Lady Bracknell questions
Holly Edwards
11th January 2015

“Why might Lady Bracknell be considered a pivotal character? Consider plot in your discussions”

In the importance of being Earnest Lady Bracknell is considered a pivotal character as she’s the main reason for the problems in the script. If she had agreed to Gwendolen and Jack getting married, there would be no plot. Algy had invented Bunbury simply so he could escape from her and the social obligations she imposes on him. Lady Bracknell also bring the comic element to the play with her not letting Jack marry Gwendolen due to him being found in a handbag at a train station. “To marry into a cloak-room and form an alliance with a parcel? Good morning, Mr Worthing!” Without Lady Bracknell the story wouldn’t really exist as she supply’s the problems and the humour.
“What seems to motivate Lady Bracknell as a character?”
Lady Bracknell want’s to conform to the social expectations of her and her family. This is the main thing that motivates her; how her family are perceived to outsiders, when she finds out that Jack and Gwendolen are engaged her initial reaction was “I feel bound to tell you that you are not down on my list of eligible young men, although I have the same list as the dear Duchess of Bolton has. We work together in fact.” This quote helps to demonstrate how Lady Bracknell doesn’t care that Gwendolen may be happy, she is just worried about his income and how he would affect her family’s social status. Although by her doing this it adds a sense of iron icy as she’s doing a typical fatherly role, although Sir Bracknell isn’t able to attend adding another comic aspect to her role.