Oscar Wilde

Study question Oscar Wilde

The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest MCQs

Facts about Oscar Wilde

➾ His full name was Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde.

➾ He was imprisoned for two years with hard labor for homosexuality in 1895.

➾ His conviction for homosexual offenses effectively ended his acclaimed career.

➾ After prison, he wrote only one major work: “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.”

➾ His play Salomé, written in French, was banned in England for depicting Biblical characters.

➾ His popular American lecture tour was a publicity stunt for an opera that mocked his own Aesthetic Movement.

➾ On his American tour, he wore a velvet jacket and knee-breeches specifically for American audiences.

➾ He called Walter Pater’s The Renaissance his “golden book” for its strange influence on his life.

➾ He famously advised one should “either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.”

➾ He described his dangerous social life as being “like feasting with panthers.”

➾ He believed in treating trivial things seriously and serious things with “studied triviality.”

Oscar Wilde MCQs

1. Where was Oscar Wilde born?

A. London, England
B. Dublin, Ireland
C. Paris, France
D. New York, USA

B. Dublin, Ireland
He was born in Dublin to accomplished, intellectual parents. His father was a renowned surgeon and his mother a successful writer. This environment shaped his future.

2. In what year was Oscar Wilde born?

A. 1845
B. 1874
C. 1854
D. 1864

C. 1854
Born on October 16, 1854, he became one of the most prominent figures of the late Victorian era. A true icon.

3. At which Oxford college did Oscar Wilde win the Newdigate Prize?

A. Trinity College
B. Magdalen College
C. Christ Church
D. Exeter College

B. Magdalen College
His time at Oxford was formative. He excelled academically and began to cultivate the flamboyant public persona that would define him. Winning this prize was a major early achievement.

4. For which poem did Oscar Wilde win the Newdigate Prize?

A. Salomé
B. The Happy Prince
C. The Ballad of Reading Gaol
D. Ravenna

D. Ravenna
This prize-winning poem, written in 1878, demonstrated his early poetic talent and classical education. It was a sign of the literary brilliance to come.

5. Oscar Wilde was an early leader of which artistic movement?

A. Naturalism
B. Romanticism
C. Aesthetic Movement
D. Symbolism

C. Aesthetic Movement
Wilde became the most famous spokesperson for Aestheticism. He championed beauty and art above all else. His wit and style made him the face of the movement.

6. What core concept did the “Aesthetic Movement” advance?

A. Art for Art’s Sake
B. Art for Nature’s Sake
C. Art for Society’s Sake
D. Art for Morality’s Sake

A. Art for Art’s Sake
This philosophy argues that art should be judged on its own beautiful terms, not for any moral or social purpose. It was a radical idea in the moralistic Victorian era.

7. What was the title of Oscar Wilde’s first volume of fairy tales?

A. The House of Pomegranates
B. The Happy Prince and Other Tales
C. The Nightingale and the Rose
D. A Woman of No Importance

B. The Happy Prince and Other Tales
Published in 1888, these tales are beautiful, poignant, and often tragic. They showed a more sensitive and compassionate side to Wilde’s writing.

8. What is the title of Oscar Wilde’s only novel?

A. The Canterville Ghost
B. Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime
C. The Portrait of Mr. W. H.
D. The Picture of Dorian Gray

D. The Picture of Dorian Gray
This controversial and brilliant novel explores themes of aestheticism, morality, and duplicity. It became a key piece of evidence used against him in his trials.

9. Which of Oscar Wilde’s plays first brought him wide public fame?

A. A Woman of No Importance
B. Salomé
C. The Importance of Being Earnest
D. Lady Windermere’s Fan

D. Lady Windermere’s Fan
Premiering in 1892, this “Play about a Good Woman” was a huge success. It established Wilde as a major force in London theatre with its dazzling wit and social commentary.

10. Which play confirmed Wilde’s stature as a dramatist?

A. The Duchess of Padua
B. The Importance of Being Earnest
C. Vera; or The Nihilists
D. An Ideal Husband

B. The Importance of Being Earnest
This play, first performed in 1895, is widely considered his masterpiece. It’s a flawless “trivial comedy for serious people” and a pinnacle of English stage comedy.

11. In what year did Oscar Wilde sue the Marquis of Queensbury for libel?

A. 1895
B. 1893
C. 1894
D. 1892

A. 1895
This disastrous decision marked the beginning of his downfall. The libel case collapsed, leading directly to his own arrest and prosecution.

