The Importance of being Earnest
Basic Facts
The Importance of being Earnest was written in the summer of 1894 by Oscar Wilde
First Primered in February 1895 at George Alexander’s, St. James’s theater
Original Language - English
Total of 3 Acts long that are not broken down into scenes
2 and a half hours including one intermission
9 Characters- 5 Men and 4 Women
Full length farce comedy with rights held by Samuel French
Characters
John (Jack/Ernest) Worthing, J.P. - The play’s protagonist. Jack Worthing is a seemingly responsible and respectable young man who leads a double life. In Hertfordshire, where he has a country estate, Jack is known as Jack. In London he is known as Ernest. As a baby, Jack was discovered in a handbag in the cloakroom of Victoria Station by an old man who adopted him and subsequently made Jack guardian to his granddaughter, Cecily Cardew. Jack is in love with his friend Algernon’s cousin, Gwendolen Fairfax. The initials after his name indicate that he is a Justice of the Peace.
Algernon Moncrieff - The play’s secondary hero. Algernon is a charming, idle, decorative bachelor, nephew of Lady Bracknell, cousin of Gwendolen Fairfax, and best friend of Jack Worthing, whom he has known for years as Ernest. Algernon is brilliant, witty, selfish, amoral, and given to making delightful paradoxical and epigrammatic pronouncements. He has invented a fictional friend, “Bunbury,” an invalid whose frequent sudden relapses allow Algernon to wriggle out of unpleasant or dull social obligations.
Gwendolen Fairfax - Algernon’s cousin and Lady Bracknell’s daughter. Gwendolen is in love with Jack, whom she knows as Ernest. A model and arbiter of high fashion and society, Gwendolen speaks with unassailable authority on matters of taste and morality. She is sophisticated, intellectual, cosmopolitan, and utterly pretentious. Gwendolen is fixated on the name Ernest and says she will not marry a man without that name.
Cecily Cardew - Jack’s ward, the granddaughter of the old gentlemen who found and adopted Jack when Jack was a baby. Cecily is probably the most realistically drawn character in the play. Like Gwendolen, she is obsessed with the name Ernest, but she is even more intrigued by the idea of wickedness. This idea, rather than the virtuous-sounding name, has prompted her to fall in love with Jack’s brother Ernest in her imagination and to invent an elaborate romance and courtship between them.
Lady Bracknell - Algernon’s snobbish, mercenary, and domineering aunt and Gwendolen’s mother. Lady Bracknell married well, and her primary goal in life is to see her daughter do the same. She has a list of “eligible young men” and a prepared interview she gives to potential suitors. Like her nephew, Lady Bracknell is given to making hilarious pronouncements, but where Algernon means to be witty, the humor in Lady Bracknell’s speeches is unintentional. Through the figure of Lady Bracknell, Wilde manages to satirize the hypocrisy and stupidity of the British aristocracy. Lady Bracknell values ignorance, which she sees as “a delicate exotic fruit.” When she gives a dinner party, she prefers her husband to eat downstairs with the servants. She is cunning, narrow-minded, authoritarian, and possibly the most quotable character in the play.
Miss Prism - Cecily’s governess. Miss Prism is an endless source of pedantic bromides and clichés. She highly approves of Jack’s presumed respectability and harshly criticizes his “unfortunate” brother. Puritan though she is, Miss Prism’s severe pronouncements have a way of going so far over the top that they inspire laughter. Despite her rigidity, Miss Prism seems to have a softer side. She speaks of having once written a novel whose manuscript was “lost” or “abandoned.” Also, she entertains romantic feelings for Dr. Chasuble.
Rev. Canon Chasuble, D.D. - The rector on Jack’s estate. Both Jack and Algernon approach Dr. Chasuble to request that they be christened “Ernest.” Dr. Chasuble entertains secret romantic feelings for Miss Prism. The initials after his name stand for “Doctor of Divinity.”
Lane - Algernon’s manservant. When the play opens, Lane is the only person who knows about Algernon’s practice of “Bunburying.” Lane appears only in Act I.
Merriman - The butler at the Manor House, Jack’s estate in the country. Merriman appears only in Acts II and III.
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/earnest/characters.htmlBio about Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde, celebrated playwright and literary provocateur, was born in Dublin on October 16, 1854. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford before settling in London. During his days at Dublin and Oxford, he developed a set of attitudes and postures for which he would eventually become famous. Chief among these were his flamboyant style of dress, his contempt for conventional values, and his belief in aestheticism—a movement that embraced the principle of art for the sake of beauty and beauty alone. After a stunning performance in college, Wilde settled in London in 1878, where he moved in circles that included Lillie Langtry, the novelists Henry James and George Moore, and the young William Butler Yeats.
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Plot Summery
The play begins in the flat of wealthy Algernon Moncrieff (Algy) in London's fashionable West End. Algernon's aunt (Lady Bracknell) and her daughter (Gwendolen Fairfax) are coming for a visit, but Mr. Jack Worthing (a friend of Algy's) arrives first. Algernon finds it curious that Jack has announced himself as "Ernest." When Jack explains that he plans to propose marriage to Gwendolen, Algy demands to know why Jack has a cigarette case with the inscription, "From little Cecily with her fondest love." Jack explains that his real name is Jack Worthing, squire, in the country, but he assumes the name "Ernest" when he ventures to the city for fun. Cecily is his ward. While devouring all the cucumber sandwiches, Algernon confesses that he, too, employs deception when it's convenient. He visits an imaginary invalid friend named Bunbury when he needs an excuse to leave the city.
Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen arrive. Algernon explains that he cannot attend Lady Bracknell's reception because he must visit his invalid friend, Bunbury, but he offers to arrange the music for her party. While Algernon distracts Lady Bracknell in another room, Jack proposes to Gwendolen. Unfortunately, she explains that she really wants to marry someone named Ernest because it sounds so solidly aristocratic. However, she accepts his proposal, and he makes a mental note to be rechristened Ernest. Lady Bracknell returns and refutes the engagement. She interrogates Jack and finds him lacking in social status. On her way out, Lady Bracknell tells Jack that he must find some acceptable parents. Gwendolen returns for Jack's address in the country. Algernon overhears and writes the address on his shirt cuff. He is curious about Cecily and decides to go "bunburying" in the country.In the second act, the scene shifts to Jack Worthing's country estate where Miss Prism, Cecily Cardew's governess, is teaching Cecily in the garden. Miss Prism sings Jack's praises as a sensible and responsible man, unlike his brother Ernest, who is wicked and has a weak character. She teaches Cecily that good people end happily, and bad people end unhappily, according to the romantic novel Miss Prism wrote when she was young. The local vicar, Canon Chasuble, arrives and, sensing an opportunity for romance, takes Miss Prism for a walk in the garden. While they are gone, Algy shows up pretending to be Jack's wicked brother Ernest. He is overcome by Cecily's beauty. Determined to learn more about Cecily while Jack is absent, Algernon plans to stay for the weekend, then make a fast getaway before Jack arrives on Monday. However, Jack returns early in mourning clothes claiming that his brother Ernest has died in Paris. He is shocked to find Algy there posing as Ernest. He orders a dogcart — a small horse-drawn carriage — to send Algy back to London, but it is too late. Algernon is in love with Cecily and plans to stay there. When Jack goes out, Algernon proposes to Cecily, who gets out a diary and letters that she has already written, explaining that she had already imagined their engagement. She has always wanted to marry someone named Ernest, so Algy, like Jack, needs to arrange a rechristening.
Just when it seems that Jack and Algernon couldn't get into worse trouble, Gwendolen arrives, pursuing Jack, and discovers that his ward, Cecily, is unpleasantly beautiful. In conversation, they discover that they are both engaged to Ernest Worthing. A battle follows, cleverly carried out during the British tea ceremony. The situation is tense. Jack and Algernon arrive, and, in attempting to straighten out the Ernest problem, they alienate both women. The two men follow, explaining that they are going to be rechristened Ernest, and the women relent and agree to stay engaged.
