The Importance of Being Earnest Flashcards
When did Oscar Wilde die?
1900
What year was The Importance of Being Earnest staged? What other notable event occurred this year?
1895; Wilde was jailed for homosexuality
What is Oscar Wilde’s nationality?
Irish
Of what movement is Wilde considered a part? What was this movement about?
Aestheticist - they believed in “art for art’s sake,” rather than art that tried to impart morals (like a lot of Victorian literature).
When was the peak of the Aestheticist movement?
1870s-1880s
What is the name of the young man with whom Wilde was involved at the time of his trial?
Lord Alfred Douglas “Boise”
What work did Wilde write in Prison?
De Profundis
Who is the main character in The Importance of Being Earnest?
Jack Worthing
Where was Jack found as a baby?
In a woman’s handbag in a Victoria station (Brighton line)
What is Jack’s double life?
In the country, he is the respectable Jack Worthing, and in the city he takes on the persona of Earnest Worthing, his own good-for-nothing brother.
Who is Jack’s ward?
Cecily Cardew
Who is Jack in love with?
Gwendolen Fairfax
Who is “Ernest’s” best friend?
Algernon Montcrieff
What tactic does Algernon use to get out of social obligations?
“Bunburying.” He claims he has a very ill friend, Bunbury, that he must go and visit.
What is the relationship between Gwendolen and Algernon?
They are cousins
