How do female characters shape the play's outcome?

• A. Gwendolen and Cecily drive the romantic plot through desire and agency; Miss Prism's revelations impact Jack's legitimacy; They influence the final marriages.
• B. Gwendolen and Lady Bracknell orchestrate every decision from the sidelines.
• C. The male protagonists decide all outcomes with minimal female input.
• D. The ending relies on external events outside the characters' control.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that female characters drive the outcome through their desires, social maneuvering, and key revelations. Gwendolen and Cecily actively shape the romantic plot: their insistence on marrying a man named Ernest, their wit, and their bold pursuit of love push the couples toward engagement and ultimately marriage. Miss Prism’s confession about Jack’s true parentage changes his legal status, removing a crucial obstacle and making Jack’s union with Cecily legitimate. Together, these female-driven moves steer the play toward its happy, paired endings.

This isn’t driven by one woman silently guiding events from the wings, nor by the male leads deciding everything on their own. It also isn’t about external forces controlling the outcome; the decisive shifts come from the characters’ own actions and the revelations surrounding identity and legitimacy, which ultimately enable the final marriages.