12. What was Oscar Wilde’s prison sentence?

A. A heavy fine and community service
B. Two years imprisonment with hard labour
C. One year imprisonment without hard labour
D. Six months imprisonment with hard labour

B. Two years imprisonment with hard labour
Convicted of “gross indecency,” he was given the maximum sentence. The brutal conditions of his imprisonment broke his health and spirit.

13. Where did Oscar Wilde settle after his release from prison?

A. The Continent
B. Dublin
C. London
D. New York

A. The Continent
Bankrupt and disgraced, he left England immediately upon his release in 1897. He would never return. He spent his final years in exile, primarily in France.

14. What is the title of the powerful poem Wilde wrote after prison?

A. The Ballad of Reading Gaol
B. The Sphinx
C. Hélas
D. Ravenna

A. The Ballad of Reading Gaol
This moving poem, his last major work, is a stark departure from his earlier style. It’s a powerful indictment of the cruelty of the prison system.

15. In what city did Oscar Wilde die?

A. Dublin
B. Paris
C. London
D. New York

B. Paris
He died in poverty in a Parisian hotel in 1900 at the age of 46. A tragic end for one of the brightest stars of his generation.

16. What was Lord Alfred Douglas’s nickname?

A. Alfie
B. Dodger
C. Sonny
D. Bosie

D. Bosie
“Bosie” was the young, handsome poet whose tumultuous relationship with Wilde and whose father, the Marquess of Queensberry, led to Wilde’s downfall.

17. Which sonnet is said to have “encapsulated his entire career”?

A. The Sphinx
B. Requiescat
C. Hélas
D. Impression du Matin

C. Hélas
The opening line, “To drift with every passion till my soul / Is a stringed lute on which all winds can play,” captures the core tension of his aesthetic philosophy.

18. What was the title of Wilde’s first significant book of poetry?

A. The Happy Prince and Other Tales
B. The Picture of Dorian Gray
C. Poems
D. The House of Pomegranates

C. Poems
Published at his own expense in 1881, this collection showcased his poetic influences and established his presence on the literary scene.

19. Which book by Walter Pater had a “strange influence” over Wilde’s life?

A. Appreciations
B. Studies in the History of the Renaissance
C. Marius the Epicurean
D. Plato and Platonism

B. Studies in the History of the Renaissance
Wilde called this his “golden book.” Its conclusion, urging one “to burn always with this hard, gemlike flame,” became a central tenet of his aesthetic philosophy.

20. In what language did Wilde primarily write “Salomé”?

A. Italian
B. English
C. German
D. French

D. French
He wrote it in French partly as a tribute to the French Symbolist writers he admired and partly to secure a performance by the great French actress Sarah Bernhardt.

21. Which play did Wilde complete just before “Salomé”?

A. Lady Windermere’s Fan
B. The Importance of Being Earnest
C. A Woman of No Importance
D. An Ideal Husband

A. Lady Windermere’s Fan
Wilde’s creative output in the early 1890s was astonishing. He moved seamlessly from the sparkling social comedy of *Lady Windermere’s Fan* to the exotic tragedy of *Salomé*.

22. Which famous actress wanted to play the lead role in “Salomé”?

A. Sarah Bernhardt
B. Eleonora Duse
C. Ellen Terry
D. Mrs. Patrick Campbell

A. Sarah Bernhardt
The legendary Sarah Bernhardt was set to star in the play’s premiere, which would have been a massive artistic triumph for Wilde.

23. Why was “Salomé” refused a license for public production in England?

A. It violated the ban on portraying Biblical characters.
B. Its unconventional dramatic structure.
C. Its controversial themes of love and desire.
D. Its perceived immoral content.

A. It violated the ban on portraying Biblical characters.
An old law forbade the depiction of characters from the Bible on the English stage. This censorship was a bitter blow to Wilde.

24. Who created the famous illustrations for the English translation of “Salomé”?

A. Gustave Moreau
B. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
C. Aubrey Beardsley
D. Odilon Redon

C. Aubrey Beardsley
Beardsley’s striking and controversial black-and-white illustrations are now inseparable from the play itself. They are iconic images of the Art Nouveau style.

25. What shocking episode did Wilde add to the biblical story in “Salomé”?

A. Salome kills Herod.
B. Salome seduces John the Baptist.
C. Salome kisses the decapitated head of Jokanaan.
D. Herodias kisses John the Baptist’s head.

C. Salome kisses the decapitated head of Jokanaan.
This climactic act of necrophilia was Wilde’s most scandalous addition to the story. It horrified audiences and cemented the play’s decadent reputation.

