The Importance of Being Earnest Challenge Quiz
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde · 5 multiple-choice questions with answers · about 4 min
Test your knowledge of The Importance of Being Earnest with 5 challenge questions with answers and explanations — the hardest questions — exam-style thinking. Ideal for revision once you have read the whole play.
The hardest questions — exam-style thinking. Drawn from the whole play — contains spoilers.
Skills tested: Theme, Inference · Difficulty: Challenge
The Importance of Being Earnest Challenge questions
The answers and an explanation for each question appear as you play, and on the answer-key page of the printout.
- What does Lady Bracknell's interview of Jack reveal about her values?
She cares deeply about Jack's character · She wants Gwendolen to marry for love · She thinks class divisions are absurd · Money and birth matter more to her than love
- Why do Cecily and Gwendolen quarrel over tea?
Each wants to be mistress of the house · Gwendolen insults Cecily's governess · Cecily refuses to give up her diary · Each believes she is engaged to Ernest
- What does Jack discover about his own identity?
He is Miss Prism's own long-lost son · He is secretly Cecily's real father · He is Algernon's elder brother, named Ernest · He is no relation to anyone present
- Wilde subtitled the play 'A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'. What does this suggest?
It is meant only for an audience of children · It treats trivia seriously and serious things lightly · It contains no social criticism of any kind · It was written for a royal audience alone
- What do Gwendolen's and Cecily's romantic fantasies have in common?
Both want to escape their families · Both love the idea of 'Ernest', not the man · Both plan to marry for money alone · Both dislike living in the country
More The Importance of Being Earnest practice: all The Importance of Being Earnest quizzes · characters quiz · plot recall quiz · challenge quiz · read The Importance of Being Earnest free
Keyed to the standard three-act version of the play, not the earlier four-act draft.
Original questions written for Pagine. Quotations are from the public-domain text.
Frequently asked questions
Is this The Importance of Being Earnest Challenge quiz free?
Yes. All 5 questions are free with answers and explanations. Play online with instant feedback, or print it as a test with an answer key — no sign-up needed.
What does the The Importance of Being Earnest Challenge quiz cover?
5 challenge questions drawn from every part of The Importance of Being Earnest. The hardest questions — exam-style thinking. It tests theme, inference at challenge level.
Does it contain spoilers?
Yes — it draws on the whole play, including the ending.
Can I use it with a class?
Yes. Print it with the answer key for a reading check, homework or revision lesson, or share the link so students can take it online.
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