Jenny Black Prof. N. Dunn ENGL 1105 Sem #6 19 Nov 2008 Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest: A Desire to be Recreated Algernon becomes Ernest in order to fulfill his selfish desires through meeting Cecily. After Algernon meets Cecily, claiming that he is Jack’s brother Ernest, Jack returns and sees Algernon at his house. Jack is very discouraged with Algernon and Algernon claims, “It has been a great success. I’m in love with Cecily, and that is everything. But I must see her before I go, and make arrangements for another Bunbury” (2.1027). Algernon plays the role of Ernest in order to meet Cecily and commit to bunburying. Through dramatic irony, as a new man, he can be anyone he wants to be and try to make Cecily fall in love with him. Algernon is only interested in accomplishing his desires, which is winning Cecily over by taking over the name “Ernest”. As a result, Algernon is revealed to Cecily as his rightful name, instead of the man Cecily fell in love with. Algernon wanted to satisfy his desires by referring to himself as Ernest, thereby winning the affection of Cecily. In Oscar Wilde’s play, The Importance of Being_ Earnest_, both characters, Algy and Jack rename themselves in order to become a different person and ultimately satisfy their desires to find a happy ending. Being “Ernest” depicts a man of value and substance and although neither Jack nor Algy was being earnest throughout the play, as a result, Jack turned out to be named Ernest. The Importance of being Ernest was a topic presented throughout the play with Algy and Jack, yet actually displaying earnestness was not a topic illustrated in Jack or Algy.