Plot Summary

By Michael J. Cummings...© 2009

.
.......Seated at a dressing table in her London home is Lady Sneerwell, a widow who enjoys spreading
gossip. With her is Snake, a man who does her dirty work. He is updating her on the status of a rumor he
is sowing about Lady Brittle and Captain Boastall. Within twenty-four hours, Snake says, the rumor will
reach Mrs. Clackit, a formidable scandalmonger who has caused numerous breakups, disinheritances,
elopements, and divorces. Once her tongue begins to wag, Lady Brittle and Boastall will be the talk of the
town. 
.......However, Mrs. Clackit lacks “that delicacy of tint—and mellowness of sneer—which distinguish your
Ladyship's scandal," Snakes says. Lady Sneerwell accepts the compliment with false modesty and then
observes that she truly enjoys ruining reputations. It is a kind of therapy for the slander she says she
endured early in her life. 
.......Turning to another matter, Snake asks why she wishes to break up the amorous relationship between
Charles Surface and Maria, the ward of the wealthy Sir Peter Teazle. Charles has a tainted reputation as
a gambler and rake. On the other hand, his brother Joseph has a sterling reputation. Rather than wasting
her time driving a wedge between Charles and Maria, Snake says, she ought to be trying to snare
Joseph. 
.......Lady Sneerwell then informs Snake that she has no interest in Joseph—nor he in her. She fancies
Charles, and Joseph wants Maria. But it is not love that motivates him; rather, it is the large inheritance
she will one day receive. Consequently, says Lady Sneerwell, Joseph “has been obliged to mask his
pretensions, and profit by my assistance." Sir Peter is under the impression that Joseph is an honorable
man who loves Maria.
.......To break up Charles and Maria, Lady Sneerwell and Joseph (with Snake's help) are spreading
rumors that Charles is having an affair with Lady Teazle, the young wife of Sir Peter. Joseph himself then
enters and tells Lady Sneerwell that their rumors are beginning to have an effect on Maria and that
Charles's “dissipation and extravagance exceed anything I have heard of."
.......Moments later, Maria enters. She complains that the annoying Sir Benjamin Backbite and his uncle,
Crabtree, have just called at the home of her guardian, Sir Peter. To avoid them, she sneaked out to seek
refuge with Lady Sneerwell. 
.......A servant then announces the arrival of Mrs. Candour. She tells Maria that she was sorry to hear
stories about trouble between her and Charles and between Sir Peter and Lady Teazle. In reality, Mrs.
Candour is only too happy to have something to gossip about. 
.......Crabtree then comes in with his nephew, Backbite, and brags up the young man as a great wit and
poet who wrote a commendable epigram the previous week on “Lady Frizzle's feather catching fire."
Crabtree then reports that Sir Oliver Surface, the uncle of Charles and Joseph Surface, is returning to
England from the East Indies after sixteen years. How sad it will be for him, Crabtree says, to learn what a
good-for-nothing Charles is. Sir Oliver is wealthy, and his nephews stand to benefit from his fortune—if
they measure up. 
.......Meanwhile, at Sir Peter's home, Sir Peter is upset with his young wife, who is about half his age. In a
short soliloquy, he describes himself as “an old bachelor" who was made a happy man when the young
woman married him. Now, however, “her part in all the extravagant fopperies of the fashion and the town"
greatly vex him. His servant Rowley then enters. He once was a steward to the father of Charles and
Joseph Surface. After Mr. Surface died, Rowley entered Sir Peter's service. Sir Peter moans to Rowley
about his wife's “teasing temper," then complains that she refuses the attentions of Joseph but welcomes
those of her “profligate brother," Charles. Rowley defends Charles as a worthy gentleman who will
eventually reform. 
.......After Sir Oliver arrives in London, he visits his old friend, Sir Peter, in the latter's home and
congratulates him on his marriage. When they discuss Sir Oliver's nephews, Sir Peter notes that
“everyone speaks well of Joseph" but that no one speaks well of Charles.
.......“He is a lost young man," Sir Peter says.
.......If everyone praises Joseph, Sir Oliver observes, “then he has bowed as low to knaves and fools" as
he has to honest folk. As for Charles, Sir Oliver says that it is only natural for a young man to “run out of
course a little." However, to learn the truth about his nephews, he says he will go under cover and speak
to Charles and Joseph separately. How they respond to his questions will tell him what he wants to know. 
.......First, he will disguise himself as a moneylender and assume the name Mr. Premium. Later, he will
assume the identify of real person, Mr. Stanley, a Dublin relative of Charles and Joseph whom they have
never seen. Stanley has written each of them a letter requesting financial assistance. So far, Joseph has
