THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL

- RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN

Author
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Year of Publication & First Performed
1777
Type
Play
Genre
Comedy
About the Title
The title relates to the popularity of malicious scandal and gossip in 18th-century London's
upper-class salons. These salons were highly cultured and insular environments in which wit and
complex mannerisms were learned as if taught in a school. Middle-class audiences of Sheridan's
time delighted in comic plays, called comedies of manners, exposing the foibles of a privileged,
self-indulgent class. As portrayed in plays such as The School for Scandal, the upper classes had
nothing better to do with their time than to tear down reputations, engage in trivial and superficial
pursuits, and score points with each other for witty banter at the expense of the truth.

CONTEXT
Literature in the Age of Reason
The Age of Reason, also called the Enlightenment, was an epoch of measured discourse,
scientific advancement, and social and literary refinement that spanned the 17th and 18th centuries.
The movement witnessed the primacy of rational as opposed to emotional values. The flagship
authors of the era were poet John Dryden (1631–1700), author Jonathan Swift (1667–1745), poet
Alexander Pope (1688–1744), novelist Henry Fielding (1707–54) and literary critic Samuel
Johnson (1709–84).

Several new literary forms developed during this time. One of the most popular was the mock-epic
poem exemplified by Pope's The Rape of the Lock (1712). A mock-epic applies the characteristics
of a classical epic to a trivial subject. For example, in Pope's poem, the theft of a lock of hair is
treated as if it were so important it could cause a war. Another popular literary form was the verse
epistle, a long poem in the form of a letter addressed to a particular person or group. In addition,
many poets wrote verse satires, long poems meant to ridicule some kind of action, event, or person.
The comedy of manners in drama, the genre to which The School for Scandal belongs, also
flourished at this time. The genre got its start in the opening decades of the Restoration (1660–85),
when the exiled King Charles II was placed back on the throne in England. A comedy of manners
is a play that makes fun of the behavior of a particular class, usually the upper class. Sheridan was
a master of the comedy of manners.
Alongside these relatively traditional literary genres, a new type of prose narrative developed
whose very name proclaimed its innovative features: the novel. The rise of the English novel,
beginning around 1720, was guided by three brilliant authors: Daniel Defoe (1660–1731), Samuel
Richardson (1689–1761), and Fielding.

The Comedy of Manners

In England as well as in France the most popular type of drama during the Age of Reason was the
comedy of manners. This type of comedy is defined as a play that dramatizes and often satirizes
usage, habits, and standards in contemporary society. A comedy of manners usually contains witty
dialogue and satirically calls human frailties and foibles into question.

Literary historians often claim that the comedy of manners was invented by Sir George Etherege
(1635–92). However, it would be more accurate to say that the genre gradually developed over the
four decades from 1660 to 1700. It involved playwrights such as William Wycherley (1641–1716),
Etherege, George Farquhar (1678–1707), John Gay (1685–1732), Aphra Behn (1640–89), and
William Congreve (1670–1729). These English playwrights operated in tandem with the towering
French genius Molière (1622–73), whose comedies of manners ruled the French stage in the mid-
17th century. Nearly a century later, in 1777, Sheridan's comedy of manners was a great hit. The
School for Scandal is often considered the greatest comedy of manners in English.

Speaking Names
Speaking names, also called type names, are names that in some way describe or relate to
the nature of a character. They are a prominent feature of the comedy of manners. Restoration and
18th-century dramatists did not invent this device. The convention is as old as the ancient Greek
comedies of Aristophanes and Menander in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE. Ancient Greek comedy,
in turn, set a pattern for the Latin comedies of Plautus (c. 254–184 BCE). Among his plays, there
are many characters with speaking names. For example, he gave the name Curculio, a Latin word
for weevil (a kind of insect), to a parasite-like character in the play of the same name.
Imitation of this device by the playwrights of the Restoration Age reflected the admiration
they cherished for the classical heritage. Most speaking names accurately signal their characters'
stereotyped nature. For example, Lady Sneerwell (sneer + well) and Snake in The School for
Scandal follow this pattern. However, some names are more intriguingly ambiguous. For example,
the three characters in Sheridan's play named "Surface," for their last names, characterize different
connotations of the word surface. All three are not what they seem to be at first sight. For
example, Joseph Surface, who appears to be upright and respectable, is actually a hypocrite and
something of a lecher. Charles Surface, who appears to be a wastrel, actually has a good heart.
And Sir Oliver Surface, the young men's uncle, assumes two disguises in the course of the play.
In an effort to identify his nephews' true nature, he becomes "Mr. Premium" and "Mr. Stanley."
This is only one of several characteristics borrowed from the Greco-Roman theatrical
traditions. Others include true love facing parental opposition, mistaken identities, servants more
clever than their masters, stereotypical villains and heroes, a moral ending of punishment and
reward, and plenty of visual as well as verbal jokes. England had a long history of such borrowing;
Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors is, for example, the reworking of the play Menaechmi by Plautus.
Even before Shakespeare, traveling troupes offered these stock situations and verbal styles, and
medieval morality and miracle plays also included them. What changed in this time period was
that the genre expresses the increasing strength of the upper middle classes pushing against the old
powers of the Church and aristocracy.

Actors and Playhouses

Restoration drama entered the picture with the return of Charles II from exile in 1660. The English
playhouses had been closed down in adherence to Puritan demand for 18 years, when the Puritans
had control of Parliament. Charles II issued a charter for the first Drury Lane Theatre to be built,
and it opened for the first time in 1663. The new theater scene featured a number of dramatic
changes.

Women's parts had been played by boys in Elizabethan and Jacobean theater, from 1561 to 1642.
Now, for the first time in the history of the English theater, female actors played female roles.
Actresses such as Nell Gwyn (1650–87) and Sarah Siddons (1755–1831) added immensely to the
theater's popularity, and some of them—notably Gwyn—caught the special interest of the king.
Charles II made Gwyn one of his many mistresses.

Playhouses were also greatly expanded. Around 1775 David Garrick, the actor and producer who
managed Drury Lane, enlarged the theater so it could accommodate 2,300 spectators. In the early
1800s after a disastrous fire, the theatre was rebuilt and the capacity grew to over 3,000. New
forms of entertainment, such as ballet, pantomime, and circus acts, also took hold.

PLOT SUMMARY
The School for Scandal begins in the dressing room of Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy widow
with a penchant for plotting and spreading rumors. Lady Sneerwell has hired Snake to forge letters
for her and place false stories in the gossip columns. They discuss her plot to stop Charles Surface,
whom she loves, from becoming engaged to the heiress Maria. Lady Sneerwell is conspiring with
Charles’s older brother Joseph, who has a reputation for goodness, but is really a selfish hypocrite
and liar, and who wants to marry Maria for her money. Snake departs and a group of
gossipmongers, including Joseph, Mrs. Candour, Sir Benjamin Backbite, and Mr.
Crabtree congregate at Lady Sneerwell’s house. Maria is also there, but she rushes from the room
in distress when the others gossip about Charles’s enormous debts and financial misfortunes.

