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| Character | Lady Bracknell | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | Female | |
| Age Range(s) | Adult (36-50), Senior (>50) | |
| Type of monologue / Character is | Complaining, Mocking | |
| Type | Comic | |
| Year | 1895 | |
| Period | 19th Century | |
| Genre | Romance, Comedy | |
| Description | Lady Bracknell expresses her disappointment about her nephew having to leave to take care of "Bunbury" | |
| Details | ACT 1 Scene 1 | |
Summary
Lady Bracknell is Algernon's aunt and Gwendolen's mother. Algernon's friend, Jack Worthing (That Algernon knows as Ernest Worthing), comes to London to propose to Algernon's cousin Gwendolen. Algernon, however, finds out that his friend's real name is Jack, not Ernest and demands an explanation. Jack confesses he leads a double life, Jack in the countryside and "Ernest" in the city. He tells his ward, Cecily, that he has a sick brother in the city by the name of Ernest that requires constant attention. Algernon confesses he engages in a similar deception, telling his family that he has an invalid friend in the countryside by the name of "Bunbury", and goes to "visit" him when he needs to get away.
In this scene, in the middle of ACT I, Lady Bracknell has just invited his nephew to dine with her and Gwendolen. Algernon doesn't want to go and makes up the usual excuse: Bunbury is having one of his relapses and needs care. In this funny monologue, Lady Bracknell expresses her disappointment about the fact that his friend Bunbury is always having relapses at the wrong times and she is tired of his invalid friend being ill as, she argues, "health is the primary duty of life"....
In this scene, in the middle of ACT I, Lady Bracknell has just invited his nephew to dine with her and Gwendolen. Algernon doesn't want to go and makes up the usual excuse: Bunbury is having one of his relapses and needs care. In this funny monologue, Lady Bracknell expresses her disappointment about the fact that his friend Bunbury is always having relapses at the wrong times and she is tired of his invalid friend being ill as, she argues, "health is the primary duty of life"....
Written by Administrator
| Excerpt |
|---|
| LADY BRACKNELL: "It is very strange. This Mr. Bunbury seems to suffer from curiously bad health." [ALGERNON: "Yes; poor Bunbury is a dreadful invalid."] LADY BRACKNELL: "Well, I must say, Algernon, that I think it is high time that Mr. Bunbury made up his mind whether he was going to live or to die. This shilly-shallying with the question is absurd. Nor do I in any way approve of the modern sympathy with invalids. I consider it morbid. Illness of any kind is hardly a thing to be encouraged in others. Health is the primary duty of life. I am always telling that to your poor uncle, but he never seems to take much notice as far as any improvement in his ailment goes. I should be much obliged if you would ask Mr. Bunbury, from me, to be kind enough not to have a relapse on Saturday, for I rely on you to arrange my music for me. It is my last reception, and one wants something that will encourage conversation, particularly at the end of the season when every one has practically said whatever they had to say, which, in most cases, was probably not much." |
