Question

Aside from his relation to Lady Bracknell and Algernon, what does Jack learn in the play’s final act?

• A. Gwendolen is his sister
• B. Miss Prism is his mother
• C. His name is Ernest
• D. He is Cecily’s father

Answer 1

Answer:

C. His name is Ernest

Aside from discovering that he is Lady Bracknell’s nephew and Algernon’s older brother, Jack also learns in the final act that:

His Real Name Has Always Been "Ernest"

• Throughout the play, Jack has been pretending to have a brother named Ernest, and he even plans to legally change his name to "Ernest" so that Gwendolen will marry him.

• In a dramatic twist, Lady Bracknell reveals that Jack was originally christened "Ernest John Moncrieff", meaning he was telling the truth all along—without realizing it.

Why This Matters

• This revelation completes Wilde’s satire on identity and social conventions.

• The absurd irony is that Jack was "Ernest" the entire time, making all of his lies and deceptions completely unnecessary.

• He delivers the famous last line:
  "I've now realized for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest."

• This playfully reinforces the idea that appearances and names can shape one’s fate, even if they have no real connection to character or morality.