The next scene introduces Sir Peter Teazle and his confidante Mr. Rowley. Sir Peter has
lived all his life as a bachelor, but seven months ago married a much younger woman. He and Lady
Teazle fight all the time and Sir Peter is sure his wife is always to blame. He complains of the bad
influence that Lady Sneerwell has on his wife. He is also upset because Maria, who is his ward,
does not want to marry Joseph. Sir Peter, who served for some time as a guardian to the Surface
brothers, is convinced that Joseph is an exemplary young man with strong morals, and he believes
that Charles is not only badly behaved, but also bad deep down. Rowley disagrees: he thinks
Charles is wild, but will grow up into a good man. Rowley delivers the news that Sir Peter’s old
friend Sir Oliver Surface has arrived back in England after sixteen years in the East Indies.

The second act begins with a quarrel between the Teazles in their home. Lady Teazle wants
large sums of money to buy luxury goods. Sir Peter reminds her that she grew up simply and lived
with none of the things she now says she needs. Lady Teazle says she remembers that boring life
well. After his wife leaves, Sir Peter marvels at how attractive she is when she argues with him.

At Lady Sneerwell’s the gossipmongers (now including the Teazles) are laughing at their
acquaintances’ appearances and misfortunes. Maria and Sir Peter find this gossip appalling, while
Lady Teazle joins in with the others in making jokes at others’ expenses. Away from the others,
Joseph tries to convince Maria to consider him as a potential husband, but she refuses. Although
she says she knows from all she has heard that Charles is not fit to marry her, she will not consider
marrying his brother. Lady Teazle, who has been considering taking Joseph as a lover, enters the
room to find Joseph on his knees in front of Maria. He makes an excuse and, after Lady Teazle
sends Maria from the room, begins to try to seduce Lady Teazle, but she is not sure whether to
trust his explanation of what she saw.

Rowley brings Sir Oliver to see Sir Peter’s house. They rejoice at being reunited, and Sir
Peter gives Sir Oliver his impressions of the Joseph and Charles (who are his nephews and potential
heirs). Sir Oliver thinks that the description of Joseph that Sir Peter gives is too good to be true.

Sir Oliver hatches a plot to test his nephews’ characters and choose an heir. When Sir
Oliver left the country Charles and Joseph were too young to now remember what he looks like,
and Sir Oliver plans to use this fact to test them. He plans to go to Charles disguised as a
moneylender named “Mr. Premium,” to see how extravagant Charles really is. To test Joseph’s
alleged morality, he plans to visit his older nephew in the guise of a poor relative who needs charity
named “Mr. Stanley.”

Rowley introduces Sir Oliver to Moses, a Jewish moneylender who will accompany him
to see Charles, and the two men leave to call on Charles. Left alone, Sir Peter immediately gets
into an argument with Maria, who says she will not obey his command to marry Joseph. Maria
runs from the room and Lady Teazle enters. Sir Peter proposes that they should stop their
quarrelling and his wife agrees, but when he tells her that she was always the one to start their
fights in the past, they begin to fight again. Sir Peter accuses Lady Teazle of having an affair with
Charles Surface, a rumor that Snake and Lady Sneerwell have been spreading. She indignantly
denies this and leaves. Sir Peter is infuriated, especially because Lady Teazle never loses her
temper when they fight.

Sir Oliver, pretending to be Mr. Premium, arrives with Moses at Charles’s house, where
Charles is drinking and playing cards with friends. Charles appeals to Mr. Premium for money,
explaining that although he has sold off all his property, he expects to be the heir of the fabulously
wealthy Sir Oliver. Charles suggests that Mr. Premium can collect the debt when Sir Oliver dies.
Mr. Premium presses Charles for other collateral, and Charles suggests that he can sell him
the family portraits. Inwardly, Sir Oliver is shocked at the disrespect this shows to family tradition,
but he bids for the portraits in an auction. As the auction nears its end, Sir Oliver asks if Charles
will sell him a specific portrait. Charles refuses, saying that it is the portrait of his generous
benefactor Sir Oliver. Touched, Sir Oliver inwardly forgives Charles for being so extravagant.

In the next scene, Lady Teazle arrives late for a date with Joseph at his house. She
complains about her fights with Sir Peter, but is still unsure whether she wants to commit adultery
with Joseph. Sir Peter arrives and, terrified of being discovered, Lady Teazle hides behind a screen
in Joseph’s room as Sir Peter makes his way up the stairs. Sir Peter confides in Joseph that he is
worried his wife is having an affair with Charles, but that he plans to soon give her financial
independence from him, which he hopes will ease their fights. Sir Peter begins to talk to Joseph
about his desire to marry Maria, but Joseph tries to stop him, not wanting Lady Teazle to learn that
he is courting Maria too. At that moment, Charles arrives. Sir Peter says he will eavesdrop on the
brothers to discover the truth about Charles and his wife. Sir Peter tries to hide behind the screen,
but Joseph stops him, explaining that he already has a lover hiding there. Sir Peter hides in a closet
instead. Charles enters and Joseph asks him about Lady Teazle. Charles denies any involvement
with Lady Teazle and begins to say that he believed Joseph and Lady Teazle were the ones having
the affair. Joseph stops Charles by telling him Sir Peter is listening. Sir Peter comes out and tells
Charles he is very relieved. Joseph leaves the room for a moment and Sir Peter tells Charles that
his brother has a woman hidden in the room. As Joseph returns to the room, the screen is pulled
down to reveal Lady Teazle. Although Joseph tries to explain Lady Teazle’s presence there, Lady
Teazle tells her husband the truth: she was considering having an affair with Joseph, who she now
understands is a liar and hypocrite. She says that, even if she had not been discovered, she would
have changed her treatment of Sir Peter after hearing how kindly he spoke about her.

