Act III; three, Detailed Summary of The Importance of Being Ernest: "The Importance of Being Ernest" by Oscar Wilde



Gwendolen and Cecily are inside the room looking out into the garden and finding excuses to forgive their lovers without pretending to be doing so. Both of them ask for the lies and listening that it was done for them, they both are satisfied. But the issue of name still remain. However, when they hear that the two men are going to change their names for them, their happiness is boundless:

"How absurd to talk of the equality of the sexes! Where questions of self-sacrifice are concerned, men are infinitely beyond us. "

The girls decide to forgive them and while the couples are holding each other, Lady Bracknell enters the scene. She tells how she bribed the maid to know of her daughter's destination. She does not want her daughter to marry Jack. When she comes to know about the relationship and intentions of her nephew, Algernon, with Cecily she flatly refuses at first. But later when she is about to depart, Jack tells her of Cecily's financial legacy and Lady Bracknell amuses us:

"A hundred and thirty thousand pounds! And in the Funds! Miss Cardew seems to me a most attractive young lady, now that I look at her. "

Lady Bracknell announces that she has no objection over the marriage between Cecily and Algernon. But Jack refuses to give consent of this marriage being guardian of Cecily. Lady Bracknell tries to overlook his reservations but he stiffens. It is revealed that under the terms of guardianship Cecily will come of age when she is 35.

Later, Jack proposes to agree for the marriage of Algernon and Cecily provided Gwendolen is married to him. Lady Bracknell refuses and while she is about to go, the priest enters and asks about christening of Jack and Algernon. During his conversation with lady Bracknell, he does mention the name of Prims. This very name alarms lady Bracknell, she want to see Prism immediately.

Miss Prism is brought and lady Bracknell inquires her about the child she took from her house; Prism explains that she, in an absent minded moment, took the baby in the bag instead of the novel she had written. She later realized her folly and left the baby at the railway station. Jack brings the bag from his room and shows it to Prism who identifies the bag and Jack is recognized as the elder brother of Algernon.