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Dr. Chasuble is a minor character who illustrates the idea of public versus private personas. He is a country reverend who is known publicly for his work in the church. He is the one both Jack and Algernon ask to christen them with the name “Ernest” to please their lovers. Privately, however, Dr. Chasuble harbors romantic feelings for Miss Prism, marking his departure from the stereotypical clergyman. Dr. Chasuble’s religious and social responsibilities clash with his desire, making his personal struggle difficult. This results in a great source of comedy, as Wilde uses Dr. Chasuble to poke fun at religious authority figures who bend rules to serve their own pursuits.
Speaking almost entirely in metaphor, Dr. Chasuble is crafted more as a caricature of an intellectual but absent-minded reverend. He is responsible for his parishioners, yet he often re-uses sermons for vastly different settings. He governs himself closely, but occasionally, the truth of his lust-filled desire pokes through his composed exterior, causing him to squirm and overexplain. In the end, he gives over to his longing by falling into Miss Prism’s loving arms.
