Summary of “The Importance of Being Earnest” In Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” Jack Worthing, the play’s protagonist, is a young man who shoulders many responsibilities as a respectable citizen of Victorian society. In Hertfordshire, he is appointed the role of guardian to Miss Cecily Cardew, by the deceased Mr. Thomas Cardew, who adopted Jack when he was found abandoned as a baby. He also carries the title of Justice of the Peace and controls a large country estate. As such, he invents an alter ego for himself whom he calls Earnest. Earnest possesses all the qualities Jack pretends to disapprove of; he is exciting and irresponsible. Whenever Jack seeks freedom from his responsibilities he goes into London and tells Cecily he must take care of his brother Earnest who is always getting into trouble. In truth, Jack is posing as Earnest in London and Jack in the country. In Act I, Jack goes into London to tell Algernon Moncrieff, his friend, that he intends to propose to Gwendolen Fairfax, Algernon’s cousin. Algernon, who has begun to suspect Jack’s alter ego, asks Jack why he has a cigarette case addressed to “Uncle Jack” with the inscription, “From little Cecily with her fondest love.” Jack explains that his true name is Jack Worthing and that he takes the name Earnest in London whenever he wants to indulge in certain pleasures. Algernon confesses that he too tries to escape the boundaries put on him by pretending he has a fictitious friend, Bunbury, who is always getting sick. Lady Bracknell, Algernon’s aunt, and Gwendolen enter the scene, which gives Jack a chance to propose to Gwendolen. She returns his affections and says she wouldn’t consider marrying anyone who wasn’t named Earnest. However, Lady Bracknell determines that Jack is not a suitable husband because he has no knowledge on his family background.

Curious about Cecily, Algernon shows up at Jack’s country estate in Act II pretending to be Earnest and falls in love with her. Meanwhile, Jack arrives at the estate in morning and announces that his brother Earnest has passed away. He is furious to find Algernon posing as Earnest but goes along with the deception in order to not reveal his own. When Jack leaves, Algernon proposes to Cecily and she explains how her fascination with Jack’s brother has led her to think that they were already engaged. Her diary reveals that she always wanted to marry a man named Earnest and so Algernon, like Jack, must arrange a rechristening. Gwendolen visits Jack unexpectedly and Cecily tries to play the role of host. While in the garden, they are surprised to find that they are both engaged to Earnest Worthing and the conversation turns into a battle of manners. Jack and Algernon arrive to breakup the argument and reveal the truth. Both women are angered however; after the men announce that they have both arranged to be christened Earnest, all is forgiven. Lady Bracknell arrives in Act III and consents to the engagement between Algernon and Cecily after discovering Cecily’s fortune. Jack informs Lady Bracknell that he will not allow the marriage until Cecily is 35 unless he is permitted to wed Gwendolen. Lady Bracknell refuses this suggestion. Dr. Chasuble, the rector on Jack’s estate, arrives and mentions Cecily’s governess, Miss Prism. At the mention of her name, Lady Bracknell asks that Miss Prism be sent for to which we discover that she was the governess who lost Lady Bracknell’s nephew 28 years ago. Miss Prism explains that she confused the baby with her novel and left it in her handbag at a railway station. Jack returns with the handbag he was found in as an infant and Miss Prism confirms that it is hers. Lady Bracknell identifies Jack as the son of Earnest John Moncrieff and the older

brother of Algernon. Furthermore, Jack had been telling the truth about his name and younger brother and each of the couples embrace. Summary of Lady Windermere’s Fan Act I opens with Lady Windermere preparing for her 21st birthday party. Lord Darlington, an admirer of Lady Windermere, arrives and she shows him a fan given as a gift to her by her husband. She informs Lord Darlington that his compliments continue to annoy her and tells him that she was raised a Puritan. Shortly after, the Duchess of Berwick arrives and warns Lady Windermere that people are gossiping about her husband visiting and potentially giving money to Mrs. Erlynne. Lady Windermere checks her husband’s desk where she finds a locked bankbook that confirms the rumors. She later confronts Lord Windermere and he explains that he is not betraying her. He asks that she send an invitation to Mrs. Erlynne and when she refuses he does so. Act II opens during the birthday party. Lord Augustus Lorton, an admirer of

