In Oscar Wilde's classical satire, "The Importance of Being Earnest," every character embodies the ideas and values of this "earnest" age. Gwendolen. It was something neither woman . Cecily gives her tea with lumps of sugar & a slice of cake Cecily is described as "a sweet, simple, innocent girl." Gwendolen is depicted as "a brilliant, clever, thoroughly experienced lady." (These claims come from Jack and Algernon respectively). (I.161-165) The City Girl Gwendolen has been raised in the city and is polished and sophisticated. One who leads a double life. Gwendolen, in a similar fashion, says that Cecily's fianc is her cousin, Algernon Moncrieff. Asked by Alexander D #949524 on 11/9/2019 9:46 PM Last updated by Aslan on 11/10/2019 1:52 AM Answers 1 Add Yours. Cecily and Gwendolen retire into the house to fume at the boys. answer choices They are completely disgusted with one another. Cecily's governess is Ms. Prism. They are curiously similar in many ways, but as the writer's tools, they have their differences. This may be one occasion when the mask of manners, as Cecily calls it, very nearly slips. Regenia Gagnier in Idylls of the Marketplace: Oscar Wilde and the Victorian Public (1987) suggests that the characters in the play are 'mannequins' or puppets 'fixed in their masks' (p. 114). And Cecily responds in kind, by implying that beauties are common in the country and people are commonnot just numerous, we may be relatively sure, but also mundane and basein the . They value wisdom and refuse to admit that they were wrong. Do jack and gwendolen get married? Let us preserve a dignified silence. Gwendolen-Like her mother, embraces aristocracy and . Shrines are fascinating, especially when rarely opened. What happens when Cecily and Gwendolyn first meet each other? What do the major characters think about their world? Why does Algernon believe that the cigarette case does not belong to Jack. Cecily. Cecily gives Gwendolen the opposite of what she asks for. Gwendolen is from the city and Cecily was brought up in the country. Diaries. Wilde seems to suggest that had women given up their emotional pretences, they would be as hard-hearted as Gwendolen and . To Gwendolen, appearance is more "vital" than truth. Cecily actually believes that the garden is haunted. Gwendolen also thinks she's engaged to someone called Ernest. Secondly, by referring to Jack as ''Ernest,'' Gwendolen. My father is Lord Bracknell'. 6. Both women are: Intent on marrying a man named Ernest. Gwendolyn is the daughter of Lord and Lady Bracknell. Receptiveness is a rare and massive power, like fortitude. Cecily. Gwendolen - in love with Jack just because she thinks his name is Earnest, has a shallow view of love Cecily - a girl in Jack's custody, wants to marry Algernon because she thinks his name is Earnest, has a shallow view of love Chasuble - represents the hypocrisy of Church COMEDY OF MANNERS She comes to the country to pursue her Ernest, thinking she will rescue him. They get along with each other and call each other sister immediately. Cecily reveals that the man Gwendolen is engaged to is really her guardian, Jack Worthing. They claim to be the bestest of friends the second they meet. Cecily and Gwendolen forgive the boys once they learn why they lied. Cecily and Gwendolen are on the verge of forgiving Algernon and Jack when they remember that . When Gwendolen and Cecily first meet in Act 2, Gwendolen introduces herself to Cecily, but Gwendolen does not actually tell Cecily about her own identity but instead her father's, saying 'this might be a favorable opportunity for my mentioning who I am. What is clear about Gwendolen's and Cecily's objectives? E. M. Forster. They value honesty and are angry that the men have lied to them. Cecily reveals that the man Gwendolen is engaged to is really her guardian, Jack Worthing. Gwendolen Fairfax is a big-city, sophisticated woman in sharp contrast to Cecily Cardew. Question 4. Gwendolen must have the perfect proposal performed in the correct manner and must marry a man named Ernest simply because of the name's connotations. The Importance of Being Earnest Act II Seminar Questions 1. Both women provide the main source of conflict in this romantic comedy; they are the objects of affection. Do They value romance and are willing to make excuses for the men they love. For one, the man Gwendolen describes as the ''soul of truth'' and incapable of deception has deceived her about his very identity. In this act, Gwendolen and Cecily share a tense team and Jack and Algernon argue about their transgressions while eating muffins. She immediately starts flirting with Ernest Worthing, Algernon's friend, who wants to marry her. Why do Gwendolen and Cecily forgive Algernon and Jack? Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew are the two female leads in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. Their shared desire to marry someone named Ernest demonstrates that their romantic dreams hinge upon titles, not character. Gwendolen, in a similar fashion, says that Cecily's fianc is her cousin, Algernon Moncrieff. Also sincere means honest, so the title underlines the importance of being honest, what Jack and Algy are not. Gwendolen says that his name is Algernon. The full title of the play is The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People. What do Cecily and Gwendolen argue about? Q. View The Importance of Being Earnest.docx from AA 11)when jack and Algernon argue while eating muffins Even though Ernest does not exist, Gwendolen and Cecily are both engaged to him. What is the significance of eating as seen in this Act? They both believed that the name Ernest must mean the man himself is an honest and noble man. That character is Miss Prism, the governess. We argue that virtue ethics can be used to eliminate the issue of self-effacement. Algernon and Cecily are engaged. She lives in London, and her style of dress and language are . But Cecily thinks his name is Ernest and so Algernon has rushed off to change his name. Cecily and Gwendolen learn the truth from the boysthat there is no Ernest. Why do Gwendolen and Cecily want to marry an Ernest? . 