provided nil. Charles, however, "has done all that his extravagance has left him power to do," Rowley
says.
.......Sir Oliver first visits Charles (at the house of Charles's late father) as Mr. Premium. With him is a
Jewish moneylender, Moses, whom Sir Oliver has hired. Moses had previously lent money to Charles. A
servant, Trip, greets them. Charles, meanwhile, is in another room drinking and singing with friends as a
prelude to a night of gambling. While Sir Oliver waits for Charles to receive him and Moses, Trip tries to
borrow twenty pounds from Moses. Sir Oliver remarks to Moses, “If the man be a shadow of the master,
this is the temple of dissipation indeed!" 
.......When Trip takes them to see Charles, the latter is with a man named Careless. Both have been
drinking heavily. Charles immediately asks Mr. Premium for money, saying he is “blockhead enough to
pay fifty percent" interest. Though he has no collateral to put up, he says he has a rich uncle in the East
Indies from whom he will receive a generous sum upon the uncle's death. Mr. Premium then says he has
heard that the uncle is in excellent health. Consequently, he does not wish to wait indefinitely for
repayment of the loan. However, he is willing to purchase household goods such as silverware. But
Charles has sold everything of value except family portraits. When Mr. Premium expresses an interest in
buying them, Charles asks Careless to act as an auctioneer and Moses as an appraiser.
.......One by one, Charles sells the portraits—those of a great-uncle, a great-aunt, his mother's
grandfather, and others. But Charles always passes over a portrait of Sir Oliver. When Mr. Premium tries
to buy it, saying that “I have somehow taken a fancy to that picture," Charles refuses to part with it.
.......“The old fellow has been very good to me, and, egad, I'll keep this picture while I've a room to put it
in."
.......Mr. Premium then offers as much for the portrait as he paid for all the other pictures combined. Still,
Charles refuses to part with it. Convinced that Charles has a good heart, Sir Oliver and Moses leave. A
short while later, Rowley appears, and Charles gives him a hundred pounds for Mr. Stanley. After Rowley
shows the money to Sir Oliver, the latter pledges to pay Charles's debts and then says he will visit
Joseph. 
.......Meanwhile, a servant informs Joseph that Lady Teazle has arrived at the door of his apartment.
Before marrying Sir Peter, she was a country girl. Her fascination with sophisticated London life and its
mischiefs has caused her to consider a dalliance with Joseph, who welcomes her attentions. But she has
not made up her mind on the matter. Joseph tells his servant, William, to pull a screen in front of a
window to prevent a lady in the opposite dwelling from looking in. After Lady Teazle enters, she
complains that her husband has become cranky with her lately and that he frowns on Charles's fondness
for Maria. 
.......“I wish he would let Maria marry him," she says.
.......Aware that Lady Teazle suspects him of desiring Maria, Joseph says he also wishes Sir Peter would
allow the marriage, adding, “for then my dear Lady Teazle would also be convinced, how wrong her
suspicions were of my having any design on the silly girl." 
.......Joseph makes a play for Lady Teazle, but she rebuffs his advances. Apparently, the gloss of illicit
romance has suddenly worn off. Only further “ill usage" by Sir Peter would make her consider cheating on
him, she says. 
.......William then informs Joseph that Sir Peter is in the building and on his way up the stairs. Lady Teazle
hides behind the screen. 
.......When Sir Peter enters, he tells Joseph that he suspects his wife of having an affair with Charles. (The
rumor concocted by Lady Sneerwell and Joseph and spread by Snake has apparently reached Sir Peter's
ears.) Joseph pretends to defend the honor of Charles and Lady Teazle, but he is no doubt pleased that
his nefarious scheme is working. After expressing regret for the strained relationship between himself and
his wife, Sir Peter shows Joseph proof of his affection for his wife: two legal documents, one that grants
his wife a generous allotment while he lives and another that bequeaths her most of his possessions upon
his death. Then, to Joseph's horror, Sir Peter asks Joseph about his progress with Maria. When Joseph
tries to avoid the subject, Sir Peter says, "And though you are so averse to my acquainting Lady Teazle
with your passion for Maria, I'm sure she's not your enemy in the affair." 
.......William announces that Charles is on his way up. Sir Peter then says he will hide while Joseph
questions Charles about whether he is having an affair with Lady Teazle. When Sir Peter makes a move
for the screen, he sees a petticoat. 
.......“There seems to be one listener there already," he says.
.......Joseph, admitting that he is only human, says it is “a little French milliner" he has been seeing. She
hid behind the screen, he says, to conceal her identity and safeguard her reputation.
