70 pages 2 hours read

Oscar Wilde

The Importance of Being Earnest

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1895

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Answer Key

Act 1

Reading Check

1. At Algernon’s London apartment in the “present day” (Act 1)

2. Gwendolen Bracknell (Act 1)

3. Lady Bracknell is his aunt, and Gwendolen is his cousin. (Act 1)

4. No (Act 1)

5. Pretending to have a relative or friend to use as an excuse to escape one’s social responsibilities (Act 1)

Short Answer

1. Lady Bracknell objects to the union of Jack and Gwendolen because of Jack’s uncertain parentage. Lady Bracknell is an aristocrat who values social status and wealth above all else, and she believes that a person’s worth is determined by their birth and family background. (Act 1)

2. Jack uses his own name in the country and the name Ernest in town to enable himself to lead a double life. Jack is a wealthy young man with a country estate and a young ward named Cecily, but he also leads a secret life in London as Ernest. By assuming the identity of Ernest, Jack can escape the responsibilities of his country estate and indulge in the pleasures of the city without risking his reputation. (

blurred text

blurred text

Related Titles

By Oscar Wilde

Study Guide

logo

An Ideal Husband

Oscar Wilde

An Ideal Husband

Oscar Wilde

Study Guide

logo

A Woman of No Importance

Oscar Wilde

A Woman of No Importance

Oscar Wilde

Study Guide

logo

De Profundis

Oscar Wilde

De Profundis

Oscar Wilde

Plot Summary

logo

Lady Windermere's Fan

Oscar Wilde

Lady Windermere's Fan

Oscar Wilde

Study Guide

logo

Lord Arthur Savile's Crime

Oscar Wilde

Lord Arthur Savile's Crime

Oscar Wilde

Study Guide

logo

The Ballad Of Reading Gaol

Oscar Wilde

The Ballad Of Reading Gaol

Oscar Wilde

Study Guide

logo

The Canterville Ghost

Oscar Wilde

The Canterville Ghost

Oscar Wilde

Study Guide

logo

The Decay of Lying

Oscar Wilde

The Decay of Lying

Oscar Wilde

Study Guide

logo

The Nightingale and the Rose

Oscar Wilde

The Nightingale and the Rose

Oscar Wilde

Study Guide

logo

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde

Study Guide

logo

The Selfish Giant

Oscar Wilde

The Selfish Giant

Oscar Wilde

Study Guide

logo

The Soul of Man Under Socialism

Oscar Wilde

The Soul of Man Under Socialism

Oscar Wilde