the school for scandal essay questions

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....... Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The School for Scandal is a comedy of manners, a play satirizing the behavior and customs of upper classes through witty dialogue and an intricate plot with comic situations that expose characters' shortcomings. Characters generally consist of stock types — such as the bore, the flirt, the gossip, the wastrel, the rich uncle, etc. — rather than individuals with unique qualities. Comedies of manners in Sheridan's time typically avoided the romantic sentimentality that characterized many other stage dramas of the eighteenth century. In The School for Scandal , the author mainly satirizes malicious gossip and hypocrisy in the fashionable society of London in the 1770s. The play was first performed in London on May 8, 1777, in Drury Lane Theatre.

....... The action takes place in London in the 1770s.

Protagonist : Charles Surface Antagonists : Joseph Surface, Lady Sneerwell

....... Preceding the prologue is a tribute to Mrs. John Crewe, a beautiful woman who was a friend of Sheridan. The tribute, written by Sheridan, is entitled “A Portrait Addressed to Mrs. Crewe, With the Comedy of the School for Scandal.” The tribute says that she is of such exemplary character and grace—possessing “all of bright or fair that can to woman fall”—that even the gossips who are the subject of the play can do nothing but praise her.

....... Following the tribute to Mrs. Crewe is a prologue written by David Garrick (1717-1779), a prominent actor and co-manager of Drury Lane Theatre, where the play opened on May 8, 1777. The prologue discusses the difficulty of preventing people from spreading scandal via tongue or written word. The prologue says, “Cut scandal's head off, still the tongue is wagging.” 

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.

....... The climax occurs near the end of Act 5 after Rowley brings in Snake. He and Lady Teazle then testify against Lady Sneerwell (and, by implication, against Joseph). Here is the dialogue: 

Rowley . Walk in, Mr. Snake.  Enter SNAKE  I thought his testimony might be wanted: however, it happens unluckily, that he comes to confront Lady Sneerwell, not to support her.  Lady Sneerwell . A villain ! Treacherous to me at last ! Speak, fellow; have you too conspired against me ?  Snake . I beg your ladyship ten thousand pardons: you paid me extremely liberally for the lie in question; but I unfortunately have been offered double to speak the truth.  Sir Peter . Plot and counter-plot, egad !  Lady Sneerwell . The torments of shame and disappointment on you all.  Lady Teazle . Hold, Lady Sneerwell, before you go, let 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, 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. 

....... In the epilogue—written by George Colman, a playwright who managed the Haymarket Theatre—Lady Teazel resigns herself to adapting to a life with her middle-aged husband, saying:

I, who was late so volatile and gay,  Like a trade wind must now blow all one way,  Bend all my cares, my studies, and my vows, To one dull rusty weathercock my spouse!

....... Underlying the comedy is a serious theme: condemnation of the odious practice of slander and, in the case of the written letters, libel. Spreading scandal was commonplace in London's high society of the 1770s, when conversation—in drawing rooms, at balls, in spas, and across card tables—was a form of entertainment.

Deceptive Appearances

....... Charles Surface has a reputation as a scoundrel. But beneath his flawed veneer, he is a decent fellow. Joseph Surface has a reputation as an upright man. But beneath his flawless veneer, he is a villain. Hence, this theme: Before judging a person, look beneath his or her outward guise.

....... Joseph Surface pretends to be a paragon of honor and rectitude while attempting to sabotage his brother and marry into a fortune. Mrs. Candour and others of her ilk pretend to oppose gossip but delight in spreading it. When Maria tells her that it is "strangely impertinent" for people to busy themselves with the affairs of others, Mrs. Candour says, 

Very true, child: but what's to be done? People will talk—there's no preventing it. Why, it was but yesterday I was told that Miss Gadabout had eloped with Sir Filigree Flirt. But, Lord! there's no minding what one hears; though, to be sure, I had this from very good authority. 

....... Amid all the wrongdoing in the play, it is easy to overlook the moral resolve of Maria—and to a lesser extent, Charles. Maria refuses to gossip and repeatedly denounces the practice. For example, in Act 1, when Lady Sneerwell asks her what Sir Benjamin Backbite has done to make her run from him, she replies, "Oh, he has done nothing—but 'tis what he said: his conversation is a perpetual libel on all his acquaintance." Later, in the same act, she tells Mrs. Candour, "'Tis strangely impertinent for people to busy themselves so [with gossip]." When Joseph Surface attempts to defend his tongue-wagging friends—saying, "[T]hey appear more ill-natured than they are; they have no malice at heart"—Maria replies, "Then is their conduct more contemptible; for, in my opinion, nothing could excuse the intemperance of their tongues but an unnatural and uncontrollable bitterness of mind." Maria also steadfastly refuses to become involved with Joseph Surface even though her legal guardian, St. Peter Teazle, pressures her to do so. For his part, Charles Surface—despite his extravagance and devil-may-care lifestyle—refuses to compromise the basic goodness that undergirds his character. In particular, he refuses to sell the portrait of Sir Oliver even though the bidder, Sir Oliver in the guise of Mr. Premium, offers him a large sum of money. Moreover, even though he has little money left to support his wastrel ways, he contributes a generous sum to the destitute Mr. Stanley. 

Pitfalls of Idleness

....... An implied theme in the play is that idleness breeds mischief. Most of the characters live on inherited money and property, allowing them to devote a good portion of their time to leisure activities. Telling or listening to scandalous stories, as well as reading about them, is apparently one of their favorite pastimes. Favored activities of the young include gambling and drinking. 

Vocabulary and Allusions . ....... Following is a glossary of vocabulary words and allusions from the play. They are in alphabetical order. 

à la Chinois (French): Like the Chinese; in the Chinese manner. annuity bill : Legislation that would cancel contracts with minors for annuities.  avadavats : Small Asian songbirds. Battle of Malplaquet : Battle on September 11, 1709, in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). bough-pots : Flower pots. cicisbeo : Man who loves a married woman.  conversazione (English pronunciation: KON vehr satz ee O nee; Italian pronunciation: KON vehr satz ee O nay): social gathering at which attendees discuss literature and the arts. Crutched Friars : London street. Don Quixote : See the Don Quixote Study Guide . Duke of Marlborough : John Churchill, first duke of Marlborough (1650-1722), a great British general. He won major victories against France in the War of the Spanish Succession.  egad : Interjection expressing surprise. It is a euphemism for “Oh, God!” Grosvenor Square (pronounced GROVE ner): Exclusive residential section of London.  guinea : English coin worth twenty-one shillings. (A shilling is worth one-twentieth of a pound.) hazard regimen : