Concetti Chiave
- The play is a comedy of manners, highlighting the flaws and vices of the aristocracy, a class depicted as snobbish and superficial.
- Misunderstandings are central to the plot, reflecting the duality of Victorian society, with mistaken identities driving the narrative.
- The story revolves around love and marriage, culminating in three marriages, which is typical of Victorian society's views on love.
- The language used in the play is witty and absurd, adding humor and depth to the characters and their interactions.
- The structure consists of three acts, each set in different locations, uncovering the truth about the characters' identities and resolving their conflicts.
The importance of being Ernest
Comedy of manners
It deals with a specific class, aristocracy, it shows all its failures and vices. Aristocracy is a fallen class because it has lost all its richness but it has kept its snobbishness and superficiality.
The main theme is the theme of misunderstanding (the double aspect of Victorian society).
There is an happy ending: all comedies turns around love. Love in Victorian society is linked with marriage: in ‘the importance of being Ernest’ there are three marriages.
Characters
- Jack Worthing: main protagonist, is a sort of dandy. He’s Ceciliy’s tutor.
- Algernon: close friend to Jack.
- Lady Bracknell: Algernon’s cousin.
- Cecily Cardew: rich orfan heir, lazy student, Jack’s ward.
- Gwendolyn: Algernon’s cousin.
- Miss Prism: Cecily’s governess.
- Dr. Chasuble: the priest, in love with Miss Prism.
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Language
The language is witty, absurd.
Structure
It is divided into 3 acts:
- I act: set in London, Algernon’s house: Algernon finds a cigarette case on which there is written: ‘to uncle Jack’, belonged to Jack. But everyone in London, also Algernon, know Jack as Ernest: Jack has invented this name because he is tired of country’s life, so he sometimes escapes from it and he goes to visit his invented brother in the city. Also Algernon has adopted this technique: he has invented a false sick friend in the country, Bunbury, so they both ‘bunburing’.
- II act: set in country, Algernon meets Cecily and he says that his name is Ernest. Both Cecily both Gwendolyn (Jack’s fiancée who knows him as Ernest) believes that they are engaged with the same Ernest. They discover they had deceived and that their lovers don’t have the name ‘Ernest’.
- III act: set in country, the two man wants to change their name in church, but it is discovered that the real name of Jack is Ernest.
Domande da interrogazione
- Qual è il tema principale de "The Importance of Being Ernest"?
- Quali sono i personaggi principali e le loro relazioni?
- Come si sviluppa la trama attraverso i tre atti?
Il tema principale è il malinteso, che riflette il doppio aspetto della società vittoriana.
I personaggi principali includono Jack Worthing, il protagonista e tutore di Cecily; Algernon, amico intimo di Jack; Lady Bracknell, cugina di Algernon; Cecily Cardew, erede ricca e pigra; Gwendolyn, cugina di Algernon; Miss Prism, governante di Cecily; e Dr. Chasuble, il prete innamorato di Miss Prism.
Nel primo atto, ambientato a Londra, Jack e Algernon usano identità inventate per sfuggire alla loro vita quotidiana. Nel secondo atto, ambientato in campagna, Cecily e Gwendolyn scoprono di essere fidanzate con lo stesso "Ernest". Nel terzo atto, si scopre che il vero nome di Jack è Ernest, portando a un lieto fine.
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