The Importance of Being Earnest

Summary

«The Importance of Being Earnest» is a comedic play by Oscar Wilde set in Victorian England. The main characters, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, lead double lives using fictitious names to escape social obligations. Jack, who lives in the countryside, pretends to be Ernest when he visits London to court Gwendolen Fairfax, Algernon's niece. Algernon, in turn, invents a fictional friend named Bunbury to avoid dull events. The situation becomes complicated when Algernon, under the name Ernest, visits Jack's country house and falls in love with his ward, Cecily. Soon, the deception is uncovered, and the characters find themselves in humorous situations as they try to explain their actions. In the end, it is revealed that Jack is actually Algernon's brother and his real name is Ernest, resolving all misunderstandings and allowing the characters to find happiness.