120 seconds. Both women are smart, persistent and in pursuit of goals in which they take the initiative. Both Gwendolen and Cecily want to marry a man named Ernest, so it important that Jack and Algernon be called Ernest. Gwendolen and Cecily are interested in their mates, it appears, only because they have disreputable backgrounds (Gwendolen is pleased to learn that Jack was an orphan; Cecily is excited by Algernon's "wicked" reputation). the belief that engagements and marriages should follow social rules." This is the Victorian social code that is reflected in Lady Bracknell's disapproval of the number of engagements. It was something neither woman . At first impression, Jack seems to be a true gentleman. Gwendolen must have the perfect proposal performed in the correct manner and must marry a man named Ernest simply because of the name's connotations. Gwendolen is Jack refuses to give his consent to Cecily's marriage to Algernon until Lady Bracknell grants her consent to his union with Gwendolen, but Lady Bracknell refuses. Gwendolen must have the perfect proposal performed in the correct manner and must marry a man named Ernest simply because of the name's connotations. Once they discover this, they are at each other's throats. Sort of symbolizes eating under stress and or pressure. A message comes from Lady Bracknell asking about Bunbury. This changes after they discover the confusion with the mix up of Algernon, Jack, and how they're not really named Earnest. . They believe they are engaged to the same person and get into an argument over tea. They value commitment and are willing to marry anyone who will marry them. Gwendolen knows what she wants. Dr. Chasuble and Miss Prism tell Jack that his brother is waiting for him in the house. However, they do not tell anything that is out of good manners the food allows them to insult each other. What does she ask for & what is she given? Once the two women discover that they have been deceived, they unite and turn against the men. In what ways are Cecily and Algernon similar? ' Taking Virtues Seriously,' by William Ransome, is a book published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2009. . What do you learn about Gwendolen and Cecily from this excerpt? Last Update: May 30, 2022. . Some critics have suggested that Cecily is the most realistic of all characters, in part because she does not speak in epigrams as frequently as the others. What type of irony is incorporated when Cecily and Gwendolen argue about who has claim to earnest? In what light do the women cast being christened? . Both Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew provide Wilde with opportunities to discuss ideas and tout the New Woman near the turn of the century. Cecily writes about her fictional engagement to " Ernest" in her diary, showing it to be a conflation of fantasy and fiction, rather than a record of fact. What major disagreement do Gwendolen and Cecily have in act 2? Her self-interest will lead her to misread . How do Gwendolen and Cecily attempt to prove who is engaged to Ernest? Why do Gwendolen and Cecily argue over who is to marry Ernest? At first, Gwendolen and Cecily are angry to learn that they have been lied to, but they are anxious to forgive the men they love. ALSO earnest means honest, so the title stresses the importance of . 3. Check the book. The sense of Gwendolen's metaphor is quite certain: no flowers in the country means no beauties in the country, implying that Cecily isn't much to look at. This proves that they're relationship is not as strong or true as they claim it to be. View Notes - IBE+Act+2+Seminar+Questions from ENGLISH 10 at Zionsville Community High Sch. Gwendolen and Cecily's food fight not only pivots on romantic jealousies, but also exposes class biases. Cecily and Gwendolen take after one another immediately. After a rather humorous moment when both girls believe they are engaged to the same man named Ernest, Gwendolen and Cecily bond through their strength to stand against the men who have lied to. This dignified silence seems to produce an unpleasant effect. 2 That's very forward of them. Jack confesses he has no brother Ernest, nor any brother at all. Meanwhile, Gwendolen has arrived and is about to meet Cecily for the first time. Gwendolen and Cecily are hopelessly in love, at least by Victorian standards, with their male counterparts. Gwendolen asks for tea with no sugar + bread and butter. When they get into an argument, their opinions about each other arise. Cecily also craves appearance and style. (When I started at SNL, you could still smoke in an office building. The creation of a fictional person so you may use them as an excuse anytime you'd like. Cecily and Gwendolen are on the verge of forgiving Algernon and Jack when they remember that neither of them is any longer engaged to a man called Ernest. There must not have been many good, trustworthy men in those days, so to actually find someone with such an honorable name was something of a dream to them. Active Themes Quotes Literary Devices Dramatic Irony Foreshadowing Irony She enjoys this advantage over Cecily, whom she considers a country bumpkin. 2 pages, 538 words The Essay on Jack London They console one another over their fiance's deception.. Oscar Wilde wrote one of the most successful plays of all time in The Importance of Being Earnest. Gwendolen and Cecily are brought up in different social societies. On the surface, she is strict and stern, like most . What is the misunderstanding between Cecily and Gwendolen? Cecily also craves appearance and style. What major disagreement do Gwendolen and Cecily have? As Gwendolen goes into shock, Algernon enters, and Cecily calls him Ernest. When Algernon questions Jack as to Gwendolen's perspective on his "excessively pretty ward," Cecily, Jack remarks airily, "Cecily and Gwendolen are perfectly certain to be extremely good friends. The women are determined to be engagedGwendolen to Jack and Cecily to Algernonand each is willing to believe whatever she must in order to achieve her goal. We had so much fun! Algernon- finds social customs tedious and the prospect of marriage dull Jack- Embraces the best of high class living and wants to pursue Gwendolen and marry her. Gwendolen says, ''Their explanations appear to be quite. They're approaching. They both believed that the name Ernest must mean the man himself is an honest and noble man. Oscar Wilde's primary character in "The Importance of Being Earnest," Jack, spouts hypocrisy when his mouth is open, and sometimes when it is closed. Certainly. Cecily Hello, my name is Cecily Cardew. I Tina Fey. I'll bet you anything you like that half an hour after they have met, they will be calling each other sister." Gwendolen serves notice of her ambitious approach to life as a social climber. Like her mother, Gwendolen is determined. Why do Gwendolen and Cecily argue over who is to marry Ernest? Jack and Algernon deceive both Gwendolen and Cecily. Gwendolen has ideas of her own. Gwendolen, being a sophisticated urbanite, finds Cecily's country manners to be uncouth, while Cecily finds Gwendolen's snobbishness to be evidence of the city's vulgarity. Why do Gwendolen and Cecily want to marry an Ernest? Gwendolen also travels with a diary, in which she records her engagement to "Ernest," a fictional character, rather than a real man. She has good manners but when compared to Gwendolen the conclusion can be that she has a bit of the wild side. Thus, the language of food overcomes the strong behavior patterns forbidding the untactful words and actions . She lives at the country and she is not that obsessed with appearance. Similar to Gwendolen, Miss Cecily has a "girlish dream" of marrying a man named Ernest. Both Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew are exaggerated portraits of the whimsical and unpredictable women of the Victorian high society. I hope you enjoy it! 4. They whistle some dreadful popular air from a British Opera.] This is an "on-book" scene I performed from The Importance of Being Ernest with my cousin. From Little Cecily with fondest love to her dear Uncle Jack. What is the most important characteristic in a man for both Gwendolen and Cecily? They resemble the intelligent but passionless heroines of the comedy of manners. Cecily is shocked, and she and Gwendolen hold each other and make up. Besides, in the Act III the food occupies a place of weapon and social differentiator when Gwendolen and Cecily argue over the tea. Gwendolen. When Algernon shows up at Jack's house he pretends to be Jack's brother Ernest. The use of forenames was eschewed in polite society - it was the family name that . !Gwendolen -- Eliza Ericks. Humorously, Gwendoleen and Cecily at the window, looking out into the garden see their action of eating muffins as a demonstartion of repentance and shame for what they have said and done which indeed these men do not feel at all. Gwendolen Fairfax makes her entrance by following her mother, Lady Bracknell, into her cousin Algernon's apartment. Wilde told Robert Ross that its theme was the idea: That we should treat all trivial things in life very seriously, and all serious things of life with . 5. Who is Cecily's governess? Their impressions of each lifestyle are entirely different and biased, since most of what they know has been told to them. I might not be young.) [Enter Jack followed by Algernon. What is the misunderstanding between Cecily and Gwendolen? Gwendolen and Cecily compare ____ to show proof of their engagement to Ernest. Lady Bracknell- Loves all the pomp and circumstance of aristocracy and wants to marry her daughter for status sake not love. Jack's ward is Cecily. Gwendolen And Cecily Quotes. Cecily tells him that Ernest is waiting for him in the house. Once the two women discover that they have been deceived, they unite and turn against the men. Question 5 Whom does Algernon pretend to be when he shows up at Jack's house? Cecily uses Gwendolen's responses to outright insult her by forcing her to be 'unfashionable'. On what railway line was Jack found as a baby? Cecily and Algernon hug joyously, knowing they can finally get . These very qualities attracted Algernon to her and made her curious to meet her. Cecily Cardew, also a beautiful, young lady who is a guardian of Jack is a contrast to Gwendolen. Cecily is pronounced a worthy fiance for Algernon by Lady Bracknell. The women retire to the house. There are a number of hilarious town vs. country barbs in their tea scene, the least veiled of which happens here: Answered by Aslan on 11/10/2019 1:52 AM Gwendolen What a sweet name! Cecily. It's the only thing to do now. The . Cecily also craves appearance and style. 4. Because his name is Earnest What is a Bunburyist, and how was that label created? They both see him in "opposite" ways, yet to both of them is a great fascination. There must not have been many good, trustworthy men in those days, so to actually find someone with such an honorable name was something of a dream to them. She asks if he is married to Gwendolen; he denies it. Context. "Gwendolen and Cecily are not so much opposites as complements" comes from the fact that both of them are fooled yet intrigued by the character of Earnest. Both Gwendolen and Cecily want to marry a man called Ernest, so it is important for Jack and Algernon to be named Ernest.