Main Characters in 'The Importance of Being Earnest'

Main Characters in "The Importance of Being Earnest"

• John (Jack/Ernest) Worthing JP

  • Protagonist leading a double life as Jack in Hertfordshire and Ernest in London.
  • Discovered as a baby in a handbag and adopted by an old man.
  • Guardian to Cecily Cardew and in love with Gwendolen Fairfax.
  • Justice of the Peace (JP), reflecting his respectable status.

• Algernon Moncrieff

  • Secondary hero and charming bachelor related to Lady Bracknell.
  • Close friend of Jack, known as Ernest in their friendship.
  • Witty, selfish, and skilled in delivering paradoxical statements.
  • Created a fictional friend named "Bunbury" to escape social obligations.

• Gwendolen Fairfax

  • Cousin to Algernon and daughter of Lady Bracknell, enamored with Jack (as Ernest).
  • Represents high fashion; authoritative on taste and morality.
  • Obsessed with the name Ernest, declaring she will only marry a man with that name.

• Cecily Cardew

  • Jack's ward and granddaughter of the man who adopted Jack.
  • Highly realistic character, fascinated with the name Ernest and the idea of wickedness.
  • Invents a romantic fantasy involving Jack's fictional brother, Ernest.

• Lady Bracknell

  • Snobbish and authoritarian matriarch, Algernon's aunt and Gwendolen's mother.
  • Prioritizes advantageous marriages for her daughter; maintains a list of eligible suitors.
  • Satirizes aristocratic hypocrisy with humorous yet unintentional quips.
  • Values ignorance, described as “a delicate exotic fruit.”

• Miss Prism

  • Governess to Cecily, known for pedantic sayings and clichés.
  • Critiques Jack's reputation while harboring romantic feelings for Dr. Chasuble.
  • Claims to have once written a novel, which she asserts was lost.

• Rev. Canon Chasuble, D.D.

  • The rector on Jack's estate, sought for baptism by Jack and Algernon.
  • Holds romantic feelings for Miss Prism and possesses extensive theological knowledge.

• Lane

  • Algernon’s manservant, privy to Algernon's "Bunburying" secret.
  • Only appears in Act I of the play.

• Merriman

  • Butler at Jack's estate who appears in Acts II and III.

Key Quotes

• Jack Worthing

  • "When one is in town one amuses oneself. When one is in the country one amuses other people."

• Lady Bracknell

  • "I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate, exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone."

• Algernon Moncrieff

  • (Quote incomplete, context suggests further humorous philosophical observations.)

Explore the main characters of Oscar Wilde's play 'The Importance of Being Earnest.' This quiz covers Jack Worthing, Algernon Moncrieff, Gwendolen Fairfax, and Cecily Cardew, focusing on their relationships and unique traits. Test your knowledge and understanding of these iconic characters.