Soon after the Teazles leave, Joseph is visited by Sir Oliver, who pretends to be a poor
relative named Mr. Stanley. Joseph speaks politely and eloquently about charity, but he tells Mr.
Stanley that he has no money to give and that the rumors that his uncle sends him large sums of
money are false. Under his breath, Sir Oliver says that Charles will be his heir. After Sir Oliver
leaves, Rowley arrives to tell Joseph that his uncle has returned from the Indies and that he will
bring him to Joseph’s house soon to see him. Joseph curses the bad timing of his uncle’s arrival.
 At Sir Peter’s house, the gossipmongers have gathered to try to find out what really
happened between the Teazles. The servant refuses them entry so they stand in an anteroom
arguing about what the real story is. Some believe that Sir Peter caught Lady Teazle with Charles,
while others allege that it was Joseph. They also report that Sir Peter was wounded in a duel fought
with the wife-stealing Surface brother, but there is no consensus about whether swords or pistols
were used in the fight. Sir Peter then walks in unharmed and shouts for the ridiculous gossips to
leave his house. Rowley and Sir Oliver arrive to tell Sir Peter to come to Joseph’s house for the
meeting between the Surface brothers and Sir Oliver. Rowley pleads Lady Teazle’s case, saying
that he spoke to her and she feels terrible for the pain and embarrassment she caused him. Upon
Rowley’s urging, Sir Peter decides to reconcile with Lady Teazle.

At Joseph’s house, Lady Sneerwell complains that Joseph ruined her chance to disrupt
Charles and Maria’s engagement by getting caught pursuing Lady Teazle. Joseph tells Lady
Sneerwell she may still have a chance with Charles because Snake has forged letters that suggest
Charles has pledged to marry Lady Sneerwell, which should also ruin Charles’s chances with
Maria. Sir Oliver and Charles arrive, and Lady Sneerwell hides in the next room. The brothers
wish to make a good impression on Sir Oliver and try to force the man they believe to be Mr.
Premium or Mr. Stanley from the room, fearing what he will say to their uncle about their behavior.

Sir Peter, Lady Teazle, Rowley, and Maria arrive, and the Teazles reveal to the Surface
brothers that the man they are throwing out of the house is their Uncle Oliver. Joseph tries to make
excuses for his behavior, but Charles only apologizes for having disrespected the family by selling
the portraits. Sir Oliver tells Charles he forgives him everything and Joseph that he sees through
his hypocrisy. Lady Teazle suggests that Charles may also be interested in gaining Maria’s
forgiveness, but Maria says that she knows he is already engaged to another. Charles is
dumbfounded. Lady Sneerwell emerges from hiding to claim that Charles is engaged to her, but
Rowley summons Snake, who reveals that he was paid to forge letters for Lady Sneerwell, but
paid double to reveal the truth to Rowley. Lady Sneerwell storms from the room in frustration and
Joseph follows. The play ends with an engagement between Maria and Charles, who will be his
uncle’s sole heir.

CHARACTERS
Sir Peter Teazle
Despite his eccentricities, Sir Peter Teazle seems generally respected. He has, for example,
been appointed Maria's guardian, and he served as a mentor to Joseph and Charles Surface after
the death of their father, who was Sir Peter's good friend. He also enjoys a close friendship with
Sir Oliver Surface, the young men's uncle. He is both conventional and eccentric, immersed in
petty quarrels with his lighthearted, flirtatious young wife. As the couple's name suggests, the
Teazles often irritate and grate on each other. But Sir Peter does seem to love Lady Teazle. What
sets Sir Peter apart from most of the other characters is his disapproval of Lady Sneerwell's
scandalmongering group.

Lady Teazle
Lady Teazle is the most dynamic character in the play since she undergoes a major change.
Presented at first as coquettish and flippant, she begins the play as an enthusiastic participant in
Lady Sneerwell's gossipy circle. She even entertains the possibility of an affair with Joseph Surface
in order to spite her irritable husband. However, when she is unmasked at the end of Act 4, Scene
3, Lady Teazle denounces hypocrisy and rejoins her husband.

Sir Oliver Surface

Sir Oliver Surface is a jolly but hard-driving businessman who defies convention in many
respects but is still shown to harbor a certain vanity. After returning from a long trip to the East
Indies, he hears rumors about his nephews. Sir Oliver decides to test them to find out if Charles
Surface is extravagant and dissipated and if Joseph Surface is prudent and virtuous. As one editor
of the play has pointed out, all three characters with the name "Surface" are not what they seem.
In Sir Oliver's case, the surname clearly refers to his impersonations, as he disguises himself first
as the moneylender Mr. Premium, and then as the poor family relation Mr. Stanley to test his
nephews.

Joseph Surface
Joseph Surface is in love with Maria, Sir Peter Teazle's ward, but his infatuation hinges not
on affection but on her money. Joseph poses as a prudent and modest person, and he is widely
considered to be a perfect foil for his extravagant, wastrel younger brother, Charles. However, it
is soon revealed that Joseph is a backstabber, a hypocrite, and something of a lecher. Joseph's high
moment in the play is Act 4, Scene 3. In the scene he plays the role of a nimble double dealer,
trying to juggle his money-driven attachment to Maria, his good standing with Sir Peter, and the
chances of an affair with Lady Teazle.

Charles Surface
Charles Surface's penchants for drinking, gambling, and womanizing cause him to be
perpetually short of funds, and he has run up large amounts of debt. His extravagances, in fact, are
the talk of London. Charles and Maria are in love, but his lack of respectability has caused Sir
Peter Teazle, Maria's guardian, to become increasingly unfavorable to any such match. Meanwhile,
Lady Sneerwell is secretly in love with Charles. Like the other characters named "Surface" in the
play, Charles Surface is not what he seems. In fact, his extravagant, dissipated exterior masks a
kind and charitable heart. This dimension of his character, however, is only gradually revealed in
the comedy. Charles's goodness is distinctly forecast by the character Rowley, who stoutly
maintains Charles is capable of reform.

Lady Sneerwell
Petty envy, a taste for mischief, and revenge for an old, slanderous injury to her reputation
cause Lady Sneerwell to plant scandalous stories in newspapers and magazines and to pass on
whatever nasty rumors she can collect about prominent socialites. Her group of fellow
gossipmongers includes Joseph Surface, Sir Benjamin Backbite, Crabtree, Snake, and, for a time,
Lady Teazle. Although Lady Sneerwell is a stock character, or stereotype, she is both
individualized and influential enough to justify her position as a major character in the play. Her
dialogue with Snake in Act 1, Scene 1, for example, reveals Lady Sneerwell as both all too human,
with her motives of revenge, and a "refined" practitioner of the art of gossip.

