Study Guide / Assignment Sheet

The Importance of Being Earnest

Directions:  The starred item will be completed in class on the assigned date.  The others are to be completed at home, and you should have the answers with you in writing on the assigned date. 

The group work is homework and is due on the assigned date.  You may work in a group or if you would rather not trust your grade to the group, you may complete a group project individually.  50% reduction in score for late work.

 

  1. There are many discussions in Act II that are mirror images of scenes in Act I; this is known as parallelism.  Find one example of parallel dialogue in Act I and Act II.  Write about it in good paragraph form.
  2. *An aphorism is a short, witty statement that makes a wise comment about life.  An epigram is simply a clever statement that sounds good.  Choose a quotation from one of the characters (either an aphorism or an epigram), identify which definition fits, and explain why.
  3. *Irony occurs when what actually happens is the opposite of what is expected or appropriate.  Therefore, it is ironic that Jack refuses to consent to Algernon and CecilyÕs engagement.  Explain the irony in his reasoning.
  4. *If you were Cicely or Gwendolen, what would you do now that you know the man you thought you loved has lied about his name?
  5. *If you were Jack or Algernon, would you change your name so that the woman you loved would marry you?  Explain your reasoning.
  6. **Wordplay- You have read several puns and paradoxes throughout the first two acts.  Identify two puns and two paradoxes.  Create an original one of each.  You might write a joke that involves the use of a pun as the punch line.

Homework for the weekend / Monday, April 7, 2008 = Due Date

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  1. *Thought Bubble – Draw a comic book style thought bubble.  Fill it with words or pictures showing what is going on inside AlgernonÕs or JackÕs mind as each one Ernest  charade not only wins him his love but also begins to unravel in its complexity.
  2. *Acrostic Puzzle – Using words from the play, such as ÒcucumberÓ or ÒBuburying,Ó as clues, create an acrostic puzzle in which the final spelled out quotation is a pun, epigram, or aphorism from the play.  Hint:  Start with your quotation and work back.
  3. **Writing follow-up – Persusaion______________What do you think you can learn from first impressions?  In a paragraph—15 sentences, literary essay------argue that one should always either believe first impressions, or give a person time to make his or her character known.
  4. *Incongruity can create humor from statements or actions that seem out of place, time or character.  Find two examples where Wilde uses incongruity to make us laugh.
  5. **Choose an adjective that describes the overall tone of the play, and explain your choice in a paragraph of at least 15 sentences.
  6. *In a farce, the situations become so entangled and complicated that the ending often is purely arbitrary or even a trick.  In ancient Greek and roman drama, the ending was sometimes brought about by a god descending from heaven in some kind of device or machine.  Who is the dues ex machina in this play, and how does he or she bring about the ending?

* Homework for Monday night /  **Class work / Tuesday, April 8, 2008 = Due Date

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  1. *Give your opinion of Lady BracknellÕs evaluation of Cecily.  What characteristics would you require of a potential mate for a family member if you were responsible for approving the match?
  2. *Think of a current movie or play that is dialogue-driven.  Give a brief plot summary that includes your opinion of why the writer emphasizes the charactersÕ words in this work.
  3. *The Importance of Being Earnest criticizes Victorian attitudes about class and society.  The ideas of this time and age have died out—or have they?  Give your opinion with supporting examples regarding whether or not modern Americans have similar attitudes abut class and social status.

 

(Choose 16, 17, or 18)

 

  1. **Newspaper Account—Write a newspaper account of the three weddings.  Use the voice of the society editor for the wedding page of a newspaper.  Create details and provide information consistent with the events and characters of the play.
  2. **Cause and Effect—Throughout the play, charactersÕ actions cause certain effects, which in turn cause other effects.  Create a list of cause effect statements that cover the important plot developments of the play.  Include at least ten items on your cause-and-effect list.
  3. **A Monologue for Miss Prism—Write a monologue for Miss Prism set twenty-eight years before the action of the play describing her thoughts when she discovers she has the manuscript, not the baby, in the carriage.  Considering what you know of her character as presented in the play, imagine her reaction to the incident. 

*Homework for Tuesday night / **Class work / Wednesday, April 9, 2008 = Due Date

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  1. Group Work:  Using words and pictures cut out of old magazines and newspapers, as well as paint, markers, and colored pencils, create a collage illustrating the plot, theme, and characters as they come to full development in Act III.  You may include phrases or sentences copied from the book.  Include a written explanation of the significance of the images you create.
  2. Group Work:  Words, People, and Places—Make up an Ernest board game using the characters, speeches, and settings from the play.  A spinning arrow can provide the element of chance and the final goal, of course, three weddings.
  3. Group Work:  My Guest Today AreÉ With three classmates, your class, prepare for an Oprah Winfrey-type show.  The moderator will interview characters from The Importance of Being Earnest.  Select a topic that deals with a problem that these characters have experienced.  Rehearse and videotape your interview and present it to the class.  The teacher must have the videotape one day in advance of the showing.

Friday, April 11, 2008 = Due Date / 50% reduction in score for late work

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  1. *Writing Follow-up—Take a position on the meaning of the last line of the play.  Defend your viewpoint with at least five reasons and support each reason with examples from the play.
  2. *Cheers!  Imagine you are Lady Bracknell attending her daughterÕs wedding banquet, of course, she would make a toast.  Draft Lady BracknellÕs speech.  It should reflect her personality, style, and feelings toward all the happy couples at the playÕs end.

 

 

(Choose 24, 25, or 26)

 

  1. **Two of a Kind!  All the characters in this play have mirror images who are similar in characteristics, situations, and even the words they use.  In a brief essay, choose a character from the play, identify the character that is his or her mirror image, and describe how they are alike.
  2. **How He Sees It:  Look at the roles of Lane and Merriman in The Importance of Being Earnest.  How are the servants treated?  How do they react to their positions?  What do they think of the events?   Choose a scene from the play and rewrite it in the form of a diary entry by Lane or Merriman.  Include only what that character might know from his own involvement.                     
  3. **Social Criticism or Just Socializing?  Satire is writing that ridicules human weaknesses, vice, or folly in order to bring about social reform.  Write an essay arguing that The Importance of Being Earnest is or is not a good example of satire, including the definition of satire as a part of your support.

*Homework for the weekend / ** Class work / Monday, April 14, 2008

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