Saturday, September 21, 2013
The Importance of Being Earnest Act 3
All I have to say after finishing act 3 is wow. Really didn't see that twist coming. First, the act begins with Gwendolen and Cecily questioning whether they are going to forgive Jack and Algernon for lying about them being brothers and Ernest being Jack's name. Algernon and Jack then use the excuse that they did it in order for Jack to see Gwendolen and for Algernon to see Cecily as mouch as they can. So the two ladies buy the excuse and forgive them. But then Lady Bracknell refuses to give her blessing for Jack and Gwendolen's union. Right when Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen are about to leave, Miss Prism is questioned by Lady Bracknell about a lost baby from twenty eight years ago. We learn that this lost baby that was found at a rail station turned out to be Jack, which turns out to be Lady Bracknell's sister's son making Algernon and Jack brothers after all. Then we find out that Jack's name is in fact Ernest, named after his father, and they he's been telling the truth about his name and his relationship with Algernon for years! Crazy twist in the end but one other thing comes from it... Jack and Gwendolen are now first cousins that are engaged....
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I agree that Act 3 had a funky plot twist. All 4 if these characters act very childish and ignorant. The girls don't have a mind of their own because their mindsets change instantly. They'll be enamored one minute and then completely unforgiving and then back to enamored. Same thing with the guys: Algernon was eating muffins even though he scolded Jack. In the end, when Jack says "i now realize the importance of being earnest", i don't think he truly means that. He was fake the entire time and just because it was a coincidence his real name is "Ernest" doesn't mean he WAS earnest. But yeah, that incest thing, keepin the blood in the family stuff, little weird.
ReplyDeleteSo the twist at the end of act 3 pretty much sums up the irony we talked about in class; I mean I never thought that after all these lies and trying to be "earnest," these people were in fact earnest at the end. Basically, the ending really does show us the importance of being earnest in a sense to get what you really want, but on the other hand, if these men hadn't lied about their identities and their lives they wouldn't have gotten to such a conclusion in the end, and each guy wouldn't have had his dream woman wrapped across his arms. So in a way, the bunberrying they did at the start lead to their honesty at the end, which gave them all they ever wanted.
ReplyDeleteAct 3 had to be my favorite part of the book because it was the most absurd and had me going "oh my god". I think Gwendolen and Cecile are both really stupid. At the time though, these woman looked at the appearance and what the guy was about rather than how the person really is. It's funny how this book is called the importance of being Earnest but not one of the characters was ever Earnest. Even when Jack finds out his real name is indeed Ernest, and he claims he now knows the true meaning of being ernest, which i think is complete BS. The fact that everyone ends up together at the end is absurd too. I agree with the people above, the incest thing is really weird and that didn't stop them from being together but hey to each it's own, at that time it wasn't viewed as a bad thing. Act 3 just had a whole bunch of twists as said by the people above but i knew the Ernest name was coming. I was waiting for it. What i wasn't expecting was Jack to find out about who left him at the platform in that bag. That was also a little weird. Overall this book was entertaining and not boring at all. Even if the book had no characters who showed the importance of being Earnest i look at it in a different way. By making this book absurd and some of the characters just plain stupid, it kind of shows me how stupid people look when they aren't being Earnest, so in a way it's still showing how it's important to be Earnest.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the focus on the theme of irony remains strong in act 3. All of the main characters develop more into their roles of being essentially shallow and hypocritical. A large portion of this is due to the women finding out the men's lies. After a brief and conflicted hesitation, the women go back to the men as if no flaw has been made. At the conclusion of the play, we have a concrete understanding of the character's mistakes and how they are a reflection upon society.
ReplyDeleteI definitely didn't see this twist coming, but as I look back on the book it only makes sense that it would end like this. The irony is as strong as ever in Act 3, and some extra humor in the fact that the whole time Jack's real name was actually Earnest. In the end we see that all the characters are just as shallow as they appeared to be in the beginning. As I look back on the book as a whole I can see what Wilde was doing in his attempt to use symbols to criticize institutions. The fact that he is able to do it in a humorous, entertaining way is impressive to say the least. The whole book was quite enjoyable and I would definitely recommend it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the play overall. The twist at the end correlates to the irony that is present throughout the entire play. I think that there was a lot of ignorance between the characters in the play. In the beginning of the play it seemed as though there was only one character not being honest but as the store unfolded, more characters began to reveal that they had secrets. The whole situation that related to jack being left at the platform when he was a baby, was unexpected for me. I did not think that this would be an aspect to the play because it was not talked about much earlier. Overall i enjoyed how the author portrayed each character and the irony really enabled me to find this play interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe play overall was humorous and enjoyable. The irony that revolved around the play at the end was brought out the most in Act 3. The fact that Jack's name is actually Ernest was amusing and also lets the women realize that he wasn't lying after all. One thing I noticed was that to the women it really didn't matter if the men were lying at all, they were going to stay with them regardless. This play reflects on what society thought about you and reputations that had to be maintained, it's all about appearance. The twist at the end was funny and surprising in that Jack and Algernon were actually brothers and in a way having been telling the truth the whole entire time.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the play overall and found it quite hilarious. The irony was strong throughout and it played nicely with the title and the end. I didn't expect jack to be Ernest, I personally found that a bit weird I think because that meant there was an incestuous relationship with him and Gwendolen. The twin girls were also pretty idiotic. Even though jack and Algernon lied to them about their identities they only had a little fuss and let them back into their lives to marry them. But I found it pretty cute that the fact Algernon and Jack are actually brothers, and they have already been pretending and acting like brothers already.
ReplyDeleteAct three highlights a few differences amongst characters and their moral struggles. Both couples have similar problems and similar solutions the difference emerges when Alegernon tells the truth about his situation. However, Jack beats around the bush and never directly addresses his problems. Another interesting concept from the story is Wilde's way of pointing out the low standards of literature at the time. When the plot twist happens in today's standard it would be seen as in poor taste but back then it was seen as a highlight of a novel. This was his way of getting back at literature. All in all I thought the play was good and I liked it very much for its precise critique of culture and honesty from a man who lived on the outskirts of society.
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ReplyDeleteAfter getting to watch a little part of the movie, i had a better understanding of the characters in the play and the humor that takes place. The twist at the end of act 3 was definitely unexpected. I think that the characters do not really understand how important it is to be earnest until the end. I do not like the way Cecily and Guendolen were portrayed in this play. They were seen as easily manipulated, naive women. Overall, i enjoyed the play because of the humor that took place.
ReplyDeleteAct 3 was my favorite act of the play because it tied everything together. After watching it in class, I feel like I understood each character better. I realized how Gwendolen and Cecily are extremely materialistic and naive. They forgave Jack and Algernon almost right away and they didn’t even provide valid reasons for choosing to forgive them. They are so easily influenced by the words of these men that they don’t realize how stupid they sound. I was completely shocked at the end when Jack actually ended up being Ernest as well as Gwendolen’s cousin. Even though it was normal around that time period, I find it a little weird and incestuous that the two were getting married. I really enjoyed Oscar Wilde’s sense of humor throughout this whole play and I found it hilarious when he revealed that Jack and Algernon were brothers.
ReplyDeleteI found Act 3 to be very surprising. I thought the way Cecily and Gwendolen questioned forgiving Algernon and Jack seemed very modern. I was surprised to see they did forgive them because I always saw women in older times to be stronger when it came to relationships with men. I would not have forgiven them for lying to me about their whole lives. Additionally, I was extremely surprised when Jack, now Ernest, and Algernon were found to be brothers all along. The book turned out to be pretty interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe play overall was very humorous. It shows how back in the days, it was a marriage market. The women, after finding out that they were being lied to, forgave Jack and Algernon so easily because they are materialistic. Also, the most significant example of irony is portrayed in Act 3. Miss Prism confesses of a baby she found in a coat room and it turned out to be Jack. He turned out to be the brother of Algernon and his real name "Ernest" so he was telling the truth all the time!
ReplyDeleteThe final act in this play is an example of the Victorian Era's "happily ever after." It is twisted because Jack ends up marrying his first cousin, but it seems as if everything is perfect and well put at the end of the play. The play was very ironic because even though Algernon and Jack are not earnest at all, they end up getting christened with the name, Ernest. The fact that the girls forgave the guys right away at the end shows how much leisure was taking place during that time. They didn't want to be stressed and wanted everything to be perfect. When we got to watch part of the movie, the humor that was clearly portrayed and added clarification to the play.
ReplyDeleteAct 3 reveals a lot of information to the reader. The characters become full developed and we finally get to see the irony of the play. Naivety is especially seen when the girls forgive Jack and Algeron very easily. Gender roles are fully present in this chapter and the amount of control Jack has on the weddings. Finally what was thought to be a lie the whole time ends up being the coincidentally the truth.
ReplyDeleteIn Act 3, we really get to see the theme of irony more than in the other Acts. We find out that Jack and Algernon are brothers. We also get to see that Jack realizes the importance of being Ernest (Earnest). He was never honest or genuine with Gwendole, which shows us just how naive both Gwendolen and Cecily are. They know that both men have lied to them but they still want to be with them. Jack later fins out that his name really is Ernest and he tells Gwendolen that he hasnt been lying to her. He learns he was named after his father, a general. The play was very enjoyable to read and very funny.
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