Act III

I. Suggested vocabulary list (to be copied out, translated, learnt and reproduced from the book):

1. effrontery
2. to be (very) forward of smb
3. to crush / dispel smb’s doubts
4. hesitation / to hesitate (he who hesitates is lost)
5. to die of smth (a disease / illness / heart failure / shame / grief); v. to die from smth (wounds / loss of blood)
6. morbidity
7. (to act) under proper medical advice
8. to be above the proper average
9. on sm’s part
10. a certificate of birth / marriage
11. (up)on the grounds / (up)on what grounds
12. under an assumed name
13. to come (legally) of age
14. to deposit smth
15. undoubtedly
16. to cast stones at/against smb
17. to wipe smth out
18. irrevocable
19. to be on speaking terms

II. Answer the following questions:

1. In what kind of mood were the two ladies in the morning?

1. How did their mood change when they saw the young men?
2. What make the ladies reconcile with the young men?
3. What principles were at stake and what did the ladies decide to do?
4. What made the young ladies think that men were infinitely beyond women?
5. How did it happen that Lady Bracknell appear and what she declare firmly?
6. What was her remark about the late Mr. Bunbury?
7. Where was Gwendolen supposed to be at the moment?
8. What was Lady Bracknell’s first reaction to Algernon and Cecily’s announcement about their engagement?
9. How did the conversation develop? What made her give her consent?
10. What happened to young Lady Lancing after she had altered her clothes and her hair?
11. What conversation took place about Cecily’s age?
12. What impression did the name “Prism” make upon Lady Bracknell?
13. What kind of confession did Miss Prism make about the baby?
14. Who did Jack think was his mother?
15. What information of “paramount” importance did Lady Bracknell give to him?
16. How did Jack discover his identity?
17. What is the happy end of the comedy?

III. Comment on the following:

1. In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing. (Gwendolen)
2. Where questions of self-sacrifice are concerned, men are infinitely beyond us. They have moments of physical courage of which we women know absolutely nothing.
3. Hesitation of any kind is a sign of mental decay in the young, of physical weakness in the old.
4. Three addresses always inspire confidence, even in tradesmen.
5. We live in the age of surfaces.
6. The two weak points in our age are its want of principle and its want of profile. Style largely depends on the way the chin is worn. They are worn very high just at present.
7. Never speak disrespectfully of society. Only people who can’t get into it do that.
8. I am not in favour of long engagements. They give people the opportunity of finding out each other’s character before marriage, which is never advisable.
9. He has nothing, but he looks everything.
10. No woman should be quite accurate about her age. It looks so calculating. London is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained thrity-five for years.
11. Lady Bracknell: Is this Miss Prism a female of repellent character, remotely concerned with education? Chasuble: She is the most cultivated of ladies, and the very picture of respectability.

Lady Bracknell: It is obviously the same person.

1. If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life.
2. I never change except in my affections.
3. The General was essentially a man of peace, except in domestic life.
4. It is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth.