How does the play treat the ending's portrayal of marriage?

• A. It presents marriage as a solemn, tragic duty.
• B. It centers on a single union.
• C. It excludes marriage from the final act.
• D. It delivers a light, satirical closure through multiple marriages.

Answer: (D)

Marriage at the end is treated as a brisk, satirical social ritual rather than a solemn duty. The play wraps up with two engagements—Jack with Gwendolen, Algernon with Cecily—and the mood is buoyant, not grave, as all the complications are resolved through wit and cleverness rather than tragedy. Wilde’s humor springs from the performative nature of courtship in a society obsessed with names, lineage, and propriety, showing that romantic happiness can emerge from comic coincidences and social games. The women’s insistence on marrying men named Ernest and the adults’ easy concessions highlight the idea that marriage, in this world, is more about social amusement and arrangement than heavy moral weight. In short, the ending delivers a light, satirical closure through multiple marriages, matching the play’s playful critique of Victorian norms.