Question

What must Lady Bracknell consent to for Jack to consent to Cecily and Algernon’s marriage?

• A. Remaining absent
• B. Jack presiding
• C. A ceremony in Hertfordshire
• D. Jack’s marriage with Gwendolen

Answer 1

Answer:

D. Jack’s marriage with Gwendolen

• For Jack to consent to Cecily and Algernon’s marriage, Lady Bracknell must consent to Jack’s marriage to Gwendolen.

• Jack, as Cecily’s legal guardian, refuses to approve her engagement to Algernon unless Lady Bracknell allows him to marry Gwendolen. Since Lady Bracknell has already forbidden Jack from marrying her daughter due to his uncertain origins, this creates a deadlock—Jack won’t approve Cecily’s marriage, and Lady Bracknell won’t approve his.

• This conflict sets up the final revelation of Jack’s true identity, which ultimately resolves everything in a hilariously unexpected way.