Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest" satirizes Victorian social values and norms. The play involves two friends, Jack and Algernon, who both pretend to have a brother named Ernest in order to court two women, Gwendolen and Cecily. Lady Bracknell disapproves of the matches due to the men's questionable backgrounds. Ultimately, it is revealed that Jack is in fact Lady Bracknell's nephew, resolving the conflicts and allowing the couples to marry. The minor characters like Miss Prism and Dr. Chasuble further comment on and critique Victorian society through their roles.

1. -OSCAR WILDE
Presented by
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi,
V.V.Vanniaperumal College for Women,
Virudhunagar.

2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
NAME Oscar Fingal O’ Flahertie Wills Wilde
BORN 16 October 1854
NATIONALITY Irish
PERIOD Victorian era
Genre Drama, short
story,
criticism,
dialogue,
journalism
MASTER PIECE An Ideal
Husband,
The Importance
of being

3. VICTORIAN SOCIETY
Good manners were extremely important.
Young women were always chaperoned until
they were married.
Women’s clothing covered from neck to ankle;
clothes had to be modest.
In the upper classes, people with a bad
reputation were outcasts no matter how much
money they had.
Refreshments were expected when visitors came
to “call” (visit) – usually tea and cake or tiny,
elegant Cucumber Sandwiches.
Men were expected to be Well-Educated.
Women were expected to marry well.

4. ABOUT THE PLAY “The Importance of Being Earnest”
Written in 1895.
Sub-Title of the play: “A
Trivial Comedy for Serious
People”.
A comedy in 3acts.
Criticizes Victorian moral
and social values.
Uses wit, pun, and word
play to create humor.
The Importance of Being
Earnest is now available on
DVD from The Criterion
Collection in a new digital

5. THE MAJOR CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY
 JOHN WORTHING: Hero of the play. Jack in the country, Ernest in the
city. He loves Gwendolen.
 ALGERNON MONCRIEFF: Algernon in the city, Ernest in the country.
Algernon is the cousin of Gwendolen and wants to marry Cecily. He claims to
have an ill friend, Bunbury, whom he visits in the country when he wants to
escape the city.
 GOWENDOLEN FAIRFAX: Daughter of Lady Bracknell. She wishes to marry
Jack, whom she believes is “Ernest.”
 CECILY CARDEW: Ward of Jack. She wishes to marry Algernon, whom she
believes is Jack’s younger brother “Ernest.”
 LADY BRAKNELL: Gwendolen’s mother and Algernon’s aunt. She refuses to
allow the marriage of Gwendolen and Jack.

6. Summary:-
Jack Worthing is a guardian for Cecily. In order to make love to Gwendolen freely,
Ernest lies to Cecily that his name is Jack and that his invalid brother Ernest and pays court to
Gwendolen, the daughter of the rich lady Bracknell. Gwendolen tells Jack that she loves him
because his name is Ernest. Lady Bracknell is displeased with Jack when he tells her that he was
a foundling, picked up by one Cardew (father of Cecily). Lady Bracknell refuses Jack’s marriage
with Gwendolen. Before leaving, Jack gives his country address to Gwendolen. Algernon who stays
in the room when the lovers are talking takes down Jack’s country stealthily. He plans to visit
Jack’s home in the country and pay court to his ward Cecily.
Dr. Chasuble, the Rector and Miss Prism who is Cecily’s governess, go out for a stroll.
When there are away, Algernon visits Cecily. He calls himself Ernest. He wins her over by flattering
her. Cecily tells Algernon that she fell in love with him even before meeting him. She tells him
that she loves him because of the sweetness of his name Ernest. On the same occasion Jack
dressed in the deepest mourning and appear before Chasuble. He tells Chasuble that his brother
Ernest has died in Paris of severe chill. While, they are talking, Cecily informs them that Ernest
has just come there. Algernon introduces himself as Ernest to the people. Jack is shocked at the
trick played by Algernon. Truth come to light, when Jack and Algernon met each other before
Gwendolen and Cecily as Ernest. The two ladies realize that a trick has been played upon them
by the two men.
All the confusions in the play comes to an end when Lady Bracknell visits the manor
House. She disapproves of Algernon’s love for Cecily. When Jack says that Cecily is in possession
of a fabulous fortune, Lady Bracknell allows Algernon to love Cecily. When Miss Prism appears
Lady Bracknell identifies her as the former governess of her sister who lost her child in clock –
room. Jack is discovered to be Lady Bracknell nephew and Algernon’s elder brother. Fortunately
Jack finds out from an old military directory that his father’s Christian name was Ernest. So the
sons can freely call themselves Ernest now. All problems now being solved, the loves Cecily &
Algernon, Gwendolen and Jack, and Miss Prism and Dr. Chasuble are paired off. The lovers
seriously settle down to a domestic life.

7. MINOR CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY
 CANON CHASUBLE, D.D : Chasuble is the pedantic reverend
who resides in the country near Jack. He is in love with Miss
Prism. The initials after his name stand for “Doctor of Divinity.”
 MISS PRISM : The governess of Cecily. She once wrote a novel,
but never published it. She is involved in a very important
mishap.
 LANE : Algernon’s manservant.
 MERRIMAN : Jack’s butler.

8. CHASUBLE
• Chasuble is presented as an absurd rector in this play.
• CHASUBLE, the rector on Jack’s estate.
• Both Jack and Algernon approach Dr. Chasuble to request that
they be christened “Ernest.”
• Christening is a sacrament, usually meaning “sacred” but
Chasuble just seems happy to have the business.
• Dr. Chasuble entertains secret romantic feelings for Miss Prism.
• When the lovers are paired off at the end of the play, the
unmarried Chasuble cannot contain himself anymore.
• He and Miss Prism fit into the gay atmosphere by embracing
each other.
• Through Chasuble, Wilde has caricatured the shallow,
unprincipled clergy of this day.

9. MISS PRISM
• Miss Prism is Cecily’s governess.
• She is in love with Dr. Chasuble, the Rector.
• But she cannot openly bring herself to express her love for
him.
• She, like the minister, makes constant moral judgments.
• Her favorite line, even to dead Ernest, is "As a man sows, so shall
he reap."
• Repeating this often allows Wilde to show how meaningless and
clichéd religion and values have become.
• When Miss Prism appears, Lady Bracknell identifies her as
the former governess of her sister who lost her child in clock
– room.
• Jack is discovered to be Lady Bracknell’s nephew and
Algernon’s elder brother.

10. LANE AND MERRIMAN
• Lane
Lane is Algernon’s Butler and his comic sidekick in the
first scene. He humorously commending on his marriage.
When Algernon as whether marriage is demoralizing. Lane
replies that he does not know much about marriage. For, he
has married only once. Even that marriage was due to a
misunderstanding between himself and the woman who later
married him. Lane seemingly witty statement is in fact at a
cynical reflection on the sorry of marriage in England in
Wilde’s time.
• MERRIMAN
Merriman has a less significant role than Lane. He serves
Jack in his country house. He keeps the structure of the plot
working : He announces people and happenings. Like Lane, he
does not comment on his “betters” but solemnly Watches their
folly. As with many butlers in Wilde’s plays, he’s useful for
entering the scene.

11. Conclusion
Though Miss Prism, Chasuble, Lane,
Merriman plays a minor role, they reflects
the Victorian England.