.......“You rogue!" Sir Peter says. Then he hides in a closet. 
.......After Charles arrives and Joseph questions him, he denies upon his honor of having any relationship
with Lady Teazle. It is Maria whom he fancies, he asserts. Then he says, “I always understood you were
her favourite."
.......In a hushed voice, Joseph tells Charles that Sir Peter has overheard their conversation. Joseph
points to the closet. Without hesitation, Charles calls out to Sir Peter. The latter comes forth and says to
Charles, “I believe I have suspected you wrongfully." To protect his brother, Charles tells Sir Peter that
what he said about Joseph and Lady Teazle was a joke. William comes in and whispers to Joseph that he
has another visitor. When Joseph goes downstairs to greet the person, Sir Peter informs Charles that
another person is in the room, a “French milliner" behind the screen. “Oh, egad, we'll have a peep,"
Charles says.
.......Joseph enters just when Charles pulls down the screen. Sir Peter is shocked when he sees his wife.
Joseph fabricates a story to explain her presence. But Lady Teazle says there is not “one syllable of truth"
in it. She came to Joseph's apartment, she says, to listen to his “pretended passion" for her but found him
“truly despicable." She also says she now has new respect for her husband, then leaves. After declaring
Joseph a villain, Sir Peter also leaves.
.......Joseph is now alone, but a short while later William announces the arrival of Mr. Stanley (Sir Oliver
pretending to be Stanley). When Stanley requests financial assistance, Joseph says he is unable to
provide it. 
.......“If your uncle, Sir Oliver, were here, I should have a friend," Stanley says. “I imagined his bounty
would enable you to become the agent of his charity."
.......Joseph then says his uncle is hardly charitable. In fact, Joseph claims, “what he has done for me has
been a mere nothing."
.......In truth, Sir Oliver had previously given him 12,000 pounds. Sir Oliver leaves. A short while later,
Rowley calls upon Joseph with a letter informing him that Sir Oliver has returned to London. 
.......Meanwhile, Mrs. Candour calls at Sir Peter's home to see Lady Teazle, but the maid tells her Mrs.
Teazle is not seeing anyone. Sir Benjamin then arrives, followed by Lady Sneerwell and Crabtree. All of
them have heard about the confrontation between Joseph and Sir Peter and are now prying for more
news. According to Sir Benjamin, Joseph wounded Sir Peter in a fight with swords; according to Crabtree,
Charles wounded Sir Peter in a pistol duel. Sir Oliver comes in, and they address him as a doctor and ask
about Sir Peter's condition. When they learn that he is not a doctor, they give their differing reports about
the “duel." Sir Peter then arrives home, unhurt, and banishes all the gossips. Rowley arrives just as they
are leaving. 
.......Sir Oliver tells Sir Peter that he knows all about the goings-on at Joseph's and that he is going back
to Joseph's apartment “to expose hypocrisy." Sir Peter and Rowley say they will follow him shortly.
.......Sir Peter and Rowley turn their attention to Lady Teazle, whom they see crying through the open
door of another room. Sir Peter notes that he found a letter she wrote that was intended for Charles. But
Rowley says the letter was a forgery. He will produce Snake, he says, to confirm what he says. 
.......Meanwhile, Lady Sneerwell meets with Joseph in his apartment and tells him it now appears that Sir
Peter will reconcile with Charles and “no longer oppose his union with Maria." She blames Joseph for this
turn of events. He admits his blunder but says all is not lost. All they need to do is get Snake to swear that
Charles "is at this time contracted by vows and honour to your ladyship."
.......When Sir Oliver knocks, Lady Sneerwell goes into another room. After Sir Oliver enters, Joseph
thinks he is Stanley and orders him out. Joseph's servant, William, attempts to push him out the door. But
at that moment, Charles enters and thinks Sir Oliver is Premium. Still unaware that Stanley/Premium is
Sir Oliver, they both try to get rid of him before their uncle (Sir Oliver) appears. But when the Teazles,
Maria, and Rowley arrive, they all address the visitor as Sir Oliver. 
.......Joseph gets his comeuppance and loses the promise of a generous bequest from Sir Oliver. Charles
apologizes to Sir Oliver for his behavior at the portrait “auction." Sir Oliver, previously convinced of
Charles's basic goodness, shakes his nephew's hand. Lady Teazle then says, “Sir Oliver, here is one
whom Charles is still more anxious to be reconciled to." 
.......It is Maria, of course. But Maria believes the rumors that Charles has been involved with Lady
Sneerwell. Lady Sneerwell and Snake then enter the room. Snake tells Lady Sneerwell, "[Y]ou paid me
extremely liberally for the lie in question; but I unfortunately have been offered double to speak the truth." 
.......Lady Teazle then tells Lady Sneerwell,