Mrs. Erlynne, inquires about Lord Windermere’s relationship with Mrs. Erlynne and is relieved to find that there in nothing misgiving about the relationship. Mrs. Erlynne arrives which upsets Lady Windermere. As a result, Lord Darlington tries to convince Lady Windermere to marry him but she refuses him and Lord Darlington leaves heartbroken. Later, Lady Windermere changes her mind and leaves a note for her husband. Erlynne discovers the note and goes to find Lady Windermere. It is here that Erlynne is revealed as Lady Windermere’s mother and that she made a similar mistake in her past. In Act III Lady Windermere, now located in Lord Darlington’s Rooms, questions her decision and decides to return to her husband. Mrs. Erlynne arrives

and tries to convince Lady Windermere to return but Lady Windermere thinks she is tricking her. Once Mrs. Erlynne convinces Lady Windermere, Lord Windermere and Lord Augustus arrive with friends and the women hide. The men notice Lady Windermere’s fan and Mrs. Erlynne reveals herself to allow Lady Windermere to leave unnoticed. Act IV opens with Lady Windermere apologizing to her husband. All is forgiven however; Lord Windermere insists that she stay away from Mrs. Erlynne. Mrs. Erlynne arrives to return the fan and announces that she will be going abroad but requests a photo of Lady Windermere and her son before her departure. While Lady Windermere is looking for the photo, it is revealed that Mrs. Erlynne left her husband for another lover while Lady Windermere was a baby. She threatened to reveal her true identity and ruin Lady Windermere if Lord Windermere didn’t give her large sums of money. Mrs. Erlynne forbids Lord Windermere to tell his wife the truth and forbids Lady Windermere to tell her husband the truth. Mrs. Erlynne departs with the photograph and Lord Augustus, her soon to be husband.

Conventions of Era

Oscar Wilde’s plays flourished during the Victorian era ruled by Queen Victoria. In response to the improved transportation system, audiences were not limited to one social class. Streets were safer at night during this era, which meant plays could run longer and later. Consequently, this led to larger profits and more theater construction. Audiences in this era were mostly from the lower class but some people from the aristocracy attended. The stages in a lot of these newly built or remodeled theaters had a picture frame. There was also progress in the scenic design and a shift in the orientation to naturalistic. Changes in the theatre include placing backs on benches, chairs in the pit, orchestra stalls, and lavish decorations in the auditorium. During this time stage managers were used to create order and balance. In plays during the Victorian era, women were portrayed as delicate and inferior to men. A lot of the characters are controlled by their own fate and usually lose their identity to some extent. Humor usually consisted of dirty jokes or gestures about sex. Oscar’s plays were filled with a lot of asides and aphorisms.

Common Theme

Victorian values and the limitations they impose on members of high society is an important motif in Wilde’s play. Jack is driven to lead a double life in order to break free from the social and moral responsibilities of Victorian life. This motif is exemplified in Algernon’s response to Jack’s plan to kill off his alter ego, Earnest, and to propose to Gwendolen. “A man who marries without knowing “Bunbury” has a very tedious time of it” (Act 1, sc. 1). This passage highlights the play’s darker connotations. Algernon is implying that all husbands born into Victorian society create alter egos for themselves. Undoubtedly, this is why Algernon creates the name “Bunburyist,” that is, someone who leads another life that allows for freedom from responsibilities. When Algernon describes married life as “tedious” he is implying that married men need “Bunburying” the most. This further suggests that Jack’s reasons for creating an alter ego are the same as any upstanding man of Victorian society; to escape the boundaries put on one of high morality in the Victorian era. Similarly, Mrs. Erlynne finds herself suffocating from the constraints instilled by Victorian society. Mrs. Erlynne does not find marriage suitable in that it is not in her nature to be a loving, caring wife and mother. She does not like that Victorian society dictates her niche in life and restricts her to the bounds of marriage and motherhood. Her husband makes all the decisions for her and personifies her as weak and fragile and her responsibilities toward her daughter limit her. Mrs. Erlynne desperately needs freedom so in response to these marriage restrictions she deserts her husband and baby for another lover. In order to return to high society without the shackles of marriage, Mrs. Erlynne marries Lord Augustus whom she can manipulate and dominate. Distinctions in Plot

One distinction between the two plays is the idea of telling the truth and keeping secrets. In ”The Importance of Being Earnest,” all the lies and deceptions woven into the plot are revealed to each of the characters. Jack discovers his real name was Earnest all along and that he did have a younger brother. Also despite Jack and Algernon’s deceptions, Cecily and Gwendolen eventually find out the truth about their lovers identities. In “Lady Windermere’s Fan” secrets still exist at the end of the play. Lord Windermere’s and his wife’s marriage is restored however; both of them keep their secrets. Lord Windermere never tell Lady Windermere that Mrs. Erlynne is her mother who, 20 years ago, ran away for another lover and has been presently blackmailing him into giving her money to restore he social status. In the same way, Lady Windermere never tell her husband that she ran off with Lord Darlington. Another distinction stems from the treatment of the protagonists. In “The Importance of Being Earnest,” Jack is viewed as a strong, respectable, and responsible young man. He has many duties and usually gets his way. In “Lady Windermere’s Fan,” Lord Windermere treats Lady Windermere like a fragile child. He is unaware that she has become a woman during the play. She also has to commit her acts of rebellion against Victorian society in the eyes of the public while Jack can safely commit his acts of rebellion in secret.

References

"Theatre in the Victorian Era." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.