1 A find and a secret BEFORE READING Chapter 1 Tick the six true pieces of information about the text. a. Its subtitle is A trivial play for serious people . b. Oscar Wilde played one of the main characters in a performance. c. The play was published in 1899. d. The original play is divided into three acts. e. The play is set in London and Shropshire. f. The play was first shown in 1895 in London. g. The play was originally written in Irish. h. The play is one of Wilde s most famous comedies. i. The play takes place over two days. j. Oscar Wilde published the book under a pseudonym. 2 Read the list of contents and imagine what the play is about and who the protagonists are. a. The play is about 1. love and death. 2. family relationships. 3. love and honesty. b. The main characters are 1. two middle-aged, poor people. 2. three noble people from Ireland. 3. four young, British people. c. The story is set 1. in Scotland, in the 17th century. 2. in England, at the end of the 19th century. 3. in Wales, at the beginning of the 20th century. d. Oscar Wilde wrote this play to 1. mock contemporary Victorian society. 2. entertain the audience with some silly jokes. 3. stress the importance of seriousness and honesty. 6