Lady Bracknell shows up demanding an explanation for the couples' plans. When she discovers the extent of Cecily's fortune, she gives her consent to her engagement to Algernon; however, Jack's parentage is still a stumbling block to her blessings. Jack tells Lady Bracknell that he will not agree to Cecily's engagement until she is of age (35) unless he can marry Gwendolen. Dr. Chasuble arrives and announces that all is ready for the christenings. Jack explains that the christenings will no longer be necessary. Noting that Jack's present concerns are secular, the minister states that he will return to the church where Miss Prism is waiting to see him. Shocked at hearing the name "Prism," Lady Bracknell immediately calls for Prism and reveals her as the governess who lost Lady Bracknell's nephew 28 years earlier on a walk with the baby carriage. She demands to know where the baby is. Miss Prism explains that in a moment of distraction she placed the baby in her handbag and left him in Victoria Station, confusing him with her three-volume novel, which was placed in the baby carriage. After Jack asks for details, he quickly runs to his room and retrieves the handbag. Miss Prism identifies it, and Lady Bracknell reveals that Jack is Algernon's older brother, son of Ernest John Moncrieff, who died years ago in India. Jack now truly is Ernest, and Algernon/Cecily, Jack/Gwendolen, and Chasuble/Prism fall into each others' arms as Jack realizes the importance of being earnest.
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/The-Importance-of-Being-Earnest-Play-Summary.id-29,pageNum-1.html
Fable
The Importance of being Earnest is a farce comedy that many people know, a story of mistaken identity or trickery. In the beginning we meet our main characters that both have very unique personalities and both in one way or another very deceptive. The play starts off in the house of a man by the name of Algernon who is waiting for his guest to arrive for the night. The first to show up is a man by the name of Jack but is introduce as Earnest when we first meet him on stage. Only to find out that he goes by two different names depending on where he is, in the country or in town. Jack has created this Earnest character as a front to have a reason to go to town from time to time. However in this first act we find that Algernon has his cigarette case and will not give it back without and explanation as to why it says to my uncle jack. So he explains to him about Cecily who he takes care of in the country that believes he has a younger brother by the name of earnest and this is how he manages to make trips to town all the time. But this time he has a real reason behind coming to town and that is to ask for Gwendolen’s hand in marriage. Gwendolen is the daughter of Algernon’s aunt Augusta, a very upstanding woman who has bigger plans for her daughter then to marry a man with little to offer. However jack still plans on making things work even though he has been turned down by the mother of the women to whom he loves and she has told him that she would not love him if his name were not Earnest. By the end of act one we are all awaiting what will come next when we find out that Algernon is getting ready to leave town for a period of time but we are not quit sure what he is up to. When the second act opens we finally meet this young girl named Cecily who is the ward of jack soon to find out that she has fallen in love with the imaginary brother earnest whom she has never met before. During this act we find that Algernon has come to the country to met this young girl and introduces him self as earnest the brother of jack. Shortly after arriving he asks for her hand in marriage only to find out that she has already done so for him in letters and fully intendeds to marry him just by the name of earnest and no other. This can not last long once jack returns home to find that Algernon is acting to be the brother that he is trying to kill off in this show in order to be able to simplify his life and make way for the young Gwendolen. When both of the girls end up meeting and find that they have both been fooled jack and Algernon seam to be finished. Although they are not giving up just yet, they both have to plans to go out and be christened under the name of earnest in hopes to save the love that they have.
In act three many things are answered when Lady Bracknell arrives to get her daughter Gwendolen only to find that jack is her long lost nephew who was christened at birth after his father with the name of earnest. When he was a baby he was lost and found by the man who raised him but never knowing who he belonged to he was always lost about whom he really was which one of the reasons is Lady Bracknell was not to allow him to marry her daughter.
