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Character Analysis Of Earnest

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Characters
Jack (Earnest) Worthing - Found as a baby in Victoria Station Cloakroom; Best friends with Algernon; Guardian of Cecily; In love with Gwendolen; Leads a second life under the alias Earnest
Jack’s complexity as a character comes in two forms, the literal complexity of his background and his greater status as a symbol of hypocrisy. Initially, Jack comes from an seemingly unknown origin, arriving in the Victoria Station Cloakroom by luck, then being taken in by Mr. Cardew. He then later finds within the play’s last act, that his origins are not as complex as he once believed, discovering he is actually the elder brother of Algernon. This only adds to his status as a symbol of insincerity, showcased through his actions immensely. Jack feels that the situation of his birth should not affect his social status, but later embraces his birth as a type of propulsion into a sought after marriage. Jack leads a double life under an alias, but criticizes Algernon use of an one later. Jack criticizes Algernon’s methods for courting Cecily, while using similar methods with Gwendolen.
Algernon Moncrieff - Nephew of Lady Bracknell and cousin of Gwendolen; Best friend of Jack; Poses as Jack’s fictional brother, Earnest Worthing, to gain access to his estate; Falls in love with Cecily; Said by some to be a manifestation of Wilde himself
Gwendolen Fairfax - Cousin of Algernon; Daughter of Lady Bracknell; In love with Jack
Cecily Cardew - Granddaughter of man who adopted Jack; 18
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