THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by OSCAR WILDE_ CHARACTER
PROFILES
1. COMPLETE THE CHARACTER PROFILES FOR EACH OF THE
CHARACTERS.
2. TRY TO GIVE MORE THAN ONE PIECE OF EVIDENCE FOR EACH
CHARACTER TRAIT.
3. INCLUDE THE PAGE NUMBER FOR REFERENCE.
4. DO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND YOUR TEACHER WILL DISCUSS
YOUR ANSWERS IN THE NEXT CLASS.
The profile on Algernon was completed in class last week.
ALGERNON MONCRIEFF
Character
Traits
He is funloving,
putting
pleasure
before duty
and
responsibility
Evidence (what the character says or what others say about him,
how he/she acts)
He invented Bunbury, a so-called invalid who lives in the country, so that
he can go to the country to carry out his own pursuits.
He trivializes
love and
marriage
He is
deceitful in
many ways.
He jokes ‘divorces are made in heaven’ (49) ‘two’s company, three’s a
crowd’ referring to marriage. (49)
He said: ‘My duty as a gentleman has never interfered with my pleasures
in the smallest degree.’ (99)
He thinks nothing of spending lavishly even if it meant he cannot afford
it. Lady Bracknell said ‘Algernon has nothing but his debts to depend
upon.’ (132)
He impersonated Ernest the ‘brother’ of Jack so that he can satisfy his
curiosity about Cecily. He played with Cecily’s affections. He knew
very well that Jack did not have a brother. (134)
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THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by OSCAR WILDE_ CHARACTER
PROFILES
JACK WORTHING (later named ERNEST MONCRIEFF )
Character
Traits
He is
deceitful.
He seeks
respectability
through
marriage
He usually
does what he
is told and
can be easily
manipulated.
He is
responsible.
Evidence (what the character says or what others say about him,
how he/she acts)
.
He is Jack in the country and Ernest in town His reason: as he is a
guardian he has ‘to adopt a very high moral tone on all subjects.’ And a
high moral tone does not do much for his health or happiness. So he
invented a younger brother Ernest who lives in town and gets into dread
scrapes, giving Jack an excuse to go to town as often as he likes. (54)
He is in love with Gwendolen and intends to marry her. (48)
He is willing to be christened as Ernest because Gwendolen wants to
marry a man named Ernest. (64)
Gwendolen, I must get christened at once – I mean, we must get married
at once
He is persuaded by Cecily to forgive Algy who has intruded into his
manor in the country. He agrees to shake hands with Algy because
otherwise Cecily said she would never forgive him. (97)

He is protective towards his ward Cecily, keeping Algy away
from her by not revealing his country address.

He appears to be serious to Cecily and Miss Prism refers to his
‘gravity of demeanour’ (82) so as to set a good example to his
ward.
He wants Algy to leave his manor as he regards him as an
undesirable influence on Cecily

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THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by OSCAR WILDE_ CHARACTER
PROFILES
LADY BRACKNELL
Character
Traits
She enjoys
wielding
power.
Evidence (what the character says or what others say about him,
how he/she acts)
She dominates her husband. When told that Algy cannot be present at
her dinner, she said it would put her table out and she would put Lord
Bracknell upstairs to dine alone, adding ‘fortunately, he is accustomed to
that.’ (60)
She commands everyone around her: Algernon, Jack, Gwendolen and
Miss Prism.
She sees
marriage as a
way to gain
property and
social status
In her interview with Jack, she enquires about his income and whether it
was in land or in investments. She asked about the number of rooms in
the country house and the address of his town house to make sure it was
in a upper class neighbourhood. (68)
She quickly found Cecily suitable for marriage to Algy when Jack told
her Cecily had a hundred and thirty thousand pounds in the Funds. (131)
She is
conservative
and proper
She finds French songs ‘improper’. (61)
Gwendolen would need her approval before getting married. (66)
GWENDOLEN FAIR FAX
Character
Traits
She has
initiative
Evidence (what the character says or what others say about him,
how he/she acts)
She visits Jack in his country house without letting her mother know.
She values
appearances,
correct
behavior and
upper-class
snobbery.
She declines sugar in her tea because it is ‘unfashionable’ and refuses
cake because the best houses do not serve cake. (114)
She must have the perfect proposal performed in the correct manner.
‘In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.’
(124)
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THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by OSCAR WILDE_ CHARACTER
PROFILES
Character
Traits
She is
persistent in
pursuing her
goals.
Evidence (what the character says or what others say about him,
how he/she acts)
Having decided to marry Jack, she was ready to accept his explanation
that he lied about his name so that he could visit her in town. (125)
CECILY CARDEW
Character
Evidence (what the character says or what others say about him,
Traits
how he/she acts)
She resists
She pays no attention to her lessons. She finds German an ‘unbecoming
seriousness.
language. (82)
Cecily suggests that Miss Prism has a headache and should take a walk
with Dr Chasuble, so that she can be free from taking lessons. (84)
She would not ‘care to catch a sensible man’ (90)
She values
having fun
and keeping
romantic
ideals.
She keeps a diary in which she imagined she was engaged to Ernest
before she had even met him. Having heard from Jack that his brother
Ernest was a wicked man, she was attracted to him and found the idea
romantic.
She is attracted to Algy because he is quixotic. (89)
She is
persistent in
pursuing her
goals.
She outwits Jack by arranging for Algy to stay.
She escapes Miss Prism in order to meet Algy.
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