Thinking Activity: The Importance of Being Earnest

This Blog-post is a response of thinking activity on "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde, which is given by our professor Dr. Dilip Barad Sir.To know more about this task, just CLICK HERE.

"The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People" is a comedy play by Oscar Wilde. Also present the comedy of manners and sentimental comedy.There are three Acts in  the play. He was an Irish poet and playwright.The play was published in 1899 and was performed in 1895. Wilde satirized the Victorian social hypocrisy  through this play. This play considers Wilde's the greatest dramatic achievement.

Act:1 Algernoon Moncrieff's flat in Half Moon Street, Woolton.

Act:2 The Garden at the Manor House,Woolton

Act:3 Drawing-Room of the Manor House, Woolton

• Synopsis of the Play:

John Worthing, a carefree young gentleman, is the inventor of a fictitious brother, “Ernest,” whose wicked ways afford John an excuse to leave his country home from time to time and journey to London, where he stays with his close friend and confidant, Algernon Moncrieff. Algernon has a cousin, Gwendolen Fairfax, with whom John is deeply in love. During his London sojourns, John, under the name Ernest, has won Gwendolen’s love, for she strongly desires to marry someone with the confidence-inspiring name of Ernest. But when he asks for Gwendolen’s hand from the formidable Lady Bracknell, John finds he must reveal he is a foundling who was left in a handbag at Victoria Station. This is very disturbing to Lady Bracknell, who insists that he produce at least one parent before she consents to the marriage.

Returning to the country home where he lives with his ward Cecily Cardew and her governess Miss Prism, John finds that Algernon has also arrived under the identity of the nonexistent brother Ernest. Algernon falls madly in love with the beautiful Cecily, who has long been enamored of the mysterious, fascinating brother Ernest.

With the arrival of Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen, chaos erupts. It is discovered that Miss Prism is the absent-minded nurse who twenty years ago misplaced the baby of Lady Bracknell’s brother in Victoria Station. Thus John, whose name is indeed Ernest, is Algernon’s elder brother, and the play ends with the two couples in a joyous embrace.

• Triviality in the Play:

The central theme of the play, perhaps is Triviality. According to Oxford Lerner's Dictionary,"a matter that is not important." The thing which is not important to the particular person. In the play, we can see that triviality is played silently. Jack and Algernon they disguise themselves under the name of Ernest. This things perhaps present as Trivial comic setting in the play. But if we just turn the subtitle  as 'A serious comedy for Trivial People it might be happen that convert in seriousness, because here, people are the main target of writer. Cecily and Gwendolen are represents triviality of Victorian Society. Their desire of to marry with the guy who's name is Ernest.Perhaps the triviality of the people of Victorians.  

• Characters Map :

• Jack Worthin: (Ernest), a young gentleman from the country, in love with Gwendolen Fairfax.
• Algernon Moncrieff: a young gentleman from London, the nephew of Lady Bracknell, in love with Cecily Cardew.
• Gwendolen Fairfax: a young lady, loved by Jack Worthing.
• Lady Bracknell: a society lady, Gwendolen's mother.
• Cecily Cardew: a young lady, the ward of Jack Worthing.
• Miss Prism:Cecily's governess.
• The Reverend Canon Chasuble: the priest of Jack's parish.
• Lane:Algernon's butler.
• Merriman: Jack's servant.

• Miss Prism:

Laetitia Prism who was the Governess of Cecily. She was Old and unmarried Lady, although she started feel romantic with Dr. Chasuble. Her character was quite different from every female characters in the play. She also wrote novels and stories. We encounter her at second act while we Cecily also arrives with her.  She was very possessive about the study.Here is the conversation between them,

Miss Prism. [Calling.]:Cecily, Cecily! Surely such a utilitarian occupation as the watering of flowers is rather Moulton's duty than yours? Especially at a moment when intellectual pleasures await you. Your German grammar is on the table. Pray open it at page fifteen. We will repeat yesterday's lesson.

Here in this video we introduced Miss Prism in very first time with Cecily who taught German Language. In this act, during the conversation of Cecily and Miss Prism, she asked about the happy end of her Novels.

Cecily: Did you really, Miss Prism? How wonderfully clever you are! I hope it did not end happily? I don't like novels that end happily. They depress me so much.

Miss Prism:The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.

Perhaps she knew that what she did with two child. That's why she answered like this. As Arron Johnston, described that," This woman is a symbol of Victorian moral righteousness. She plays a role of the ideal woman. Unfortunately, not a great amount of people need ideal stuff. She becomes the source of Jack's revelation about his parents.This woman is kind of an example of the person you’d better not to be. Think for yourself, but do you want to be forever alone just because you have some prejudices which only you understand? Miss Prism was that kind of people we can now call “oh I will not do that because what people will think about me?” Yes, don’t do that, act the way only you want."

Words:912

Synopsis of the Play

Arron Johnston's Essay