Exegesis
1. salver-(pg.598 line 10) a tray especially for serving food or beverages
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salver
2.shropshire-(pg.598 line 55) is a county in the West Midlands region of England
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shropshire
3.bunburyist-(pg. 599 line 187) (humorous) Avoiding one's duties and responsibilities by claiming to have appointment to see a fictitious person.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Bunburying
4.indecorous-(pg. 602 line 476) Lacking propriety or good taste. See Synonyms at improper
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/indecorous
5.Grosvenor square-(pg. 602 line 524) is a large garden square in the exclusive Mayfair district of London, England
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grosvenor_Square
6.Perambulator-(pg.616 line 368) chiefly British : a baby carriage
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perambulator
7.Oxonian-(pg.615 line 240) a member or graduate of Oxford University.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/oxonian
8.Dog-cart-(pg.608 line 385) A dogcart is a light horse-drawn vehicle. There are several types:
A one-horse carriage, usually two-wheeled and high, with two transverse seats set back to back. It was known as a "bounder" in British slang (not to be confused with the cabriolet of the same name). In India it was called a "tumtum" (possibly an altered form of "tandem").
A dogcart having four wheels and seats set back to back was a dos-à-dos. "Dos-à-dos" means back-to-back in French.
Another four-wheeled dogcart was called a "game cart".[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogcart
9.Impetuous-(pg.610 line 581) of, pertaining to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.; impulsive: an impetuous decision; an impetuous person.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/impetuous
10.Effrontery-(pg. 613 line 8) shameless or impudent boldness; barefaced audacity
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/effrontery
Casting Statement
As the dramaturge for the show The Importance of being Earnest I would say that casting for this show would be simple in the fact that there is wiggle room for some of the characters. While most of the cast would be white upper class due to the time and the style of house that they reside in there is room to allow for blacks to be casted. I would also not see a problem with the casting of handicapped actors with in the roles of a few of the characters. As for the physical appearance of the actors for this show we do need to keep the main resemblance such as ethnicity and style. As for hair and other characteristics that would be used to tell those who are related can be simply fixed by wigs and make up. So there would be no real reason to make all of the actors that you cast to have the same hair color, nose, eyes, etc.
When it comes to the two main characters Algernon and Jack they should be more similar then not seeing as they are actually brothers by the end of the play. These would definitely be to very capable white men of a fairly high fashion, so you would need clean looking educated actors.
As for the rest of Algernon’s family they do not need to resemble them as much seeing as it is just his aunt and cousin so you would not expect to see same hair eyes or anything like that. They only real requirement for them would be that they be white actors cause it would be out of the ordinary for the time period to have mixed race or interracial families. Although there is a chance to cast a handicapped actor when it comes to the role of Lady Bracknell, she is an older woman that may no longer be in her prime. As for Gwendolen she should be a young attractive girl that almost has a childlike quality to her.
As for Jack’s country house we have the other half of this family. A young girl named Cecily who is only 18 should be cast as a young actress who is while and should appear flawless. However Cecily can be as unique as the director wants she does not need to fit into the family perfectly because she is technically not a member of the same family and there for would be different. While Miss Prism should be cast as an older lady much like Lady Bracknell while she is not related to the family she should also be a white woman. Due to the fact Jack almost mistakes her for his mother when he finds out that he was in her care whenever he was lost as a baby.
While there is not much room in this play for African American actors the roles of Merriman a butler and Lane a manservant could be cast as white or African American. All in all there is a place in this show for everyone unlike some shows where every role has a specific type of actor to fit it this show could be done in a variety of ways.
http://myidol.americanidol.com/go/thread/view/86789/18577146/***ADAMS_FARM_ANIMALS***?post_id=474479337
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blmotionpictures.htm
This is one of the many examples of what currency would have looked like from the year 1895.
This shows us how a room from this period and area would have looked at the time in a what we would call middle class house.
The trains was the main way of travel at the time and accidents such as this would have effected the time and frequency of going back and forth between town and the country life that Jack was so accustom to doing.
The dress that would have been worn by Gwendolen or her mother.