Sir Benjamin Backbite

Sir Benjamin Backbite is a pompous, gossipy young gentleman who pays court to Maria,
usually with his evil-tongued uncle Crabtree in tow.
Sir Harry Bumper
Sir Harry Bumper is one of Charles Surface's drinking and gambling companions. In Act
3, Scene 3 he delivers a song in praise of debauchery. His surname means "a glass filled to the
brim" and also a toast made with an alcoholic beverage.
Mrs. Candour
Mrs. Candour is one of the members of Lady Sneerwell's "school for scandal." She is
especially notable for her moralistic disclaimers: she affects to despise gossip, but she actually
revels in it. In an example of verbal irony, candour is the British spelling for candor, meaning
honesty or openness.
Careless
Careless is one of Charles Surface's companions. As his name implies, he is devoted to
dissipation and extravagance.
Crabtree
Crabtree is the ill-natured uncle of Sir Benjamin Backbite. He is something of a toady or
sycophant, perpetually touting his vacuous nephew's cleverness and wit.
First Gentleman
The First Gentleman is an associate or hanger-on of Charles Surface who appears in Act 3,
Scene 3.
Second Gentleman
The Second Gentleman is another companion of Charles Surface.
Maria
Maria is the young ward of Sir Peter Teazle. She attracts the courtship and admiration of
both Charles Surface and his brother Joseph, though her affections lie with Charles.
Moses
Moses is a London moneylender. He plays an important role in the comedy because he
arranges Sir Oliver Surface's disguise as "Mr. Premium."
Rowley
Rowley is the former steward to the (now deceased) father of Joseph and Charles Surface.
He predicts Charles's reformation to the young man's uncle, Sir Oliver Surface.
Snake
Snake is the secretary of Lady Sneerwell. He is especially active in Sneerwell's campaigns
to slander and smear others.
Trip
Trip is the uppity, almost insolent servant of Charles Surface. His name plays on the
meanings "nimble" and "to fall" or "to err."

