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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What mythical creature does Jack compare Lady Bracknell to?

2. At what age does Gwendolyn say she lost the respect of her mother?

3. According to Lady Bracknell, what two things rarely go together?

4. How old is Cecily?

5. What does Cecily pay no attention to, according to Jack?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Algernon's stated opinion of love and marriage in Act I?

2. Why are there no cucumber sandwiches at the Algernon's when Lady Bracknell arrives?

3. Name a few of Lady Bracknell's requirements for a suitable bachelor.

4. Why doe Jack go by the name of Ernest in London?

5. What is Lady Bracknell's opinion of Bunbury?

6. How did Cecily become Jack's ward?

7. Who is Bunbury?

8. Describe Algernon Moncrieff.

9. Describe Algernon and Jack's conversation concerning Cecily and Gwendolen.

10. What clandestine declaration does Gwendolen make to Jack before she leaves?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Jack Worthing begins the play admitting to a series of untruths, among them his name and his relationship with Cecily. Do you think that Jack's habit of deceiving those close to him is forgivable since no one is harmed? Do you think that Gwendolen is genuinely hurt by the revelation Jack has lied to her? What about his assertion that Ernest has died?

Essay Topic 2

In the Importance of Being Earnest, certain objects play more central roles in driving action than characters. Write an essay dealing with the following three objects - a paragraph each - and how they affect the outcome of the play:

Part 1.) Algernon's bills

Part 2.) Cecily's diary

Part 3.) The handbag

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the following options to write about:

1.) What does Algernon's habit of always eating say about him as a character? Write about three examples in the play where Algernon is forced to explain his appetite and how he does so.

2.) Cecily and Miss Prism's argument about her diary and the three-volume novel say much about both? What secrets does this conversation allude to, and how does it frame each's attitude toward literature and love?

3.) Chasuble is constantly quoting - and misquoting - religious sources and tenets. How does his level of comfort with his chosen profession help or hinder his decision regarding Miss Prism at the end of the play?

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