Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”

1. Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” Drama/Satire Unit

2. "Women only call each other sister when they have called each other a lot of other things first." This humor in this quote ridicules how women are A. territorial and defensive B. overly friendly to one another C. excessively passive in social circles D. none of these

3. The quote above is an observation made by Algernon about women which reveals that A. men are clueless about women B. he has been raised around women C. he and Jack have no chance with them D. A and C only E. none of these

4. Which truth(s) about love is Oscar Wilde most likely suggesting in this play? A. love is blurred by preconceptions B. love is based only on social status C. love is governed by set rules D. love preserves itself by deliberate blindness to qualities which contradict compatibilities E. A and D only

5. Which of the following most influences Lady Bracknell’s concept of social status? A. land ownership B. nobility C. wealth D. social position

6. Lady Bracknell’s concept of social status reveals that she A. understands upward mobility B. was born into nobility C. has always been wealthy D. believes social position carries more power than money

7. In this play, diaries are A. a way of re-shaping truth B. revealing of women’s fantasies C. a sort of fiction D. a source of empowerment E. all of these

8. Algernon’s invalid friend and Jack’s invention of a brother reveal that men in Victorian England A. felt a great need to escape their roles B. were in fear of women’s social powers C. valued the freedom of bachelorhood D. all of these E. A and C only

9. Muffins and cucumber sandwiches in this play are symbolic of A. men placing stomach ahead of heart B. the immaturity of the Victorian male C. how the women were spoiled D. A and B only

10. The insistence by both Cecily and Gwendolyn upon the name Earnest suggests that women were concerned with A. appearance over substance B. the power within a name C. romanticized notions gleaned from fantasy novels of the day D. all of these

11. A “christening” is a ceremony of A. circumcision B. baptism C. marriage D. male maturity

12. Apoplexy is A. a bout of malaria B. hereditary C. a fit of extreme anger causing death D. none of these

13. Bunburying involves the invention of a false identity in order to A. do good deeds anonymously B. leave an unpleasant situation C. commit a crime D. none of these

14. Credulity involves a tendency to A. doubt everything B. incur extravagant debts C. lie impulsively D. believe too quickly E. none of these

15. A perambulator is a(n) A. person who keeps a diary B. sleepwalker C. large handbag D. none of these

16. A portmanteau is a(n) A. exotic and expensive fruit B. baby carriage C. large handbag D. none of these

17. A misanthrope is one who A. hoards money B. refuses to settle in a relationship C. hates other people D. is easily misguided in love E. none of these

18. A quixotic person is A. idealist B. unromantic C. impractical D. all of these E. A and C only

19. A salver is a(n) A. man who rescues fallen women B. ointment which soothes dry skin C. serving tray D. none of these

20. “It is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth." This satirical quote is a subtle attack upon A. social “truths,” which were often lies B. telling the truth C. the honest nature of English gentlemen D. none of theses

21. Which word best describes Lady Bracknell? A. rigid B. materialistic C. immoveable D. unrelenting

22. Wilde's most concrete attack throughout this play is upon A. romance as a farce B. the hypocrisies of the church C. the unbalanced power of feminism D. marriage as a social tool

23. “The amount of women in London who flirt with their own husbands is perfectly scandalous. It looks so bad. It is simply washing one's clean linen in public.” This satirical quote is an attack upon A. public display of marital affection B. the true purity of Victorian marriages C. women’s behaviors in public D. the social mask of marital manners

24. "From the moment I saw you I distrusted you. I felt you were false and deceitful. I am never deceived in such matters. My first impressions of people are invariably right." The tone of this quote is absurdly humorous because A. it reveals Gwendolyn as insightful B. it completely contradicts a prior action C. it justifies Algernon’s view on “sisters” D. all of these E. B and C only

25. The theory of aestheticism involves the belief in A. art for art’s sake B. utilitarianism and function C. the concept of “uselessness” D. a rigid social structure E. A and C only

26. "Oh! it is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't. More than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.” This quote suggests a need to reform A. the gap between art & social behavior B. the scandalous nature of Victorian period literature C. society’s lax and indulgent views D. libraries