Scene wise Summary

Prologue
The prologue consists of 43 lines composed in rhyming couplets. It was originally
delivered by the actor who played Sir Peter Teazle, establishing a symmetry with the epilogue.
The latter was delivered by the actress Mrs. Abington, who first played Lady Teazle.
The prologue begins by posing a rhetorical question: Who needs to be taught about scandal
in a "school"? Surely, says the speaker, scandal comes to people naturally. The speaker then
proceeds directly with examples, recreating a fictional socialite named Lady Wormwood, "who
loves tattle, / And puts much salt and pepper in her prattle."
Gossip, the speaker claims, is well-nigh unstoppable. He personifies scandal as a monster
resembling the many-headed hydra of Greek mythology, whose heads, once cut off, promptly grew
back again. It is this monster that the young playwright of this comedy (Richard Brinsley Sheridan)
seeks to track down in its den.
Act 1, Scene 1
At her house in London, the aging and acerbic Lady Sneerwell talks with her assistant,
Snake. She discusses the latest items of anonymous, malicious gossip she has lodged in the
newspapers. Snake is confident that the backstabbing Mrs. Clackitt will learn of these slanders
within 24 hours and will then repeat them. Satisfied with her efforts, Lady Sneerwell confesses
that her appetite for slander springs from revenge for having been injured by scandal in her youth.
Almost predictably, Snake concurs that "nothing can be more natural."
When Snake raises the topic of the brothers Joseph Surface and Charles Surface, Lady
Sneerwell explains her complex strategy. She socializes often with Joseph, the conventional and
seemingly upright brother. However, she is really in love with Charles, who lives an extravagant
life of dissipation. Charles, in turn, is enamored of Maria, the young ward of Sir Peter Teazle.
Joseph, who is the older brother, has also decided to woo Maria. He hopes to marry her eventually
for her money. Thus, Lady Sneerwell and Joseph are but temporary allies, ready to exploit each
other's strengths for selfish advantage.
Shortly after Lady Sneerwell explains these complex relationships, Joseph Surface comes
to call. He reports that his brother's fortunes are in deep decline, with regular visitations by the
debt collectors. After Snake departs, Joseph warns Lady Sneerwell not to put her trust in Snake.
Maria arrives, complaining that she is being followed by her disagreeable suitor, Sir Benjamin
Backbite. Backbite is accompanied by his odious uncle, Crabtree. About Backbite, Maria says,
"His conversation is a perpetual libel on all his acquaintance."
Shortly afterward Mrs. Candour arrives. While she protests against the prevalence of
scandal and gossip, she herself contributes to the rumor mill by mentioning a number of juicy
items. The company is soon joined by Backbite and Crabtree, with the latter singing the praises of
his nephew's "pretty wit." Crabtree reports fresh, unsavory news. He then asks Joseph Surface if it
is true that Joseph's uncle, Sir Oliver Surface, is returning from the East Indies. This topic, in turn,
leads to the topic of the spendthrift ways of Joseph's brother, Charles. His extravagance has made
him the darling of the Jewish moneylending community of London.
Disgusted with the group's malice, Maria departs abruptly. Crabtree and Backbite follow
suit, professing their sympathy with Joseph as they make their exit. As the scene concludes, Lady
Sneerwell invites Joseph to stay for dinner.
Act 1, Scene 2
The scene is laid at the house of Sir Peter Teazle and Lady Teazle, who have been
identified in Act 1, Scene 1 as the neighbors of Lady Sneerwell.
The scene begins with a soliloquy a speech in which a character speaks thoughts aloud by
Sir Peter. He complains of his lamentable position as a newly married, aging former bachelor. Sir
Peter exclaims rhetorically, "When an old bachelor marries a young wife, what is he to expect?"
After six months of marriage to a wife raised in the country, Sir Peter feels that he is the "happiest
of men," yet also "the most miserable dog." The two spouses quarrel habitually over money and
expenses. However, Sir Peter claims he has been careful to choose a bride "who never knew
luxury." Sir Peter admits he loves his bride, but he staunchly insists he will never be "weak enough"
to admit it.
The entrance of Rowley triggers the action of this comparatively brief scene. The former
steward of the Surface brothers' late father, Rowley enjoys a confidential and trusted position with
Sir Peter. When Sir Peter confesses to being vexed, or aggravated, Rowley ventures to
defend Charles Surface and to voice an optimistic view about the possibilities of his reformation.
More practically, Rowley imparts that Sir Oliver Surface, the brothers' uncle, has now in fact
arrived in London. Delighted at the unexpected prospect of a reunion with his old friend, Sir Peter
cautions Rowley that Sir Oliver should learn nothing about the friction between Sir Peter and his
wife. Otherwise, Sir Oliver's teasing will be unbearable. At the end of the scene, Sir Peter returns
to the subject of his marriage. He intones to Rowley, "Ah! Master Rowley, when an old bachelor
marries a young wife, he deserves no the crime carries the punishment along with it."
Act 2, Scene1
This scene, like the preceding one, takes place at Sir Peter Teazle's house. The opening
lines set the tone: "Lady Teazle! Lady Teazle! I'll not bear it!" / "Sir Peter, Sir Peter, you may bear
it or not." The dialogue makes clear that the Teazles' marital conflict is essentially a struggle for
control. Lady Teazle believes she should have her own way in everything, while Sir Peter insists
on his authority as a husband. He urges her to remember her humble situation in the country. She
readily, but somewhat impishly, admits she had a disagreeable existence in former days, and that
is exactly why she married Sir Peter. Their joking takes a serious turn when Sir Peter remarks that
he supposes Lady Teazle would like to be his widow.
Lady Teazle returns to the subject of her expenses, which Sir Peter regards as extravagant.
His wife, however, justifies her spending as the only means she possesses to stay in fashion. Lady
Teazle then raises the topic of Lady Sneerwell and her circle. Once again, Sir Peter is displeased,
as he characterizes them as assassins of reputation. Lady Teazle justifies her participation in gossip
as "pure good humor." She reminds Sir Peter that she has promised to call on Lady Sneerwell that
very day, and she exits to keep the appointment. Sir Peter, left alone, admits he has lost the
argument, but he admires the charm with which his new wife defies his authority.
Act 2, Scene 2
The scene reverts to Lady Sneerwell's house, where the usual circle has gathered: Joseph
Surface, Sir Benjamin Backbite, Crabtree, and Mrs. Candour. They are soon joined by Lady
Teazle.
The company of gossips begins their session with a rendition by Sir Benjamin Backbite of
his latest "epigram." This is a concise, witty saying that is memorable by virtue of its rhetorical
force. Touted as usual by his uncle Crabtree, Backbite recites a lackluster, cliché-ridden quatrain
about a socialite lady's ponies in Hyde Park. Joseph Surface fulsomely praises the poem as worthy
of the ancient Greek god Phoebus (Apollo), while Mrs. Candour eagerly says she must have a
copy.
Lady Teazle enters accompanied by Maria. Mrs. Candour raises the topic of women's
appearances. The whole group not least of all Lady Teazle chimes in with envious and critical
comments about ladies' efforts to beautify their faces with cosmetics to conceal aging. She calls
an acquaintance named Mrs. Pursy a "fat dowager." Mrs. Candour and Crabtree discuss how the
widow Ochre attempts to whiten her face with chalk to hide her age, and the obsession with a
superficial face.
Sir Peter Teazle now enters. It is clear that he disapproves of the group's criticism and
gossiping. However, he voices most of his disparaging comments using the stage convention of
the "aside." His remarks are intended to be heard by the audience but not registered by other
characters on stage. He says, "A character dead at every word, I suppose." Just as before, the
gossipmongers continue their racy critiques. This time Sir Peter voices his dislike of scandal to the
group. Lady Teazle adds that he has such a dislike of scandal he would make it declared illegal by
Parliament—a suggestion Sir Peter heartily endorses. Lady Sneerwell attempts, in vain, to chide
Sir Peter on his disapproval. She implies he is unfair to deprive the scandal spreaders of their
"privileges." Crabtree joins in, contributing the opinion that there is some truth to every scandalous
story. He says, "There never was a scandalous tale without some foundation."
Sir Peter abruptly leaves, saying, "I leave my character behind me." After Sir Peter's
departure, Joseph Surface attempts to press his courtship of Maria. The young woman makes it
clear she is more sympathetic to his brother Charles, whatever the latter's reputation. The two
young people are interrupted by Lady Teazle, who keenly apprehends Joseph's intentions. After
Maria exits, Lady Teazle and Joseph engage in a titillating discussion that leaves Joseph wondering
what he is getting into.
Act 2, Scene 3
The setting returns to Sir Peter Teazle's house. Sir Oliver Surface, lately returned from
India, makes his first appearance. Conversing with Rowley, Sir Oliver is highly amused that his
old friend Sir Peter has at last "succumbed" to a married life and forsaken his bachelorhood. Sir
Oliver and Rowley discuss the news of Joseph and Charles Surface, Sir Oliver's nephews. Rowley,
as might be expected from his words in Act 1, Scene 2, urges Sir Oliver not to be prejudiced against
Charles.
Sir Peter enters, and he and Sir Oliver exchange salutations and jolly remarks on Sir Peter's
recent marriage. They too discuss the Surface nephews. Sir Oliver confides he intends to make a
trial of the young men in order to probe their true character. "If Charles has done nothing false or
mean, I shall compound for his extravagance," he says.
Act 3, Scene 1
The setting is Sir Peter Teazle's house. Sir Peter, Rowley, and Sir Oliver Surface discuss
what kind of scheme they will employ in order to test Charles Surface. At first, they consider a
strategy involving Mr. Stanley, a needy family relation who has applied in vain to Joseph
Surface for financial relief. But Sir Peter and Sir Oliver then consider an even more attractive
alternative. It is a plan in which Sir Oliver will impersonate "Mr. Premium," an associate of the
Jewish moneylender Moses. Rowley vouches for Moses as a trusted associate.
Moses, Sir Peter, and Sir Oliver discuss the practical details of the venture, including the
interest rate and the negotiating tactics. Moses and Sir Oliver withdraw while Sir Peter has a brief
but heated discussion with Maria on the subject of the Surface brothers. Maria refuses to be
tyrannized by her guardian. She asserts that she will never bestow her affections on Joseph Surface.
Sir Peter crustily calls her "perverse and obstinate."
As Lady Teazle enters, Sir Peter comments, "How happy I should be if I could tease her
into loving me, though but a little." Hard on the heels of Maria's defiance comes Lady Teazle's
request for 200 pounds. Sir Peter is displeased, but he then jokingly offers his wife the money
provided she will sign a bond promising repayment. She shrugs this request off as a joke. Husband
and wife make light of their quarreling. However, they soon fall once again into a serious
disagreement. This time they argue about rumors concerning a possible liaison between her and
Charles Surface. Lady Teazle exits in a huff, while Sir Peter laments his miserable fate anew.
Act 3, Scene 2
This brief scene takes place at Charles Surface's house and serves as an introduction to a
character about whom the audience has heard much ever since the first scene. However, Charles
does make an appearance in the scene. Sheridan establishes the atmosphere with his portrayal of
the uppity, almost insolent personality of the servant Trip. The character spends most of his time
in the scene, to Sir Oliver Surfaces's astonishment, negotiating with Moses on private business
aimed at improving Trip's finances.
Act 3, Scene 3
In this scene, after a considerable buildup, the audience finally meets Charles Surface. He
is the reputedly dissolute younger nephew of Sir Oliver Surface and younger brother of the
supposedly upright Joseph Surface. Appropriately, his first speech consists of a mild oath, or swear
word, and a complaint that people of his epoch don't drink enough. Along with his companions
Careless, Sir Harry Bumper, and two anonymous gentlemen, Charles celebrates wine, women, and
song. They sing a jolly choral ditty consisting of rhyming toasts to females aged 15 to 50.
Trip ushers in the visitors. They are Moses and Charles's uncle, Sir Oliver, disguised as the
moneylender Mr. Premium. Charles forthrightly admits he has run short of funds. Sir Oliver (as
Mr. Premium) acts according to his prior coaching by Moses. Although he had no funds to lend,
he might be able to secure some money from a friend, whom he describes as an "unconscionable
dog." Such a project would result in a higher interest rate since the friend would have to sell stock.
Sir Oliver questions Charles about the type of security he can furnish. Charles waxes
eloquent on the "greatest expectations" he harbors of a substantial legacy from a very affluent
uncle, a certain Sir Oliver in the Indies. Moses corroborates Charles's reassurances. The
conversation then centers on Sir Oliver's life expectancy, given the climate of the Indies and his
stage in life.
Charles freely admits he has already sold off a number of the family heirlooms. However,
there is one category of family possessions that remains intact: the family pictures. To Oliver's
astonishment and shock (expressed in asides), Charles nonchalantly offers to sell off all the
portraits at a favorable price. To close the scene, Charles cheerfully orchestrates an auction in
which Moses will act as the appraiser and Careless will play the auctioneer.
Act 4, Scene 1
Sir Oliver Surface begins the scene by calling Charles Surface (in an aside) an "unnatural
rogue" and an "ex post facto parricide," or someone who retroactively kills a parent or other near
relative. The scene shifts to the picture room, where Charles prepares to conduct the auction of his
ancestors' portraits. He assigns Careless the role of auctioneer. Charles's dialogue crackles with
hyperbole and double meanings. He jokes about his genealogy with the names Richard and
Thomas, for instance an inside joke alluding to Sheridan, the playwright, and his father, Thomas.
Sir Oliver Surface, impersonating Mr. Premium all the way, keeps up a running commentary of
"asides."
A number of individual relatives are commented on. Charles also comments on some of
the other pictures. For example, he remarks on pictures of William and Walter Blunt, Members of
Parliament. Charles draws attention to the "very extraordinary" fact that "this is the first time they
were ever bought and sold." Then Charles lumps most of the remaining pictures together and asks
300 pounds for the group. There is one likeness, however, he prefers not to sell. It is a picture of
his uncle Oliver, whom he affectionately dubs "poor Noll." Sir Oliver is touched. However, in his
guise as Mr. Premium, he insists on buying the picture. Just as insistently, Charles refuses. Finally,
Sir Oliver gives Charles a payment and departs. Soon afterward, Rowley enters, and he and Charles
briefly discuss the auction. Then Charles instructs Rowley to take the money he has just raised and
give 100 pounds to Mr. Stanley, Charles's needy relative.
Act 4, Scene 2
This brief scene of barely 30 lines features four characters: Sir Oliver Surface, Moses,
Rowley, and the servant Trip, whom the audience first encountered in Act 3, Scene 2. Moses sadly
deplores Charles Surface's bad habits. However, Sir Oliver responds to each of his comments with
a single defense of his nephew: "But he would not sell my picture." Rowley enters, and Sir Oliver
tells him that he will pay Charles's debts. Then he will proceed to test Joseph, assuming a disguise
as old Stanley, the family's poor relation. Trip, cheeky as ever, enters briefly and draws Moses
aside, presumably to conspire on a financial scheme. Sir Oliver nostalgically reminds Rowley that,
in the old days, servants knew their place. Now, he says, they "have their vices ... with the gloss
on."
Act 4, Scene 3
The scene shifts to the library at the house of Joseph Surface, who is expecting a visit
from Lady Teazle. To ensure his privacy, Joseph instructs his servant to place a screen in front of
the library window so no one outside the house can see what is happening inside.
Soon after Lady Teazle arrives, both she and Joseph embark on a flirtatious exchange
prompted by Lady Teazle's annoyance with her husband's suspicions. Joseph attempts to convince
her that the way to deal with Sir Peter is to give him grounds for his suspicions. Joseph poses a
series of rhetorical questions to Lady Teazle in an effort to convince her to commit an impropriety.
Then, three times, he answers each query with the same words: "Why, the consciousness of your
own innocence." Just as he presses home this point, however, the servant announces Sir Peter
Teazle's arrival. Lady Teazle quickly retreats behind the screen.
Sir Peter confides to Joseph his dissatisfaction with his wife's behavior. From her position
behind the screen, Lady Teazle can overhear all the conversation. Sir Peter maintains to Joseph
that gossipmongers are telling tales about an infatuation between Lady Teazle and Joseph's
brother, Charles Surface. Piously, Joseph affects disbelief in such an accusation, claiming he
cannot doubt Lady Teazle's honor. Sir Peter asserts that he is engaged in making long-term
financial provisions for his much younger wife, and he discloses the terms of two alternative plans.
Before the two men can discuss the matter at length, a servant interrupts them and announces that
Charles Surface has arrived. Sir Peter talks Joseph into accepting the visitor and allowing Sir Peter
to conceal himself. At first, Sir Peter approaches the screen, just barely glimpsing a "petticoat"
behind it. Joseph hurriedly improvises the excuse that a "little French milliner" has concealed
herself behind the screen. With conspiratorial chuckles, Sir Peter hides in a nearby closet instead.
After Charles enters, the two Surface brothers talk about relations with the Teazles. In a
series of innuendoes, they accuse each other of improper relations with Lady Teazle. Joseph soon
reveals that Sir Peter is overhearing all that the brothers say from his concealed position in the
closet. Charles drags out Sir Peter, who declares he has wrongfully harbored suspicions. Once
again, the servant derails the conversation by announcing the arrival of Lady Sneerwell. Joseph
exits in order to deal with this unexpected crisis. Meanwhile, for the sake of embarrassing Joseph,
Sir Peter tells Charles that the "little French milliner" is hiding behind the screen. Charles merrily
insists on revealing her, throws down the screen, and discovers Lady Teazle.
Making jests as he goes, Charles then makes his exit, leaving Sir Peter, Lady Teazle, and
Joseph to stare at one another. Joseph attempts to explain the situation and excuse himself, but
Lady Teazle vigorously undercuts his explanation. Addressing Joseph as "Mr. Hypocrite," she
exposes Joseph's "insidious arguments." Sir Peter denounces Joseph as a villain and angrily
departs.
Act 5, Scene 1
Once again the setting is Joseph Surface's library. After a biting conversation with his
servant, whom he calls a blockhead, Joseph irritably prepares for a visit from his poor relation,
Stanley. Little does he know Stanley is being impersonated by his uncle, Sir Oliver Surface. It is
part of the plan that Sir Oliver has devised in order to test the character of both his nephews. Joseph
exits for a short time.
Sir Oliver Surface as Stanley enters, accompanied by Rowley. When Joseph Surface
appears, he affects a courteous welcome. However, it is soon clear that he has no intention of
providing "Stanley" with any financial relief. The conversation drifts to the topic of Sir Oliver.
Joseph confides to his visitor that Sir Oliver is a worthy fellow but in his old age a prey to the vice
of avarice. Joseph flatly denies he has received any largesse, or generosity, from his uncle. Once
again, Sir Oliver keeps up a running commentary on the dialogue in the form of "asides," declaring
that his nephew is an utter dissembler, or pretender.
Joseph sends "Mr. Stanley" away empty-handed and comments smugly on his success in
deflating the poor relation's hopes. However, he is then surprised to learn from Rowley that Sir
Oliver Surface is newly arrived in town. Now the "asides" belong to Joseph, as he feigns
cheerfulness to Rowley but privately laments the bad timing of his uncle's arrival.
Act 5, Scene 2
The scene shifts to Sir Peter Teazle's house, where the gossipmongers gather. Mrs. Candour
and Sir Benjamin Backbite lead the action. They argue over the particulars regarding Sir Peter
Teazle's appearance in Joseph Surface's house. The two gossips dispute whether Lady Teazle was
in the company of Charles Surface or Joseph. Lady Sneerwell shortly joins the discussion, which
accelerates with Backbite's reference to a duel. As Backbite delivers his version of the conflict,
Crabtree joins the group, disputing the narrative once again. Crabtree maintains that the feud was
with pistols rather than with swords. Sir Peter, says Crabtree, has been dangerously wounded. His
circumstantially detailed account is responsible for some grumbling from his nephew, Backbite.
At one point Crabtree exclaims in irritation to his nephew Backbite, "Od's life, nephew, allow
others to know something, too." Crabtree goes on to describe the shots Charles and Sir Peter fired.
He asserts that Sir Peter's shot bounced off a small statue of Pliny, "grazed out of the window at a
right angle, and wounded the postman, who was just coming to the door with a double-letter from
Northamptonshire."
Sir Oliver Surface now enters only to be humorously mistaken by the gossiping group for
a physician. Even more surprising is the entrance of the supposedly wounded Sir Peter. Although
Sir Oliver is amused, the gossips soon fray Sir Peter's nerves, and he demands they leave his house,
denouncing them as fiends, vipers, and furies.
Sir Peter and Sir Oliver hold an uneasy conversation about the events that transpired in
Joseph's house. Sir Oliver gives vent to his merriment, and Sir Peter is embarrassed. At the end of
the scene, Rowley urges Sir Peter to be reconciled with his wife. She has been deeply affected by
her experience.
Act 5, Scene 3
In the library at Joseph Surface's house, Lady Sneerwell grumbles to Joseph about the
derailing of her scheme to win Charles Surface away from Maria. Joseph replies disconsolately,
claiming that he, rather than Lady Sneerwell, is the chief sufferer from the events of the "screen
scene." Joseph confesses that he has "deviated from the direct road of wrong." Nevertheless,
Joseph hopes the malignant energies of Snake, who has undertaken to forge letters regarding
Charles and Lady Sneerwell, will redeem matters. At this point an offstage knock announces the
imminent entrance of Sir Oliver Surface. Joseph urges Sneerwell to hide in a nearby room, while
she advises him to "be constant to one roguery at a time."
Now Sir Oliver does indeed enter, but disguised as old Stanley, the Surfaces' needy relation.
Vexed, Joseph demands that he leave, but "Stanley" refuses, declaring that he insists on meeting
with Sir Oliver. Charles Surface now enters, compounding the confusion by taking "Stanley" (Sir
Oliver) to be Mr. Premium. The humor of mistaken identity mounts until Sir Peter, Lady Teazle,
Maria, and Rowley make their entrance.
As the brothers Joseph and Charles face each other down, Sir Oliver and Sir Peter try to
sort matters out. Charles apologizes to Sir Oliver for acting irreverently with the family pictures,
and Sir Oliver forgives him. As for Charles's attachment to Maria, the villainy and forgery of Snake
are finally exposed. With Lady Sneerwell present, Snake admits he was suborned (coaxed secretly)
to lie about Charles for a large fee. Unfortunately for Lady Sneerwell, however, Rowley previously
offered Snake an even larger fee (double the original) if Snake would tell the truth. Provoked by a
farewell remark by Lady Teazle, Lady Sneerwell makes a furious exit. She dubs Lady Teazle as
"insolent" and wishes that her husband, Sir Peter, may "live these fifty years" (presumably to carry
on long-lasting quarrels).
Joseph Surface and Snake make shamefaced exits. Sir Oliver announces that Maria and
Charles will celebrate their wedding on the following morning. Although Charles will "make no
promises" about his own reformation, he declares his good intentions and invites the audience to
applaud the play.
Epilogue
The epilogue, which consists of 50 lines in rhymed couplets, was composed by the comic
dramatist George Colman (1732–94). He served as manager of the Covent Garden Theatre from
1767 to 1774, and also of the Haymarket Theatre. Among his notable plays was The Jealous
Wife (1761). The actress who delivered the epilogue was Mrs. Frances Abington (1737–1815), the
first Lady Teazle, who received considerable acclaim in her day. Her speech consists largely of a
bittersweet comparison and contrast between town and country life. The comparison has a decided
weighting of favor toward urban diversions and pursuits in the "glorious town."

