The Importance of Being Earnest

Question

Act III

How is Lady Bracknell’s description of Gwendolen’s maid as “trusty” an example of verbal irony?

Answer 1

Lady Bracknell’s description of Gwendolen’s maid as “trusty” is an example of verbal irony because, as the audience knows, the maid has not actually been trustworthy. The maid, Cecily, has been deceiving Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen throughout the play by pretending to be Gwendolen’s maid when she is actually Jack’s ward. Lady Bracknell’s use of the term “trusty” to describe Cecily is therefore ironic because it is the opposite of the truth. This highlights the theme of deception and mistaken identities that runs throughout the play.