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Age and build

Referred to as aunt by adult nephew

“ALGERNON. Oh! merely Aunt Augusta and Gwendolen” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Face and hair

The book is silent here, so we keep this plain and neutral.

Dress

The book is silent here, so we keep this plain and neutral.

Voice and speech

Speaks with formal, measured authority

“LADY BRACKNELL. Good afternoon, dear Algernon, I hope you are behaving very well” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Uses stern, judicial tone

“LADY BRACKNELL. [In a severe, judicial voice.] Prism” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 3)

Signature words

Frequent use of 'I am afraid'

“I am afraid Aunt Augusta won’t quite approve of your being here” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Habitual phrase 'I must say'

“Well, I must say, Algernon, that I think it is high time that Mr. Bunbury made up his mind” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Frequent use of 'I am pleased to hear it'

“LADY BRACKNELL. I am pleased to hear it” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Habitual phrase 'I do not approve'

“Nor do I in any way approve of the modern sympathy with invalids” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Frequent use of 'I confess'

“Mr. Worthing, I confess I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Gait and mannerisms

Sweeps out in majestic indignation

“Lady Bracknell sweeps out in majestic indignation” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Bows with icy coldness

“Sees Jack and bows to him with icy coldness” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Fixes people with a stony glare

“Catches sight of Lady Bracknell, who has fixed her with a stony glare” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 3)

Uses a practised smile

“Then bends, with a practised smile, to Cecily” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 3)

Strengths

Commands absolute authority over her family

“While I am making these inquiries, you, Gwendolen, will wait for me below in the carriage” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Possesses extensive social knowledge and connections

“I feel bound to tell you that you are not down on my list of eligible young men, although I have the same list as the dear Duchess of Bolton has” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Demonstrates keen observational skills about character and propriety

“There are distinct social possibilities in your profile. The two weak points in our age are its want of principle and its want of profile” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 3)

Flaws

Rigidly judgmental about social status and origins

“To be born, or at any rate bred, in a hand-bag, whether it had handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Dismisses education and values ignorance

“I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Hypocritical about truth and deception

“I have never undeceived him on any question. I would consider it wrong” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 3)

Mercenary despite claiming otherwise

“A hundred and thirty thousand pounds! And in the Funds! Miss Cardew seems to me a most attractive young lady, now that I look at her” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 3)

Traits

Obsessed with social position and respectability

“Never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon. Only people who can’t get into it do that” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 3)

Disapproves of modern sentimentality and weakness

“Health is the primary duty of life. I am always telling that to your poor uncle, but he never seems to take much notice” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

Believes in strict propriety and decorum

“Hesitation of any kind is a sign of mental decay in the young, of physical weakness in the old” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 3)

Pragmatic about marriage and money

“When I married Lord Bracknell I had no fortune of any kind. But I never dreamed for a moment of allowing that to stand in my way” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 3)

Lines in their own words

“That’s not quite the same thing. In fact the two things rarely go together” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

“To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

“A hand-bag” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 1)

“You must be quite aware that what you propose is out of the question” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 3)

“I am afraid that the news I have to give you will not altogether please you. You are the son of my poor sister, Mrs. Moncrieff, and consequently Algernon’s elder brother” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 3)

“I dislike arguments of any kind. They are always vulgar, and often convincing” (The Importance Of Being Earnest, part 3)