Making+sense+of+Importance+of+Being+Earnest

Importance of Being Earnest is no 'simple' piece of work, and simply taking at face-value and trying to get the whole drama will fail us in getting the whole picture. I believe it would be helpful if we separate the individual strands or strings that make up the drama and try to understand it bit by bit.

Concept maps are an excellent way to achieve this. We can create concept maps to establish the relationships and connections between the charcters in the drama as well as between the charcters and the various themes in the drama. These concept maps will help us identify what we already know about the drama as well as help us identify the missing bits or links according to our understanding of the drama.

The concept mapping tool can be downloaded at [|IHMC CmapTools]



This is an example of how a concept map can be used. I have created this 'relationship connections' cmap based on the first act of the drama. From this map we know the connections between Jack and Cecily, we also know the relationships between Algernon, Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen. There are of course several links missing such as the relationship between Gwendolen and Jack/Earnest and Algernon and Cecily. There are also some characters who hold various significance as the drama unfolds that are missing in this map. These gaps would be filled as we move further in to the drama. It is your job now to create similar concepts maps and explore the drama further using such concept maps.

The more connections you make between the different aspects of the drama, the more discussion questions will come up, I have started the discussion on "Bunburying" and look forward to further additions.