Question

Cecily. You must not laugh at me, darling, but it had always been a girlish dream of mine to love some one whose name was Ernest. [Algernon rises, Cecily also.] There is something in that name that seems to inspire absolute confidence. I pity any poor married woman whose husband is not called Ernest.
–The Importance of Being Earnest,
Oscar Wilde

Write two to three sentences explaining the pun on the name Ernest in the passage and how the pun connects to a serious issue or question.

Answer 1

The pun is related to the same pronunciation of the words Ernest and earnest which means serious commited, dedicated and etc. The pun is connected to the serious issue of choosing the right significant other, someone you can trust that is dedicated to you (an earnest husband/wife).

Answer 2

Sample Response: Throughout the play, Wilde uses puns to connect the name Ernest to the word earnest. When Cecily says that she has always wanted to marry someone named Ernest, she implies that she also wants someone earnest who “inspire[s] absolute confidence.” In this scene, however, Algernon is lying to her about who he is. His deception suggests that no one can ever have “absolute confidence” that others are being earnest.