Chapter-4
In his fashionable London flat, Algernon plays the piano from an adjoining room offstage while his butler Lane sets the parlor on stage for tea. While Algernon absent-mindedly munches on cucumber sandwiches, prepared for Aunt Augusta (Lady Bracknell) and cousin Gwendolen’svisit, he remarks on an inaccurate entry in the household books. Wondering why eight bottles of champagne have been consumed, he asks Lane why it is that servants drink so much champagne in bachelor’s homes. Lane replies that top tier champagne is rare in married households, implying that servants drink fine wine instead when they work for married couples.
This discussion leads Lane and Algernonto philosophize about marriage. Lane remarks that he has only been married once as a consequence of a “misunderstanding between [himself] and a young person”. Algernon sends Lane away to get some more sandwichesand comments to himself that Lane’s views on marriage are rather ‘lax’, considering that the ‘lower orders’ should set a ‘good example’ for the upper classes.
Lane announces the arrival of Algernon’s friend, Mr. Ernest Worthing (Jack) who has been away in the country. Seeing the tea service, Jack asks Algernon whom he is expecting. Upon learning that Algernon is waiting his aunt and cousin Gwendolento arrive, Jack reveals that he has come to London to propose to Gwendolen, whom he has been courting. Algernon comments that proposals are a matter of ‘business’, not ‘pleasure’.
Jack attempts to take one of the cucumber sandwiches set out for tea, but Algernon insists that they are reserved for Lady Bracknell, and then eats one himself. Algernon offers Jack some bread and butter, instead, since he ordered them expressly for Gwendolen. When Algernon notices Jack eating rather voraciously, he remarks that it seems as if Jack were already married and warns that he may never be wed. Alarmed, Jack asks what he means. At this point Algernon confronts his friend about a woman named Cecily.
Jack initially denies the existence of Cecily, but Algernon instructs Lane to bring out the cigarette case that Jack left at their last dinner party. To Jack’s annoyance, Algernon discloses that he has read the private inscription inside the case. In order to coax his friend into revealing the meaning of the inscription, Algernon produces a business card from the case with the name ‘Mr. Ernest Worthing’ printed on it and insists that he has only every known his friend as ‘Ernest’.
Irked, Jack says that Cecily is his aunt. Algernon goads his friend further, gradually building up contradictions against Jack by asking why the case’s inscription reads: “From little Cecily with her fondest love to her Uncle Jack.” Running out of reasonable excuses, Jack reluctantly confesses that his name is actually Jack and that he goes by ‘Ernest’ in town and ‘Jack’ in the country.
Jack’s confession confirms Algernon’s suspicion that his friend is a practised ‘Bunburyist’. Algernon demands to know why Jack goes by one name in town and the other in the country.
Jack confides in Algernon that Mr. Thomas Cardew adopted him as a young boy. At the time of Cardew’s passing, he left Jack his fortune and made him guardian to his grand daughter, Miss Cecily Cardew, who lives on a country estate. Jack explains that he leads a double life because his responsibilities to Cecily requires him to set a ‘high moral tone’ when he is with her in the country. In the city, Jack can let loose and enjoy himself, so he pretends to have an unruly younger brother named ‘Ernest’, whose antics in the city compel him to rush off to London frequently.
Algernon reveals that he has also invented an invalid friend named ‘Bunbury’, whose maladies are a ready excuse for Algernon whenever he chooses to go into the country. While Jack finds ‘Bunbury’ to be an ‘absurd name’, Algernon cautions his friend against doing away with a fictional figure, like ‘Bunbury’, once he is married.
Lane announces the arrival of Lady Bracknell and Miss Gwendolen Fairfax. Gwendolen flirts with Jack, while Lady Bracknell gossips with Algernon about her recently widowed friend. Lady Bracknell asks for one of the cucumber sandwiches Algernon has promised her. Algernon, realizing that he has devoured every single sandwich, directs blame on Lane, asking him why there are no cucumber sandwiches. Lane takes it in stride reporting that there were no cucumbers available at the market, even for purchase on ‘ready money’, or credit.
Lady Bracknell asks Algernon if he will be able to attend her dinner party on Saturday. He tells her he will not be able to attend on account of ‘Bunbury’. Lady Bracknell wishes that ‘Bunbury’ would just choose to live or die, but Algernon distracts his aunt from sermonizing further by inviting her into the adjoining room to review the music program he has put together for her party.
Algernon leads Lady Bracknell out of the parlour, allowing Jack and Gwendolen a moment alone. Jack declares his love for Gwendolen and she expresses her affection for him, announcing that it is her ‘ideal’ to love someone named ‘Ernest’ because the name inspires ‘absolute confidence’. When Worthing suggests that she might marry a ‘Jack’, she shows disdain and disgust because the name produces no ‘music’, ‘thrill’, or ‘vibrations’. ‘Ernest’ is the only ‘safe’ name. Jack, realizing Gwendolen’s earnest belief in ‘Ernest’, shows visible discomfort, but proposes anyway at his beloved’s urging.
As Jack is down on one knee, proposing to Gwendolen, Lady Bracknell bursts on to the scene, appalled by the compromising position in which she has found Jack and her daughter. Though Gwendolen assertively announces her engagement to Jack, Lady Bracknell immediately shows disapproval of the match, declaring that she and Lord Bracknell will arrange their daughter’s engagement. Infuriated, Lady Bracknell ushers Gwendolen out of the room to their awaiting carriage and begins to interrogate her daughter’s suitor.
At the Manor House, Jack’s country estate, Miss Prism struggles to focus Cecily’s attention on her studies. Prism reminds Cecily that Mr. Worthing has placed particular emphasis on her German, but Cecily comments that Uncle Jack is so ‘serious’ and ‘bored’ when he is with them. Prism remarks that Mr. Worthing is an upstanding man whose ‘unfortunate’ younger brother ‘Ernest’ causes many ‘troubles in his life.’ Cecily wishes that ‘Ernest’ would visit them, suggesting that they might be a ‘good influence’ on him. Miss Prism believes that there’s no point in trying to make a bad person good.
Cecily begins writing in her diary, “things that never happened and couldn’t possibly happen,” but Miss Prism directs her to put it away, suggesting that Cecily should rely on her memory, instead. Cecily defends writing in her diary, pointing out that memory is responsible for sentimental three-volume novels. Slighted by this comment, Miss Prism reveals that she was the author of a three-volume-novel that was never published because the manuscript was lost.
The local reverend Dr. Chasuble arrives and Cecily suggests that he should take Miss Prism on a walk to relieve her governesses’ ‘headache’. Cecily is clearly aware that there is an attraction between her governess and the vicar, who says that he would ‘hang upon [Miss Prism’s] lips’. Miss Prism scolds Cecily gently for fibbing and admonishes the minister, but goes off on a walk with Dr. Chausible.
When Cecily is alone in the garden, Merriman announces the arrival of Mr. Ernest Worthing and presents hisbusiness card. It is the same card that Jack stored in his cigarette case. The visitor is actually Algernon, masquerading as Jack’s fictional brother ‘Ernest’.
Algernon, dressed extravagantly like a dandy, greets his ‘little cousin’ Cecily, who is excited to finally meet her ‘wicked cousin Ernest’. She tells Algernon that Jack will not be back until Monday because he is buying travelling clothes for ‘Ernest’ to take with him to Australia. This news surprises and disappoints Algernon, who suggests that Cecily ‘reform’ him instead. As Algernon flirts with Cecily, she invites him into the house to eat.
Miss Prism and Dr. Chasuble talk of marriage as they return from their walk. Prism suggests that Chasuble should marry because an unmarried man is either a temptation, or a ‘womanthrope’ (misogynist), but the vicar asserts that the Primitive Church doctrine he follows restricts marriage on the clergy.
Jack enters slowly dressed in mourning clothes, surprising Miss Prism and Dr. Chasuble. Jack tells them that his brother ‘Ernest’ has just died abroad in Paris of a ‘severe chill’. While Dr. Chasuble offers his condolences and begins to sermonize, Miss Prism makes a moralistic pronouncement: “As a man sows so let him reap.” Remembering he has to change his name for Gwendolen, Jack proceeds to ask Chasuble if he is available to christen him at 5:30 that day. Yet, Cecily emerges from the house and tells Jack that his brother ‘Ernest’ is here at the estate and has been telling her a great deal about his friend ‘Bunbury’.
Jack greets Algernon coldly, furious that Algernon has showed up at his country estate, masquerading as ‘Ernest’ and shocked that he has been talking to Cecily about ‘Bunbury’. At Cecily’s prompting, Jack begrudgingly shakes Algernon’s hand. Miss Prism, Dr. Chasuble and Cecily leave the brothers alone to talk things out.
Outraged, Jack tells Algernon that he has to leave. Algernon insists that that he is staying for week, but Jack asserts that ‘Ernest’ has been called back to townand instructs Merriman to order a dog-cart to take ‘his brother’ back to the train station. Algernon refuses to leave until Jack changes out of his mourning clothes, saying that he is absurdly over-dressed.
