hear it. I approve of
ignorance. I don’t approve of modern education. Jack Oh, she doesn’t go out very much; she’s very old.
Fortunately, in England at least, education has no Lady Bracknell She’s not necessarily respectable even if
10 effect at all. What is your income? she is old. What number Belgrave Square?
Jack It’s between seven and eight thousand pounds a year. 30 Jack 149.
Lady Bracknell [Making a note in her book] Do you earn this Lady Bracknell [Shaking her head disapprovingly] But that
income from land that you own or from investments? is the unfashionable side of the street. However, that
Jack From investments. could easily be changed.
15 Lady Bracknell That is satisfactory. Owning land is neither Jack Do you mean the fashion or the side?
profitable nor pleasurable – it costs money to look after 35 Lady Bracknell [Very disapprovingly] Both, if necessary.
it when one is alive and then there are taxes when one
is dead. That’s all I can say about land.

A VOCABULARY FOCUS
ignorance (line 8): lack of knowledge, intelligence or pleasurable (line 16): giving you a feeling of happiness,
understanding enjoyment, or satisfaction
income (line 10): money that someone gets from working taxes (line 17): money that you have to pay to the
or from investing money government, which it uses to provide public services and
investments (line 14): money used in a way that may pay for government institutions
earn you more money Belgrave Square (line 24): fashionable part of London
profitable (line 16): making a profit – money that you where upper-class people lived
make by selling something, or from your business

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 Literature B2 Units

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Before reading 3 At first glance, the play seems to be a typical
Victorian melodrama. But it’s actually a sharp
1 You are going to read an excerpt from a play satire, in which Wilde mocks conventionally-held
called The Importance of Being Earnest. Ernest is views by using inversion: stating the opposite
a man’s name and is pronounced in the same as view of what is commonly believed. Read the
the word ‘Earnest’ in the title. What does earnest excerpt again and find satirical lines for the
mean? What do you think the play is about? following commonly-held views.
1 A man who wants to marry should be responsible.
2 Read About the author. What do you think the
expectations of upper-class Victorian society 2 Ignorance is a bad thing.
were? Think about these aspects:
a men and women 3 The upper classes are well educated.
b marriage
c wealth and responsibility 4 Owning land is an advantage.
d lifestyle.
5 Living in the countryside is healthier than living in the
3 Read About the play. Work in pairs and discuss town.
these questions.
1 Why do you think the play is called The Importance 6 Old people are generally respectable and live quiet
of Being Earnest? lives.
2 What kinds of questions do you think Lady Bracknell
will ask Jack?
After reading
While reading
1 What kind of person do you think Ernest is and
1 Read the excerpt. Are these sentences True (T) or why did Jack invent him? Read the excerpt
False (F)? Correct the false sentences. again and About the play. Discuss the following
1 Jack is not really ignorant.  T/F questions:
2 Lady Bracknell disapproves of education. T/F 1 What kinds of social obligations do you think Jack
3 Lady Bracknell isn’t interested in Jack’s wants to escape when he goes to London?
investments and land. T/F 2 What kinds of trouble do you think Jack invents for
4 Jack isn’t wealthy. T/F Ernest when Jack has to go to London and sort out
5 Lady Bracknell approves of Jack. T/F Ernest’s problems?
6 Lady Bracknell has a lot of influence 3 What do you think Jack really does when he goes to
in fashionable society. T/F London?
4 How do you think Lady Bracknell and Cecily would
2 What do we learn about these two characters react if they found out that Ernest was invented, and
from the play? Find sentences from the excerpt to not real?
support your opinions. What do you think Wilde’s
view of each character is? 2 Work in groups of three. Imagine that Lady
Jack Bracknell discovers that Ernest is not real and that
Jack invented him. Write the scene between Lady
Bracknell, Jack and Cecily. Think about how each
character might be feeling. Try to use humour and
satire. Then act out your scene for the class.

Lady Bracknell 3 What do you think happens at the end of the

play? Work in pairs and discuss your ideas.

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