The Importance of Being Earnest: Act 1, Part 2

The Importance of Being Earnest: Act 1, Part 2

Plot Summary

  • The second part of Act 1 sees Algernon discovering the truth about the fiction of ‘Ernest’; this is Jack’s invented brother who is supposedly living a disreputable life in town.
  • We learn that in reality, Jack has used ‘Ernest’ as a convenient excuse to leave his country home and adopt a second, freer lifestyle in London.
  • Algernon uses this discovery to intimidate Jack causing tensions to raise between them; threatening Jack’s secret lifestyle.
  • The Act ends as Algernon expresses interest in visiting Jack’s beautiful ward Cecily Cardew in the country, posing as the nonexistent brother ‘Ernest’.

Character Analysis

  • Algernon Moncrieff: Algernon’s curiosity and love for adventures is revealed as he manipulates the situation to meet Cecily.
  • Jack Worthing (Ernest): The discovery of Jack’s double life provides insight into his character, revealing his willingness to deceive and manipulate to maintain his lifestyle.
  • Cecily Cardew: While Cecily doesn’t appear in person, her attractive description piques Algernon’s interest, revealing her to be a pivotal character.

Themes

  • Deception and duplicity: The revelation of Jack’s double life and Algernon’s scheme to meet Cecily emphasise the theme of deception.
  • Freedom and constraint: Jack’s made-up brother Ernest represents his longing for freedom from societal constraints.
  • Class and social status: Jack’s double life, which involves him changing his identity depending on his location, illustrates how different behaviors are attributed to different social classes.

Language and Style

  • Wilde uses dramatic irony; the audience knows about Jack’s deception before Algernon does, increasing tension and humour.
  • Wilde’s continued use of epigrams and satire comments subtly on the absurdities and hypocrisies of the Victorian upper class.
  • The developing plot introduces comic misunderstanding, foreshadowing the comic situations to follow with Algernon’s intention to impersonate ‘Ernest’.
  • Wilde structures the scene to end on a cliffhanger, maintaining the audience’s interest in the complications to follow.