26. In which essay does Wilde suggest an artist is scarcely subject to ethical judgments?

A. The Decay of Lying
B. The Critic as Artist
C. The Soul of Man Under Socialism
D. Pen, Pencil and Poison

D. Pen, Pencil and Poison
In this essay about a forger and poisoner who was also an artist, Wilde playfully argues for the separation of art from conventional morality.

27. In “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” crime is to the lower classes what art is to the upper classes: a method of procuring what?

A. Sensations
B. Wealth
C. Power
D. Knowledge

A. Sensations
This line from the novel highlights the decadent pursuit of new experiences, whether through aesthetic beauty or sordid crime. It’s all about feeling something new.

28. In “The Critic as Artist,” what did Wilde say about psychology in fiction?

A. It is too morbid.
B. It has never been morbid enough.
C. It has explored the soul deeply.
D. It should avoid the secrets of the soul.

B. It has never been morbid enough.
Wilde championed the exploration of the darker, more complex aspects of the human psyche, pushing against the superficiality of much Victorian literature.

29. What did W. B. Yeats say Oscar Wilde called Pater’s “The Renaissance”?

A. His guiding light
B. His golden book
C. His philosophical guide
D. His artistic bible

B. His golden book
This term shows the immense value and reverence Wilde held for Pater’s work, which served as a foundational text for his own aesthetic ideals.

30. In which essay did Wilde say, “we cannot get behind the appearance of things to reality”?

A. The Critic as Artist
B. The Decay of Lying
C. Pen, Pencil and Poison
D. The Soul of Man Under Socialism

B. The Decay of Lying
This famous essay argues that art does not imitate life, but rather life imitates art. It celebrates the beautiful lie over dull reality.

31. What is a key characteristic of the “Biblical” style Wilde uses in “Salomé”?

A. Complex sentence structures
B. Repetitions, lack of subordination, and unusual metaphors
C. Absence of metaphor
D. Simple, direct prose

B. Repetitions, lack of subordination, and unusual metaphors
Wilde creates a hypnotic, incantatory effect through this stylized language, making the play feel like a strange, decadent ritual.

32. Which of Pater’s ideas did Wilde feel moved drama towards music?

A. “To burn with a hard, gemlike flame.”
B. “All the arts aspire to the condition of music.”
C. “Not the fruit of experience, but experience itself, is the end.”
D. “The highest quality to your moments as they pass.”

B. “All the arts aspire to the condition of music.”
Wilde applied this idea to drama, focusing on rhythm, repetition, and mood over realistic plot, as seen in the lyrical, almost operatic, style of *Salomé*.

33. What was Maurice Denis’s famous statement on the essence of a picture?

A. It must tell a compelling story.
B. It is essentially a plane surface covered with colors in a certain order.
C. It should imitate nature as closely as possible.
D. It serves to capture a moment in time.

B. It is essentially a plane surface covered with colors in a certain order.
This idea, central to modern art, parallels Wilde’s focus on form over content. It’s not what a work of art represents, but what it *is*.

34. How is Herodias characterized in “Salomé”?

A. She is the most vulgar person in the play.
B. She has a complex and mysterious personality.
C. She is the most empathetic character.
D. She represents the intellectual elite.

A. She is the most vulgar person in the play.
Herodias represents a kind of cynical, pragmatic materialism that stands in stark contrast to the obsessive passions of Herod and Salomé.

35. What was the title of Oscar Wilde’s first play?

A. The Duchess of Padua
B. Lady Windermere’s Fan
C. Vera; or The Nihilists
D. An Ideal Husband

C. Vera; or The Nihilists
Written in 1880, this early melodrama about Russian revolutionaries was not a commercial success but showed his early interest in dramatic writing.

36. Which of Wilde’s plays was written in the tradition of revenge tragedy?

A. The Duchess of Padua
B. Salomé
C. Vera; or The Nihilists
D. A Woman of No Importance

A. The Duchess of Padua
This play, written in blank verse, was an attempt by Wilde to create a grand, historical tragedy in the style of Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

37. Who originated the idea for Oscar Wilde’s American lecture tour?

A. George Alexander
B. Sylvan Barnet
C. Richard D’Oyly Carte
D. Aubrey Beardsley

C. Richard D’Oyly Carte
The theatrical impresario D’Oyly Carte saw a brilliant marketing opportunity in sending the flamboyant Wilde to America.

38. What was the original purpose of Wilde’s American tour?

A. To promote Wilde’s new novel.
B. To promote Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Patience”.
C. To challenge American literary tastes.
D. To introduce the Aesthetic Movement to America.

B. To promote Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Patience”.
The comic opera *Patience* satirized the Aesthetic Movement. D’Oyly Carte sent Wilde, the real-life embodiment of the movement, to explain it to American audiences.

39. Which of the following is one of the four witty plays Wilde produced between 1892 and 1895?

A. Salomé
B. The Duchess of Padua
C. An Ideal Husband
D. Vera; or The Nihilists

C. An Ideal Husband
This play, along with *Lady Windermere’s Fan*, *A Woman of No Importance*, and *The Importance of Being Earnest*, cemented his reputation as the master of the modern comedy of manners.

40. Who suggested that Wilde write a modern comedy?

A. Lord Alfred Douglas
B. Richard D’Oyly Carte
C. Pierre Louys
D. George Alexander

D. George Alexander
The actor-manager of the St. James’s Theatre, George Alexander, encouraged Wilde to write *Lady Windermere’s Fan*, a decision that proved incredibly successful for both men.

41. Lord Darlington defines a cynic as “a man who knows the price of everything and…”.

A. …the cost of nothing.
B. …the value of something.
C. …the value of nothing.
D. …the worth of all.

C. …the value of nothing.
This is one of Wilde’s most enduring epigrams, delivered in *Lady Windermere’s Fan*. It’s a perfect example of his ability to craft memorable, witty definitions.

42. Baudelaire described Dandyism as “the last burst of heroism” in a time of what?

A. Renaissance
B. Revolution
C. Enlightenment
D. Decadence

D. Decadence
Wilde embodied this idea of the Dandy. In an age of conformity, the Dandy’s heroic act was to cultivate a unique and beautiful personality.

43. What did Oscar Wilde famously state was “the first duty in life”?

A. To be honest.
B. To seek beauty.
C. To be as artificial as possible.
D. To love one another.

C. To be as artificial as possible.
This provocative statement rejects the Victorian emphasis on nature and sincerity. For Wilde, artifice, style, and the curated self were paramount.

44. What is the title of Oscar Wilde’s only sustained political essay?

A. The Decay of Lying
B. Pen, Pencil and Poison
C. The Critic as Artist
D. The Soul of Man Under Socialism

D. The Soul of Man Under Socialism
In this essay, Wilde argues for a form of libertarian socialism where individualism and art can flourish, freed from the burdens of property and poverty.

45. What was a criticism from “Punch” regarding Oscar Wilde’s early “Poems”?

A. The poems were too controversial.
B. The language was excessively simple.
C. “The poet is Wilde, but his poetry’s tame”.
D. It contained too many obscure references.

C. “The poet is Wilde, but his poetry’s tame”.
This clever pun from the satirical magazine *Punch* suggested that while the poet himself was wild and shocking, his actual poetry was surprisingly conventional.

46. What shocking action did Wilde add to the traditional story of Salome?

A. Salome demanded John the Baptist’s release.
B. Salome attempted to murder Herodias.
C. Salome kissed the decapitated head of Jokanaan.
D. Salome committed suicidé after John’s death.

C. Salome kissed the decapitated head of Jokanaan.
This climactic moment of perverse desire is Wilde’s most famous and shocking contribution to the Salome legend, defining the play’s decadent tone.

47. How did Oscar Wilde describe the style of J. K. Huysmans’s “A Rebours”?

A. Vivid imagery and stark realism.
B. Concise sentences and direct statements.
C. Flowery prose and moralistic undertones.
D. Elaborate paraphrases” and “subtle monotony.

D. Elaborate paraphrases” and “subtle monotony.
*A Rebours* is the infamous “poisonous yellow book” that corrupts Dorian Gray. Wilde’s description captures its ornate, obsessive, and decadent prose style.

48. In “De Profundis,” how did Wilde characterize his artistic achievement in “Salomé”?

A. As a purely objective dramatic work.
B. As a groundbreaking piece of social criticism.
C. As “making beautiful colored musical things”.
D. As an imitation of nature and reality.

C. As “making beautiful colored musical things”.
Writing from prison, Wilde reflected on *Salomé* not as a drama of character but as a pure work of art, focusing on its lyrical patterns, colours, and musicality.

49. Besides art, what other subject did Oscar Wilde lecture on during his American tour?

A. American political history.
B. The future of industrial technology.
C. Dress reform.
D. International culinary traditions.

C. Dress reform.
As part of his aesthetic mission, Wilde advocated for more beautiful and rational clothing, criticizing the restrictive and ugly fashions of the Victorian era.

50. Which biblical quote is alluded to in Wilde’s sonnet “Hélas”?

A. John 3:16
B. Matthew 5:3
C. 1 Samuel 14:27
D. Psalm 23:1

C. 1 Samuel 14:27
The line “I did but taste a little honey of my life” alludes to Jonathan’s story, reflecting Wilde’s own sense of having paid a great price for a moment of pleasure.

The Importance of Being Earnest MCQs

1. What is the subtitle of The Importance of Being Earnest?

A. A Melodrama of Manners
B. A Serious Drama for Trivial People
C. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People
D. A Modern Farce

C. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People
This subtitle perfectly captures the play’s satirical tone. It mocks the solemnity of Victorian society. It’s a key to understanding Wilde’s wit.

2. Who is the author of The Importance of Being Earnest?

A. Samuel Beckett
B. Oscar Wilde
C. Lord Byron
D. George Bernard Shaw

B. Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. His works are celebrated for their sharp wit and social commentary. This play is his masterpiece.

3. Which of the following characters is a Justice of the Peace (J.P.)?

A. Algernon Moncrieff
B. Reverend Canon Chasuble
C. John Worthing
D. Lord Bracknell

C. John Worthing
This position lends Jack an air of respectability in the country. It’s a stark contrast to his behavior in the city. A total paradox.

4. Who is Lady Bracknell’s nephew?

A. John Worthing
B. Algernon Moncrieff
C. Mr. Cecil Graham
D. Mr. Hopper

B. Algernon Moncrieff
This relationship is central. It connects the main characters. Algernon is also Gwendolen’s cousin.

5. Who is Cecily Cardew’s governess?

A. Lady Bracknell
B. Gwendolen Fairfax
C. Miss Prism
D. Mrs. Erlynne

C. Miss Prism
Miss Prism is not just a governess. She holds the key to the play’s central mystery. Her past is surprisingly important.

6. Where does Act I of the play take place?

A. The Garden at the Manor House
B. Algernon Moncrieff’s Flat in Half-Moon Street, W.
C. Drawing-Room of the Manor House
D. Lord Darlington’s rooms

B. Algernon Moncrieff’s Flat in Half-Moon Street, W.
The stylish London flat establishes the world of the idle upper class. It’s a place for witty banter and cucumber sandwiches.

7. Where does Act II of the play take place?

A. Algernon Moncrieff’s Flat
B. Drawing-Room of the Manor House
C. The Garden at the Manor House, Woolton
D. Morning-room in Lord Windermere’s House

C. The Garden at the Manor House, Woolton
The shift to the countryside provides a seemingly idyllic setting. Of course, chaos ensues. It’s the perfect backdrop for romantic complications.

8. Where does Act III of the play take place?

A. Algernon Moncrieff’s Flat
B. The Garden at the Manor House
C. Drawing-Room of the Manor House, Woolton
D. Lord Darlington’s rooms

C. Drawing-Room of the Manor House, Woolton
The final act brings all characters together in one room. This allows for the rapid-fire revelations and the play’s hilarious conclusion.

9. The play is set in what time period?

A. The Victorian Era
B. The Edwardian Era
C. The Present
D. The 1920s

A. The Victorian Era
The play satirizes the strict social conventions and moral hypocrisy of late Victorian England. It’s a perfect target.

10. What food item does Algernon order specially for Aunt Augusta, but eats himself?

A. Tea-cake
B. Bread and butter
C. Cucumber sandwiches
D. Muffins

C. Cucumber sandwiches
This is the first major example of Algernon’s gluttony and disregard for social rules. He simply can’t resist.

11. Jack Worthing comes to town to do what?

A. Conduct business
B. Escape his country life
C. Propose to Gwendolen
D. Visit his ailing friend, Bunbury

C. Propose to Gwendolen
His romantic intention sets the entire plot in motion. Everything spirals from this one simple goal.

12. What object does Jack accidentally leave at Algernon’s flat?

A. His watch
B. His diary
C. His umbrella
D. His cigarette case

D. His cigarette case
A simple, forgotten object. Yet, it becomes the first piece of evidence unraveling Jack’s double life. A classic comedic device.

13. What inscription is found inside the cigarette case?

A. “To dearest Ernest from Gwendolen”
B. “From little Cecily with her fondest love to her dear Uncle Jack”
C. “To my beloved brother Ernest”
D. “From a grateful ward to her guardian”

B. “From little Cecily with her fondest love to her dear Uncle Jack”
This inscription reveals Jack’s real name to Algernon. It exposes the lie of “Ernest.” The deception starts to crumble.

14. What is Jack’s real name in the country, and what name does he use in town?

A. Ernest in country, Jack in town
B. John in country, Ernest in town
C. Jack in country, Ernest in town
D. John in country, Jack in town

C. Jack in country, Ernest in town
The confusion between Jack (or John) Worthing and his alter ego, Ernest, is the central engine of the play’s farcical plot.

15. What is “Bunburying,” according to Algernon?

A. Writing bad poetry
B. Flirting with married women
C. Having an invaluable permanent invalid friend as an excuse to avoid social obligations.
D. Living a double life under an assumed name.

C. Having an invaluable permanent invalid friend as an excuse to avoid social obligations.
Bunbury is Algernon’s brilliant invention. A way to escape boring dinners and visit the country. It’s the art of the convenient excuse.

16. Why does Jack invent a “wicked younger brother” named Ernest?

A. To have a companion for his ward, Cecily.
B. To have someone to blame for his own misdeeds.
C. To adopt a high moral tone as a guardian and get up to town.
D. To receive financial assistance from him.

C. To adopt a high moral tone as a guardian and get up to town.
Ernest allows Jack to be a stern guardian in the country and a carefree gentleman in the city. It’s his own form of Bunburying.

17. What does Algernon say about the truth?

A. The truth is always simple.
B. The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
C. The truth is subjective.
D. The truth is boring.

B. The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
This is one of Wilde’s most famous epigrams. It perfectly reflects the play’s themes of deception and social masks.

18. What does Jack intend to do with Ernest if Gwendolen accepts his proposal?

A. Introduce him to Cecily
B. Reform him
C. Kill him off (say he died)
D. Send him to Australia

C. Kill him off (say he died)
His decision to eliminate his fictional brother creates immense irony. Especially when Algernon shows up pretending to be him. A perfect setup.

19. What is Gwendolen’s ideal for a potential husband?

A. Wealth
B. Good looks
C. The name Ernest
D. A high moral character

C. The name Ernest
Gwendolen’s obsession with the name Ernest is completely superficial. It is a brilliant satire of romantic ideals. The name inspires “absolute confidence.”

20. What is Lady Bracknell’s initial reaction to Jack’s proposal?

A. Delight
B. Indifference
C. She informs Gwendolen that she is not engaged.
D. She demands to meet his parents.

C. She informs Gwendolen that she is not engaged.
Lady Bracknell immediately takes control. She dismisses her daughter’s feelings entirely. Marriage is a business transaction to her.

21. What is Lady Bracknell’s view on modern education?

A. It is essential for society.
B. It promotes critical thinking.
C. It is radically unsound and produces no effect in England.
D. It encourages self-expression.

C. It is radically unsound and produces no effect in England.
This is a classic line from her interrogation of Jack. It showcases her absurdly conservative and illogical worldview. Nothing good comes from it.

22. What is Lady Bracknell’s opinion of Jack losing both his parents?

A. It is a tragedy.
B. “That seems like carelessness.”
C. It is a common occurrence.
D. It makes him ineligible.

B. “That seems like carelessness.”
Perhaps the most famous line in the play. It shows her complete lack of empathy. Her social calculus is chillingly funny.

23. Where was Jack found as a baby?

A. In a basket on a doorstep
B. In a church pew
C. In a hand-bag in the cloak-room at Victoria Station.
D. In a garden under a rose bush

C. In a hand-bag in the cloak-room at Victoria Station.
This absurd origin story is the play’s central mystery. Lady Bracknell is horrified by the “common” location.

24. What does Lady Bracknell advise Jack to acquire as soon as possible?

A. More money
B. A town house on the fashionable side of Belgrave Square
C. Some relations, particularly at least one parent.
D. A better understanding of social etiquette

C. Some relations, particularly at least one parent.
Her practical, yet impossible, advice highlights the absurdity of the aristocracy’s obsession with lineage. Just go find a parent. Simple.

25. What does Algernon say about women and their mothers?

A. They rarely resemble them.
B. All women become like their mothers; that is their tragedy.
C. They always try to be different.
D. Mothers inspire their daughters.

B. All women become like their mothers; that is their tragedy.
Another iconic Wildean epigram. It’s a cynical and witty observation on love and marriage. The tragedy for men is that they don’t.

26. What literary form does Miss Prism admit to having written?

A. Poetry
B. A short story
C. A three-volume novel
D. An autobiography

C. A three-volume novel
This detail seems minor at first. It becomes the crucial piece of evidence that solves the mystery of Jack’s birth. A brilliant bit of foreshadowing.

27. How does Jack arrive at the Manor House in Act II?

A. In a carriage
B. On horseback
C. Dressed in the deepest mourning
D. Unexpectedly happy

C. Dressed in the deepest mourning
He arrives to announce the death of his brother Ernest. This creates delicious irony. His “dead” brother is currently in the garden flirting with Cecily.

28. How does Algernon introduce himself when he first meets Cecily?

A. As Algernon Moncrieff
B. As her cousin
C. As her cousin Ernest
D. As a friend of Jack’s

C. As her cousin Ernest
Algernon’s decision to impersonate Ernest is the play’s main complication. It throws Jack’s carefully constructed lies into chaos.

29. How long has Cecily believed she has been engaged to Ernest?

A. One month
B. Three months
C. Six months
D. A year

B. Three months
Cecily has invented an entire romantic history in her diary. This satirizes the romantic fantasies of the era. She’s more interested in the fiction than the reality.

30. What does Cecily keep in a box tied with blue ribbon?

A. Mementos from Ernest
B. Photographs of Ernest
C. Letters from Ernest (which she wrote herself)
D. Jewellery

C. Letters from Ernest (which she wrote herself)
This detail beautifully illustrates Cecily’s vivid imagination. She has created a love story from thin air. A true romantic.

31. What is Cecily’s “girlish dream” for her future husband’s name?

A. Charles
B. John
C. Ernest
D. Algernon

C. Ernest
Cecily’s obsession with the name mirrors Gwendolen’s. It’s the “insuperable barrier” to her marrying Algernon. It’s also the source of much comedy.

32. Who arrives at the Manor House seeking Mr. Worthing?

A. Lady Bracknell
B. Miss Prism
C. Gwendolen Fairfax
D. Lord Bracknell

C. Gwendolen Fairfax
Gwendolen’s arrival sets up the hilarious confrontation between her and Cecily. They both believe they are engaged to the same man: Ernest.

33. What is Gwendolen’s opinion on style versus sincerity?

A. Sincerity is vital.
B. Both are equally important.
C. Style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.
D. Neither matters much.

C. Style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.
This line encapsulates the play’s aesthetic philosophy. It prioritizes artifice and beauty over mundane earnestness. A core Wildean idea.

34. What happens when Cecily offers Gwendolen sugar for her tea?

A. Gwendolen accepts politely.
B. Gwendolen refuses, but Cecily puts four lumps in.
C. Gwendolen accepts with gratitude.
D. Gwendolen makes her own tea.

B. Gwendolen refuses, but Cecily puts four lumps in.
The famous tea scene. Their polite conversation masks a vicious rivalry. The argument over cake and sugar is a masterpiece of passive-aggression.

35. What is the immediate reaction of Gwendolen and Cecily when they realize both men are posing as “Ernest”?

A. They become angry at the men.
B. They leave the house separately.
C. They put their arms around each other’s waists for protection.
D. They demand an explanation.

C. They put their arms around each other’s waists for protection.
Their rivalry instantly turns to sisterly solidarity. The men are now the common enemy. It is a swift and comical turn of events.

36. What do the two girls decide is an “insuperable barrier” to marriage?

A. Their lack of wealth
B. Their bad character
C. Their real names (neither is Ernest)
D. Their deceptive behavior

C. Their real names (neither is Ernest)
The men’s deception is forgivable. But their names are not. This trivial obsession is the final hurdle they must overcome.

37. What do Jack and Algernon both decide to do?

A. Get new names legally.
B. Get christened under the name Ernest.
C. Convince the girls to change their preference.
D. Abandon their aliases.

B. Get christened under the name Ernest.
Their ridiculous solution is to literally change their names to please the women. It highlights the lengths they will go to for love (and style).

38. What is Algernon’s justification for eating muffins?

A. He is not hungry.
B. When he is in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles him.
C. He always eats muffins at this hour.
D. He is trying to annoy Jack.

B. When he is in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles him.
Even in a moment of romantic crisis, Algernon’s focus is on food. This scene is a comic high point. It shows his complete triviality.

39. What does Lady Bracknell say about Algernon’s “invalid friend Mr. Bunbury”?

A. He seems to be recovering.
B. It is time he decided whether to live or die.
C. She finds his condition tragic.
D. She offers to send him a physician.

B. It is time he decided whether to live or die.
Lady Bracknell’s patience has run out. Her brutally practical view of Bunbury’s lingering illness forces Algernon to finally “explode” his fictional friend.

40. How much fortune does Cecily possess?

A. Fifty thousand pounds
B. About a hundred and thirty thousand pounds.
C. Her guardian controls all her wealth.
D. She has no personal fortune.

B. About a hundred and thirty thousand pounds.
This revelation instantly changes Lady Bracknell’s opinion of Cecily. Suddenly, the girl has “distinct social possibilities.” Money talks.

41. On what grounds does Jack initially refuse consent for Algernon to marry Cecily?

A. Algernon’s lack of money.
B. Algernon’s dubious social standing.
C. Algernon’s untruthful and immoral character.
D. Cecily is too young.

C. Algernon’s untruthful and immoral character.
Jack’s sudden adoption of a high moral tone is deeply hypocritical. He is, of course, guilty of the exact same deceptions.

42. When does Cecily legally come of age?

A. Twenty-one
B. Twenty-five
C. Thirty-five
D. She is already of age.

C. Thirty-five
This absurdly late age, as stipulated in her grandfather’s will, gives Jack leverage over Lady Bracknell. It is a final bargaining chip.

43. What shocking item does Lady Bracknell demand to know about from Miss Prism?

A. A valuable heirloom
B. A lost manuscript
C. A baby of the male sex
D. Her lost jewels

C. A baby of the male sex
Lady Bracknell’s recognition of Miss Prism triggers the final series of revelations. The mystery of the lost baby finally comes to the forefront.

44. What was found in the perambulator when it was discovered?

A. The baby
B. Money
C. The manuscript of a three-volume novel.
D. Letters

C. The manuscript of a three-volume novel.
This is the hilarious truth behind the mix-up. Miss Prism, in a moment of distraction, confused a baby with her fiction manuscript.

45. What did Miss Prism confess to doing in a moment of “mental abstraction”?

A. Losing the perambulator.
B. Placing the manuscript in the bassinette and the baby in the hand-bag.
C. Forgetting the baby at home.
D. Leaving the baby in the cloak-room.

B. Placing the manuscript in the bassinette and the baby in the hand-bag.
Her confession solves the central mystery. It explains how Jack ended up an orphan in a handbag at Victoria Station.

46. Who is Jack Worthing’s biological mother?

A. Miss Prism
B. Herodias
C. Lady Bracknell
D. Lady Bracknell’s poor sister, Mrs. Moncrieff.

D. Lady Bracknell’s poor sister, Mrs. Moncrieff.
This revelation means Jack is not an orphan of unknown parentage. He is, in fact, a member of the aristocracy. A Moncrieff.

47. What is Jack Worthing’s relation to Algernon?

A. They are cousins.
B. They are unrelated.
C. Algernon’s elder brother.
D. They are distant relatives.

C. Algernon’s elder brother.
The ultimate ironic twist. The two men who pretended to be brothers discover they actually are. It neatly ties up all the plot threads.

48. What was Jack’s Christian name, the same as his father’s?

A. Jack
B. John
C. Algy
D. Ernest John

D. Ernest John
He learns his true name is Ernest after all. This satisfies Gwendolen’s ideal. The entire deception was, accidentally, the truth.

49. What is Jack’s final realization and statement at the end of the play?

A. The importance of family.
B. The importance of love.
C. “the vital Importance of Being Earnest.”
D. The absurdity of life.

C. “the vital Importance of Being Earnest.”
The final line is a magnificent pun. He has finally understood the importance of having the name Ernest, and also the importance of being sincere (or earnest).

50. What happens to the three couples at the very end of the play?

A. They remain uncertain.
B. They are rejected.
C. They embrace their respective partners.
D. They decide to postpone their marriages.

C. They embrace their respective partners.
The play ends in classic comedic fashion. All conflicts are resolved. Three couples (Jack/Gwendolen, Algernon/Cecily, Chasuble/Prism) are united.

Brief Overview

The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedy written by Oscar Wilde. It was first performed in 1895 and is one of his most famous plays. The play is a satire on Victorian society, especially its concern with appearance, social status, and marriage.

The story follows two friends, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff. Both men pretend to be a person named “Ernest” to escape their responsibilities and pursue love.

Jack is in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, while Algernon falls in love with Cecily Cardew. The two women believe they are engaged to the same man named Ernest, which creates confusion and many humorous situations.

Wilde uses wit, irony, and clever dialogue to criticize the hypocrisy and moral pretensions of upper-class society. He shows how people often value style over sincerity and appearances over truth. The characters’ double lives reflect the false values of the society they live in.

In the end, all misunderstandings are resolved, and the true identities of the characters are revealed. The play concludes happily with engagements and forgiveness. The Importance of Being Earnest remains an important example of social comedy that combines humor with a deep understanding of human nature and society.