Jack goes to change and Cecily comes out to the garden. Before departing, Algernon declares his love for her. But Cecily insists that they have already been engaged for three months. Taking out her diary, she relates their elaborate romance, complete with a ring, a broken engagement, and love letters.
With their engagement confirmed, Cecily confesses that she has always dreamed of marrying a man named ‘Ernest’ because it inspires ‘absolute confidence’. When Algernon asks if she could love a man with his own name, she immediately declares her dislike for it. This revelation unsettles Algernon, who rushes to see Dr. Chasuble about getting christened.
Meanwhile, Merriman announces Gwendolen’s unexpected arrival at the manor house to Cecily. The two women, unaware of each other’s connections to Jack or Algernon, greet each other in the garden. Gwendolen assumes that Cecily is a visitor to the house, but shows concern when she learns that Cecily is actually Mr. Ernest Worthing’s young and beautiful ward. Cecily corrects her, informing Gwendolen that Jack Worthing is her guardian. ‘Ernest’ is actually Jack’s brother and her fiancé. Shocked, Gwendolen asserts that she is in fact, Ernest’s fiancee, reading an entry from her diary as proof.
Believing that they are both engaged to ‘Ernest’, Cecily and Gwendolen’s jealousies play out over the course of a tea service. Gwendolen refuses Cecily’s offer of sugar and cake, while making snide remarks about Cecily’s tasteless country upbringing. Cecily responds, dumping healthy doses of both into Gwendolen’s cup and onto her plate, while making comments about the city’s ‘vulgar’ nature.
As tensions come to a head, Jack and Algernon arrive, one after the other, having separately made appointments with Dr. Chasuble to be christened later that day. Gwendolen confronts Jack, asking if he is engaged to Cecily. He firmly denies this. Yet, Cecily takes great pleasure in pointing out that Gwendolen’s betrothed is not ‘Ernest’, but her guardian Uncle Jack. Cecily goes to Algernon’s side and declares that he is ‘Ernest’. Gwendolen takes even greater pleasure in pointing out that Cecily’s fiance is not ‘Ernest’, but her cousin Algernon.
Realizing that they have both been fooled, Gwendolen and Cecily embrace each other and demand to know the whereabouts of Jack’s brother and their fiance, ‘Ernest’. Jack confesses that he does not have a brother at all. Cecily and Gwendolen, distraught at no longer being engaged to ‘Ernest’, retreat into the house.
Realizing that they have ruined their chances of getting married, Algernon and Jack argue about their failed ‘Bun burying’ schemes, which prohibit them from further excursions in town or country. They also debate about who will ultimately take the name of ‘Ernest’ at their upcoming christenings with Dr. Chasuble. Jack asserts that he should take the name because there is no proof that he has ever been christened. Attempting to manipulate his friend, so that he can take the name for himself, Algernon insists that such a name change could be dangerous. Meanwhile, the two men squabble over muffins and teacake, until the curtain drops.
From the Manor House’s drawing room Cecily and Gwendolen watch the two men argue from a window; the women eagerly await the men to enter. Gwendolen intends to give Jack and Algernon the silent treatment, but when the two men enter from the garden, Cecily demands to know why Algernon pretended to be Jack’s brother, ‘Ernest’. Algernon replies that he masqueraded as ‘Ernest’ so that he might meet her. Cecily finds this answer satisfactory. Gwendolen then asks Jack if he pretended to have a brother so that he might visit her in London often, to which Jack responds affirmatively. Gwendolen finds his explanation acceptable and both women appear on the verge of forgiving their suitors.
But even though Algernon and Jack tell Cecily and Gwendolen exactly what they want to hear, both ladies insist that Algernon and Jack’s Christians names are ‘insuperable barrier[s]’ to their respective unions. Jack and Algernon counter by saying that they are to be christened that afternoon.
Embracing their suitors, Gwendolen and Cecily praise Jack and Algernon for their ‘physical courage’ and ‘self-sacrifice’ when Lady Bracknell unexpectedly arrives. Having bribed Gwendolen’s maid into disclosing her whereabouts, Lady Bracknell has followed Gwendolen from town to prevent her from seeing Jack and is appalled to see the couple together.
Distracted by Algernon’s presence on the scene, Lady Bracknell asks him if this is the residence of his friend ‘Bunbury’. Forgetting that he had told his aunt that he would be at his ailing friend’s bedside, Algernon says no and then tries to quickly cover his faux pas by announcing ‘Bunbury’s’ death. Lady Bracknell is relieved that ‘Bunbury’ has finally made up his mind to die.
Seeing Cecily holding hands with Algernon piques Lady Bracknell’s interest. Jack explains that Cecily is his ward, and Algernon announces her as his fiancée. Lady Bracknell immediately inquires into Cecily background, snidely asking whether she is “connected with any of the larger railways stations in London”.
Jack obligingly offers information about Cecily, conveying to Lady Bracknell that her relations are respectably recorded, her three residences are well regarded, and that she is the heiress to a great fortune. Even though Lady Bracknell suspects that Cecily’s relations are dubiously recorded, the news of her wealth entices Lady Bracknell to stay at Jack’s manor, instead of rushing off with Gwendolen back to London. After learning that Cecily stands to inherit even more money when she comes of age and pleased with the “social possibilities in her profile,” Lady Bracknell proposes that the wedding should take place as soon as possible, even though she is against ‘mercenary marriages’, like her own to Lord Bracknell.
Jack, realizing that he can use his position as Cecily’s guardian to persuade Lady Bracknell into permitting his marriage to Gwendolen, refuses to consent to Cecily and Algernon’s engagement. He explains to Lady Bracknell that he cannot approve of the match because he suspects Algernon of being ‘untruthful’, listing the crimes his friend has perpetrated while masquerading as ‘Ernest’. Jack will not consent to Cecily’s marriage, until Lady Bracknell consents to Gwendolen’s.
Refusing to give her consent, Lady Bracknell is about to leave with Gwendolen when Dr. Chasuble arrives, prepared to christen Jack and Algernon. Jack explains that the ceremony is no longer necessary and Dr. Chasuble says that he will return to the vestry, where Miss Prism is waiting.
Upon hearing Miss Prism’s name, Lady Bracknell immediately inquires about her, insisting that she be sent for. At the same moment, Miss Prism enters, sees Lady Bracknell, and begins to show a great deal of anxiety and fear. In a sharp tone, Lady Bracknell demands to know the whereabouts of a baby boy Miss Prism lost 28 years ago. Lady Bracknell proceeds to relay the details of the child’s disappearance. Departing from Grosvenor Square, Miss Prism took the baby boy out in a stroller, but never returned with the child. The pram was found three weeks later in Bayswater containing no trace of the baby, but a three-volume novel. Overwhelmed by incriminating evidence, Miss Prism confesses that she does not know what happened to the baby. She explains that she left the house that day with the baby in the stroller and the manuscript for her three-volume-novel in a handbag. She conjectures that in a moment of absentmindedness she put the manuscript in the stroller and the baby in the handbag.
Upon hearing this detail, Jack feverishly asks Miss Prism about where she left the hand-bag. Whimpering, she admits to having left it in a coatroom at Victoria station on the Brighton line. Excited, Jack rushes out of the room and returns onstage with the hand-bag, asking Miss Prism is she can identify it as the hand-bag she misplaced. She looks it over carefully and confirms that it is hers, delighted that it is back in her possession. Having pieced together the mysterious disappearance of the baby boy, Jack declares that he is the lost boy who was abandoned in Miss Prism’s hand-bag and embraces her as his mother.
Launching into a speech about forgiveness and redemption that criticizes society’s double standards for men and women. But Miss Prism suggests that Jack should look to Lady Bracknell for the truth about his identity.
Without fanfare, Lady Bracknell explains that Jack is the son of her poor dead sister, Mrs. Moncrief, which also makes him Algernon’s older brother, but also Lady Bracknell’s nephew, and Gwendolen’s first cousin. Jack’s new found family relations overturns Lady Bracknell’s prohibition against his marriage to Gwendolen. Jack joyfully announces that he does indeed have a brother!
But the mystery of Jack’s true name remains, as his present name remains an ‘irrevocable’ obstacle to Gwendolen’s consent. Lady Bracknell believes that Jack, as the first born son, is likely named after his father, General Moncrief, but she, nor Algernon can remember his full name. Jack rushes to his bookshelves, which house the volumes of Army Lists from the last forty years. Jack feverishly flips through the books’ long lists of ‘ghastly names’, until he finds General Moncrieff’s first name; ‘Ernest John’.
Jack realizes that he has been speaking the truth the entire time: his name is in fact Ernest, but also John, and he does have a troublesome younger brother, Algernon. Jack turns to Gwendolen and asks if she will forgive him for speaking the truth. She does, declaring him “my own!” Each couple—Jack and Gwendolen, Miss Prismand Dr. Chasuble, and Cecily and Algernon—embrace “at last,” while Jack declares to Lady Bracknell that he has learnt the “vital Importance of Being Earnest”.
