The Importance of Being Earnest timeline

"Good heavens! Is marriage so demoralizing as that?"
Lane told Algy that married households only have first-rate wine, whereas bachelor's establishment has the best quality. This makes Algy believe that marriage demoralizes ur taste in certain things.

"If I ever get married, I'll certainly try to forget the fact."
Algy believes that falling in love is romantic but getting married takes the romance out of love completely. It comes with uncertainty.

"I am in love with Gwendolen. I have come to town expressly to propose to her." Jack looks at marriage in a more traditional light. since he loves Gwendolen he believes he needs to get married to her.

"The amount of women in London who flirt with their own husbands is perfectly scandalous." Algy thinks that flirting with your husband or wife is bad because he believes that no woman will marry the men they flirt with.

"Gwendolen, will you marry me?"
Jack proposes to Gwendolen because they love each other. But Gwendolen says she could only love an Earnest, so he can't tell her his real name because he's scared she won't love him then.

"I can't live without you, Cecily! You know I love you. Will you marry me? Will you be my wife?" Algernon has fallen in love with Cecily and doesn't care anymore what is foolish or what his thoughts on marriage were before. All he feels now is a passionate love.

"Well, I simply want to be engaged to Cecily. I adore her." Algernon has come to realize that all he wants is to be married to Cecily. He will do anything for her, even change his name.

"I want to be engaged to Gwendolen,that is all. I love her." Jack loves Gwendolen no matter what. he's willing to change his name for her. And he is terribly sorry for lying to her.

"When a man does exactly what a woman expects him to do she doesn't think much of him. One should always do what a woman doesn't expect, just as one should always say what she doesn't understand." Algernon believes that doing the opposite of what a woman expects is what you should do. Woman are not supposed to understand men it seems. He thinks of woman in a belittling way

"I am engaged to be married to Gwendolen, Lady Bracknell!"
When Lady Bracknell tells Jack that all communication must cease between himself and Gwendolen, he replies with this indignant reply. Because they are engaged he thinks that nothing can keep them from getting married. He doesn't understand why her mother is getting in the way of them getting married.

"I am engaged to be married to Cecily, Aunt Augusta."
Algy is telling his aunt that he is engaged. He finally met someone who he wants to spend the rest of his life.

"I am Miss Cardew's guardian, and she cannot marry without my consent until she comes of age. That consent I decline to give." Jack isn't giving his consent for Cecily to marry Algy because he doesn't believe that Algy is worthy of her. And he's also using this power to blackmail Lady Bracknell into giving her permission to marry Gwendolen.

"Of course I could, Cecily. How can you ask me such a question? I could wait forever for you. You know I could." Cecily asks Algy if he could wait till she was 35 to marry her, and he promises her that he could. He no longer views marriage as demoralising otherwise he would not wait for her

"The moment you consent to my marriage with Gwendolen, I will most gladly allow your nephew to form an alliance with my ward."
Jack is using his power of Cecily to blackmail Lady Bracknell into letting him marry Gwendolen.

"Cecily! At last!" Finally Algy and Cecily are allowed to get married and he is so happy.