[L]et me thank you for the trouble you and that gentleman have taken, in writing letters from me to
Charles, and answering them yourself; and let me also request you to make my respects to the
scandalous college [school for scandal, figuratively], of which you are president, and inform them, that
Lady Teazle, licentiate, begs leave to return the diploma they gave her, as she leaves off practice, and
kills characters no longer.
.......Lady Sneerwell and and the disinherited Joseph leave, and all is well now with Charles and Maria.
.

An analysis of The School for Scandal, by Richard

Brinsley Sheridan
 

“The School for Scandal” by Richard Brinsley Sheridan is generally considered as one
of Richard masterful play that represents a comedy of manners. This play satirizes the
deeds and customs of upper classes brought out through a witty exchange of ideas and
a convoluted plot with comic situations that are utilized in order to describe the
shortcomings of the characters. In regards to characters, the play entails stock type
characters such as the flirt, the gossip, the wastrel, the bore, the rich uncle, among
others. However, some individuals have unique qualities. There is avoidance of
romantic sentimentality by comedies of the eighteenth century. In this drama, the
author satirizes malevolent gossip and two-facedness in a trendy society of London in
the 1770s. Therefore, this paper intends to provide an analysis of “The School for
Scandal,” by Richard Brinsley Sheridan.

The School for Scandal is set or brought to the public attention at the Drury Lane
Theatre in London, in May of 1777. The play marked as an enormous success to
Sheridan. It was heralded the play as a “real comedy” that would succeed the
sentimental dramas that had filled the stage during the time. The genre of the play is a
comedy, which is usually a light, rather amusing, play that deals with contemporary
issues in our daily lives. It is a drama with a satirical slant. However, it concludes
happily. Sheridan used this comic as a way of correcting social absurdities (Crehan,
215).

Firstly, characterization, major part of this play is rich of characters with humorous
expositions. The delineation of these characters is aimed at provoking entertainment
and laughter to the audience. Main characters in the play include the protagonist:
Charles Surface who is a youthful bachelor disreputable for his lavishness,
indulgence, very generous, and he loves a woman known as Maria. On the other hand,
there are two antagonists: Joseph Surface and Lady Sneerwell. Joseph Surface is a
person who pretends to be an honorable man who is in the real sense is a scoundrel
double-dealer. Lady Sneerwell as antagonist plots with Joseph Surface to ensure that
Maria and Charles break up. There are other subordinate characters such as Sir Olive
Surface a wealthy uncle of Charles and Joseph Surface, Sir Benjamin Backbite an
annoying youth ready to pursue Maria, Mrs. Candour prolific gossiper, Sir Oliver, St.
Peter Teazle, and others who are servants like, William, Trip, Rowley, and Mr.
Stanley among others (Sheridan, 93). These protagonists and antagonists create the two
sides of the play where other are not willing to support other people’s relationships
and; therefore, the antagonists strive to sabotage the affairs of the protagonist.

Secondly, there are various themes presented in the play such asdefamation of
character whereby Sheridan with the aim of bringing out his principal theme of
comedy, he employs the act of criticism of the odious practices of slander in the form
of written letters and libel. Another theme is the theme of Hypocrisy whereby Joseph
Surface pretends to be an honorable man while he tries to sabotage his brother’s
affairs with Maria. Mrs. Candour and her ilk also act as if she is against gossips while,
in the real sense, she delights in spreading rumors. For instance, she lies to Maria
when Maria attempts to advise her to stop meddling in other people’s affairs. In
addition, she asserts that there is nothing that can be done, as gossiping is part of
people’s daily lives, and no one can restrain them(Sheridan, 62).

Thirdly, there is also the theme of deceptive appearance, and this is brought out
clearly through Charles Surface who is considered a scoundrel double-dealer who in
reality is an upright man, and supremely a decent fellow.

Steadfast Integrity is another theme, in spite of all the wrongdoing portrayed in the
play while in reality when one looks at the moral resolve of characters like Maria who
utterly refuses to gossip and denounces the practice and clearly brought out in Act 1 in
the conversation between Lady Sneerwell and Sir Benjamin and later between Maria
and Mrs. Candour.

Finally, there is the theme of Pitfalls of Idleness, which is an implied theme within the
play. Most of the characters live on inherent property and money, and such a kind of
idleness is the leading cause of their mischief. They engage mostly in telling and
listening to scandalous stories, as well as gambling and drinking amongst the youths.
The climax of the play occurs towards the end of Act 5 after Rowley introduces Snake
through a warm welcome. Snake and Lady Teazle then give a testimony against Lady
Sneerwell, and this implies that they are against Joseph. Through this frank
confession, we see Lady Teazle throwing herself on Sir Peter’s mercy (David, 93).

The major aim of Sheridan’s play was to create a caricature of his own time and
society by using comic characters from civilized urban society. The structure of the
poem is that of a succession of scenes with several plot strands and this can be seen
with the delay of Charles Surface until halfway through the play (Christian, 258).

Conclusion

Sheridan’s play can be considered as a hallmark of witty and sparkling dialogue

through amusing characters, jaunty and ridiculous situations, funny intrigues, incisive
social satire, human foibles and the penetrating insight of human relationship. In
short, the play is full of epigrams, and aphorism, and this is shown through Sheridan’s
epigrammatic dialogue, which creates comic suspense. Most importantly, The School
for Scandals can be considered as a blend of satire and compassion rather than a play
that exposes scandals.