The plot in six lines
In London, Algernon discovers that Jack uses the name Ernest in town, while both friends invent imaginary people to escape their responsibilities.
Gwendolen accepts Jack's proposal because she wants to marry a man named Ernest, leaving him determined to change his name.
Lady Bracknell questions Jack about his family and forbids the marriage when he reveals that he was found in a handbag at Victoria Station.
Algernon visits Cecily pretending to be Ernest, and Jack returns announcing his imaginary brother's death, only to find his friend courting his ward.
Gwendolen and Cecily quarrel over their supposed engagement to the same man, then unite against Jack and Algernon when their deception emerges.
Miss Prism's connection to the handbag reveals Jack as Algernon's elder brother, whose father was named Ernest, and all three couples are happily united.
Themes
Appearance and reality: The lovers trust a name, while respectable manners conceal deceit and hostility, exposing the gap between outward style and substance.
Double lives: Jack and Algernon invent people to escape duty, but their inventions begin to control the lives they hoped to manage.
Marriage and money: Lady Bracknell judges Jack through wealth and ancestry, treating marriage as a social contract rather than a matter of character.
Imagined romance: Gwendolen's attachment to Ernest and Cecily's diary show how romantic expectations can replace knowledge of another person.
Seriousness and sincerity: Characters defend absurd ideas with complete gravity, questioning the assumption that a serious manner proves goodness or sincerity.
Characters
- Jack WorthingA serious country guardian who invents a wicked brother named Ernest to escape to London, and who wants to marry Gwendolen.
- Algernon MoncrieffJack's witty, idle friend in London, who invents an invalid named Bunbury and has a talent for mischief and sandwiches.
- Gwendolen FairfaxLady Bracknell's daughter, confident and fashionable, who is determined to marry a man named Ernest.
- Cecily CardewJack's young ward in the country, who has a vivid imagination and has written a whole romance in her diary.
- Lady BracknellAlgernon's formidable aunt, who judges suitors by wealth and family and guards her daughter's future.
- Miss PrismCecily's governess, a stern lover of moral lessons who has a quiet fondness for Canon Chasuble.
For the A level English Literature exams, summer 2027
- The summer 2027 A level exams run from 10 May to 22 June 2027.
- AQA (Literature B): Paper 1 (7717/1), Aspects of comedy (further texts), Thursday 13 May 2027, morning, 2 hours 30 minutes.
- Pearson Edexcel: Paper 1 (9ET0/01), Drama (other drama before 1900), Thursday 13 May 2027, morning, 2 hours 15 minutes.
A two-week plan
- Day oneRead the 15-minute summary of The Importance of Being Earnest from start to finish, then tell the story back to yourself in five sentences.
- Days two to threeTwo men invent a second self: Notice how the cigarette case exposes the difference between Jack's country responsibilities and his London identity.
- Day fourLove attaches itself to a name: Watch how Gwendolen's certainty about a name makes Jack the anxious partner in their courtship.
- Day fiveLady Bracknell examines a suitor: Notice which answers please Lady Bracknell and how ancestry becomes more important than character.
- Day sixBoth friends head to the country: Follow how Cecily's diary gives an imagined romance the authority of an established relationship.
- Day sevenA quarrel over tea and a name: Watch how polite language carries hostility before the women's rivalry becomes an alliance against the men.
- Day eightWhat the play is really laughing at: Notice how epigrams overturn accepted ideas and how the title links a name with sincerity.
- Day nineThe cast: Jack Worthing, Algernon Moncrieff, Gwendolen Fairfax, Cecily Cardew and Lady Bracknell. Write one line on what each of them wants.
- Day tenThemes: Appearance and reality; Double lives; Marriage and money; Imagined romance; Seriousness and sincerity. Pick one moment in the story for each.
- Day elevenForm: study how the play is built: its scenes, its speeches and its turning points.
- Day twelvePractice: plan and write an essay on one theme, then read your argument back and test it against the story.
- Day thirteenPractice: try a second question with a different focus, such as a character or the form.
- Day fourteenRecap: reread your notes and the summary, say the plot out loud once, then rest.
From the boards' published specifications and final summer 2027 timetables, read on 23 October 2026. Ask your school which board and papers you sit.
Fragen
What is The Importance of Being Earnest about?
The Importance of Being Earnest is about two friends whose invented identities complicate their courtships and expose the absurdities of respectable society. Its comedy questions the value placed on names, family connections and outward manners.
Who are the main characters in The Importance of Being Earnest?
The main characters are Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, their sweethearts Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew, and the formidable Lady Bracknell. Miss Prism and Canon Chasuble connect the country setting with moral lessons, courtship and the planned christenings.
What are the main themes of The Importance of Being Earnest?
The main themes are appearance and reality, double lives, marriage and money, imagined romance, and the contrast between seriousness and sincerity. Wilde develops them through false identities, romantic expectations and Lady Bracknell's judgments about suitable marriage.
Is The Importance of Being Earnest a set text for A level English Literature?
Yes. AQA (Literature B) lists it in Paper 1 (7717/1), Aspects of comedy (further texts). Pearson Edexcel lists it in Paper 1 (9ET0/01), Drama (other drama before 1900).
When are the A level English Literature exams in 2027?
The summer 2027 A level exams run from 10 May to 22 June 2027. AQA (Literature B): Paper 1 (7717/1), Thursday 13 May 2027, morning. Pearson Edexcel: Paper 1 (9ET0/01), Thursday 13 May 2027, morning.
