INTRODUCTION TO RICHARD BRINSELY

SUBMITTED TO: MAM SUMMAYYA ABID

SUBMITTED BY: RUMAIZA SOHAIL
SYEDA FARHAT
ASMA ANWAR
 INTRODUCTION
● He was an Irish satirist, a politician, a playwright, and
poet.
● He was also a Whig MP for 32 years in the British
House of Commons.
● Born: 30 Oct 1751, Dublin, Ireland.
● Death: 7 July 1816, London, England. (64 years)
● Political Party: Whig
● Father: Thomas Sheridan
● He was an actor-manager at the Smock Alley Theater.
● When Thomas Sheridan moved to England in 1758 he gave up
acting and wrote several books on the subject of education.
● Mother: Frances Sheridan
● She was a playwright and novelist.
 She had two plays produced in London in the early 1760s.
 Richard attended the English Grammar School in Grafton
Street Dublin.
 In 1758, when he was seven years old, Sheridan moved
permanently to England.
 He was a pupil at Harrow School from 1762 to 1768.
● At the end of his 1768 school year, his father employed a
private tutor, Lewis Ker, to direct his studies in his father's house
in London.
 In 1772, aged 20 or 21, Sheridan fought two duels with Captain
Thomas Mathews, who had written a newspaper article
defaming the character of Elizabeth Ann Linley, whom Sheridan
intended to marry.
 In 1775 Sheridan's first play, The Rivals, was produced at
London's Covent Garden Theatre
● It was a failure on its first night. Sheridan cast a more capable
actor in the lead for its second performance, and it was a huge
success
● Sheridan was not a faithful husband. He had an affair with Mrs.
Frances, a Whig hostess to whom he dedicated The School for
Scandal.
● He was a long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury
Lane.
● On 24 February 1809 the theater burned down.
● After losing his seat in the House of Commons in 1812, Sheridan
was no longer exempt from being arrested for debt and was
imprisoned several times.
● Sheridan's heavy drinking affect his political performance and
his health and he suffered from depression.
● He became ill in December 1815 and died on 7 July 1816.
● He died in poverty.
● However, dukes, lords, the Lord Mayor of London, and other
notables attended his funeral.
● He was buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey.
 In 1825 the Irish writer Thomas Moore published a two-
volume biography, Memoirs of the Life of Richard Brinsley
Sheridan.
● He also wrote a selection of poems and political speeches
during his time in parliament.

 His last play was Pizzaro

 FAMOUS WORKS

● The Rivals
● St Patrick's Day
● The Duenna
● The School of Scandal
● The Camp
● The Critic
● The Glorious First of June
● Pizarro
 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
 INTRODUCTION
 "The School for Scandal" is a five-act play written by Richard Brinsley
Sheridan and first performed in 1777.
 The play isa satirical comedy of manners that exposes the hypocrisy
and scandalous behavior of the London aristocracy during the late
18th century.
 The plot revolves around two brothers, Charles and Joseph Surface,
as they navigate through society, love, and deceit.considered one of
the greatest comedies in English literature and is known for its witty
dialogue, memorable characters, and biting satire of the elite of 18th-
century London society.
 

The play revolves around the lives and scandals of two

wealthy brothers, Charles and Joseph Surface.
Charles is a carefree playboy who is loved by everyone,
while his brother Joseph is a moralistic and deceitful
character who is secretly in love with Maria, the ward of their
wealthy uncle Sir Oliver.
However, Maria is herself in love with Charles and the two
start a secret romance.
 OTHER PROMINENT
CHRACTERS
 The play also features several other prominent characters,
including:
 Lady Sneerwell, a manipulative and gossip-loving socialite;
 Sir Benjamin Backbite, a foolish and malicious friend of Lady
Sneerwell's; and
 Sir Peter Teazle, an older gentleman who has recently
married a much younger woman and is struggling to maintain
control over her.
 As the play unfolds, various schemes, secrets, and scandals
are revealed, leading to a series of hilarious and unexpected
twists and turns.
 Ultimately, the play satirizes the hypocrisies and moral failings
of high society in 18th-century England, while also celebrating
the power of wit, humor, and true love to overcome even the
most difficult of circumstances.
 SUMMARY OF THE PLAY
 School for Scandal is a play by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in which Sir
Oliver attempts to gather information about his nephews so that he
can decide which one to leave his fortune to.
 Sir Oliver must decide which of his nephews, Joseph or Charles, will
inherit his fortune.
Joseph is amiable and well-regarded, whereas Charles is known as an
irresponsible spendthrift.
Sir Oliver disguises himself as a money lender. Charles impresses him
by refusing to sell Sir Oliver's portrait.
Further scheming reveals to Sir Oliver that Joseph is
manipulative and selfish, whereas Charles is kind and
honest. Sir Oliver leaves his fortune to Charles.
Overall, "The School for Scandal" remains a beloved and
enduring classic of English literature, and continues to be
performed and studied to this day for its timeless insights
into human character and behavior.