Lady Bracknell

E675436

Lady Bracknell is a formidable, aristocratic matriarch in Oscar Wilde’s play "The Importance of Being Earnest," known for her sharp wit, social snobbery, and comic authoritarianism.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf aristocrat
fictional character
matriarch
theatrical character
appearsIn The Importance of Being Earnest NERFINISHED
associatedWithTheme Victorian morality
class
hypocrisy
marriage
characterTrait authoritarian
conservative
domineering
formidable
snobbish
witty
concern respectability
social status
suitable marriages
countryOfOriginContext United Kingdom NERFINISHED
creator Oscar Wilde NERFINISHED
culturalImpact iconic role in English‑language theatre
symbol of domineering society matron
famousLineContext “A handbag?”
firstAppearance The Importance of Being Earnest NERFINISHED
firstPerformanceYearContext 1895
genreOfWorkContext comedy of manners
hasAdaptationAppearance film adaptations of The Importance of Being Earnest
radio adaptations of The Importance of Being Earnest
television adaptations of The Importance of Being Earnest
literaryFunction comic obstacle to young lovers
embodiment of social snobbery
satire of aristocratic values
medium stage
originalLanguageOfWorkContext English
relationshipToAlgernonMoncrieff aunt
relationshipToGwendolenFairfax mother
relationshipToLordBracknell wife
relative Algernon Moncrieff NERFINISHED
Gwendolen Fairfax NERFINISHED
Lord Bracknell NERFINISHED
roleInNarrative antagonist
comic figure
settingContext Victorian London NERFINISHED
socialClass upper class
socialStatus aristocracy
typicalCasting middle‑aged woman
older woman

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Edith Evans notableRole Lady Bracknell