John, Jack, Ernest Worthing

Jack Worthing, the main character, is the major landowner in Hertfordshire, where he has a country residence. There, where he is known by Jack, he is the pillar of the community. He is the tutor of Mr. Cardew’s granddaughter, Cecily. For years, he has pretended to have an irresponsible younger brother named Earnest, whom he is always having to bail out of some mischief. In fact, he himself is the reprobate brother Earnest. Ernest is the name Jack goes by in London, where he really goes on these occasions. The fictional brother is Jack’s alibi for disappearing from Hertfordshire and going to London to get off his responsibilities and to see his beloved.

Until he seeks to marry Gwendolen, Jack has used Earnest as an escape from real life, but Gwendolen’s fixation on that name, so it  obligates Jack to embrace his deception. He pretended to be baptized as Earnest for her beloved. At the end of the story he will know his origin and who were his parents and surprisingly, he will know that he has a real brother.


Algernon Moncrieff.