THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST SUMMARY OF ACT I

Synopsis
The Importance of Being Earnest is the most renowned of Oscar Wilde’s
comedies. It’s the story of two bachelors, John ‘Jack’ Worthing and
Algernon ‘Algy’ Moncrieff, who create alter egos named Ernest to escape
their tiresome lives. They attempt to win the hearts of two women who,
conveniently, claim to only love men called Ernest. The pair struggle to
keep up with their own stories and become tangled in a tale of deception,
disguise and misadventure. The elaborate plot ridicules Victorian
sensibilities with some of the best loved, and indeed bizarre, characters to
be found on the modern stage. Wilde originally wrote it in four acts, but
during the first rehearsals George Alexander persuaded him to shorten it
down to three.
Act I

The play begins with Algernon ‘Algy’ Moncrieff welcoming his friend
John ‘Jack’ Worthing to his home, whom he knows as Ernest. ‘Ernest’
has come from his country estate to propose to Algy’s cousin, Gwendolen.
Algy refuses consent until Ernest explains an inscription on his cigarette
case which calls him ‘Uncle Jack’. ‘Ernest’ admits to creating an alter ego.
He is Jack in the country, guardian of his ward Cecily, but regularly leaves
for London to visit his pretend brother Ernest. Whilst in London he
pretends to be Ernest, a flirtatious socialite. Algy also admits to creating a
fictitious invalid friend called Mr Bunbury, whom he visits in the country
to get away from London.
Gwendolen and her terrifying mother Lady Bracknell arrive to visit Algy.
Jack quietly proposes to Gwendolen, who accepts, saying she could never
love a man who wasn’t called Ernest. Lady Bracknell finds them alone
together and quickly interviews Jack for his suitability. She learns he was
adopted after being found in a handbag at Victoria Station, and refuses the
marriage because he has no direct relations. Gwendolen says she still loves
Jack and he gives her his country address. Algy secretly reads it.