THEMES
Hypocrisy's Many Faces
Hypocrisy is a pervasive theme in The School for Scandal. The gossipers gathered
around Lady Sneerwell are, almost by definition, hypocritical. They pretend to be virtuous and
inoffensive, but in reality they are malicious, vain, and resentful. Lady Sneerwell, the leader of the
school for scandal, however, is largely free of hypocrisy. She frankly admits that her venomous
attacks on others have been fueled by revenge for a long-past injury to her own reputation.
Hypocrisy among the gossipmongers takes a variety of forms. Joseph Surface, in contrast
to Lady Sneerwell, has chosen to cloak himself in virtue even as he secretly harbors an egocentric,
selfish nature. Mrs. Candour presents another variation. As she maligns others, she feigns a
fatalistic attitude, asserting that scandal is inevitable because of the frailties of human nature.
Finally, there are the social upstarts like Sir Benjamin Backbite and his uncle, Crabtree. They long
to be considered as witty by members of the upper class, a desire that unleashes their poisonous
tongues.
Opposing these forces are several important characters. First is Lady Teazle, whose
dramatic conversion from scandalmongering to despising gossip is a major development in the
play. Second is Maria, who makes known her displeasure with gossip from the beginning. Third
is Sir Oliver Surface, who makes no bones about his unconventional attitudes and his respect for
authenticity. Finally, Sir Peter Teazle is hostile to the school for scandal from the beginning.
Snobbery's Stratified Society
The society portrayed in The School for Scandal is highly stratified. Sheridan portrays
occasional challenges to authority and ranks with Lady Teazle's defiance of Sir Peter Teazle.
However, there is little doubt that social norms dictate a firm hierarchy from top to bottom. The
hierarchy starts with the nobility and aristocracy, runs to the middle class and professionals, and
then extends down to the working and servant classes. For example, Sir Oliver and Sir Peter
outrank Rowley, who outranks Trip. As for Jewish moneylenders such as Moses, they are the
outsiders of society.
Many passages of dialogue in the play confirm these social divisions. For example, in Act
1, Scene 1 Crabtree reports the gossipy tidbit that Miss Nicely (presumably a woman of quality)
is going to be married to her own footman. According to the gossipers, her very prudent and
fastidious nature has made her vulnerable to rumors of impropriety. But the inherently juicy nature
of the news resides in snobbery over the fact that she has had an affair with a social underling.
The treatment of Jewish characters in the play furnishes a quite different set of examples
of social snobbery as well as of ethnic prejudice. To a certain extent, Jews in late 18th-century
Britain enjoyed a settled existence. However, many people of that era must have remembered that
Jews had been exiled in England for roughly three centuries until they were readmitted in 1656
under Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658). Although the Jews of Sheridan's time enjoyed a certain
respectability, there seems little doubt that they were considered second-class citizens.
Moneylending was admittedly useful, both socially and economically. At the same time, it was a
suspect vocation. One of the most powerful portraits of Jews in English drama was that of Shylock
in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (c. 1596–99). Another was the character of
Barabas in Christopher Marlowe's The Jew of Malta (c. 1589–90). Both of these characters, who
were portrayed as complex but also deeply flawed, would have been known by Sheridan's
audiences. It is notable that Sir Oliver Surface makes a prominent allusion to Shylock toward the
end of Act 3, Scene 3.
Reputation's Currency
Reputation is directly opposed to the mechanisms of scandal in the play. Two of Sir Peter
Teazle's scenes are especially important in developing the theme that reputation functions to
safeguard one's place in society. It functions as a sort of "social currency."
The first scene is Act 2, Scene 2, in which Sir Peter accompanies his young wife, Lady
Teazle, to Lady Sneerwell's house. Soon after he arrives Sir Peter alludes to Alexander Pope's
well-known mock-epic poem, The Rape of the Lock (1714). He remarks in an aside that the
scandalmongers (Lady Sneerwell, Mrs. Candour, Sir Benjamin Backbite, Crabtree, and Lady
Teazle) make "a character dead at every word." The allusion to Pope, which would presumably
have been recognized by Sheridan's audience, refers to the description of Hampton Court, a British
royal venue of the early 1700s. The stanza reads:
Hither the heroes and the nymphs resort, / To taste awhile the pleasures of a court; / In
various talk th' instructive hours they pass'd, / Who gave the ball, or paid the visit last; / One speaks
the glory of the British queen, / And one describes a charming Indian screen; / A third interprets
motions, looks, and eyes; / At ev'ry word a reputation dies.
Shortly afterward in the scene, Lady Teazle challenges Sir Peter on his opinions regarding
scandal. She quips merrily that her husband is "such an enemy to scandal" that he would endorse
a parliamentary prohibition of it. Sir Peter passionately responds that he would indeed approve of
such action. He draws an analogy between the prohibition of scandal and parliamentary legislation
against poaching. Penalties against poaching in the 18th century were notoriously severe, and
poachers were often sentenced to capital punishment.
 In a second, vitally important scene showing the value of reputation, Sir Peter must deal
with the effects of Act 4, Scene 3. In Act 5, Scene 2 the absurdly escalated gossip makes clear that
the embarrassing visit by Lady Teazle to Joseph Surface's library is "all over the town already."
For Sir Peter, the embarrassment turns on the likelihood of being labeled a cuckold by malicious
mockers. As he declares to Sir Oliver later in the scene: "Oh, pray don't restrain your mirth on my
account: it does not hurt me at all! I laugh at the whole affair myself. Yes, yes, I think being a
standing jest for all one's acquaintance a very happy situation." His reputation functions as a
safeguard against such mockery.
The Superficiality of Fashion
Fashion is, by definition, fragile and perpetually in flux in the play. The theme of fashion's
superficiality can be seen as early as the second line of the prologue, where scandal is called "this
modish art."
Fashion is especially prominent in Act 2, Scene 1 when Lady Teazle justifies her
extravagant expenses on the grounds that a "woman of fashion" is called upon to maintain certain
standards of style. This includes the purchase of expensive flowers in cold weather. Sir Peter retorts
in vain that Lady Teazle, who hails from the countryside, had little to do with fashion before her
marriage to him.
The social milieu of Sheridan's characters clearly prizes stylishness and ostentation. As
early as Act 1, Scene 2 Sir Peter complains to Rowley about the contrast between the country girl
he thought he had married "with caution" and the pretentious, contrary young wife who is now
spending his fortune and playing a part in "all the extravagant fopperies of fashion and the town."
An emblem for the importance of fashion and style in comedies of this era is the title of
one of John Dryden's most successful Restoration plays, Marriage à la Mode (1673). The French
expression à la mode means "up-to-date" or "in the fashion."
Wit and Malice
From the Restoration-era plays onward, the proper application of wit whether for ill or
good—was a leading theme on the English comic stage. It was evident in the plays of William
Wycherley (1641–1716), John Dryden (1631–1700), John Vanbrugh (1664–1726), and George
Farquhar (1677–1707). "Wit" is etymologically derived from the ancient Greek verb oida,
meaning "I know." Wit was a predominantly intellectual concept, referring to intelligence,
cleverness, and facility of understanding. This springboard was the rationale for wit's connection
to humor and laughter.
In The School for Scandal the two characters that most clearly contest the definition and
the proper application of wit are Lady Sneerwell and Sir Peter Teazle. In Act 1, Scene 1 Lady
Sneerwell maintains that wit and malice are natural allies. She says, "There's no possibility of
being witty without a little ill nature: the malice of a good thing is the barb that makes it stick."
Hypocritical and obsequious, Joseph Surface hastens to agree: "Conversation, where the spirit of
raillery is suppressed, will ever appear tedious and insipid."
Sir Peter Teazle presents the other side of wit's coin in Act 2, Scene 2. Lady Sneerwell
charges him with being "too phlegmatic yourself for a jest, and too peevish to allow wit in others."
His retort directly contradicts what Sneerwell had maintained in Act 1. He says, "Ah, madam, true
wit is more nearly allied to good nature than your ladyship is aware of." To which Lady
Teazle chimes in, "True, Sir Peter: I believe they are so near akin that they can never be united."