Which statement best describes the central double-life motif in the play?

• A. Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff.
• B. Miss Prism and Lady Bracknell
• C. Rev. Chasuble and Lane
• D. Cecily and Gwendolen

Answer: (A)

At the heart of Wilde’s comedy is the idea that people perform double lives to dodge social expectations and chase personal desires. The two main characters embody this best: Jack Worthing leads a country life under his own name while presenting himself in the city as the younger, wilder Ernest; Algernon Moncrieff fabricates a whole alternate existence around Bunbury, a fictitious invalid friend he uses to escape duties. These paired deceptions drive the plot, create the misunderstandings, and fuel the satire of “earnestness” as a social costume. The other characters are important to the world Wilde builds, but they don’t personify the central double-life motif the way Jack and Algernon do, making their dynamic the clearest expression of the play’s theme.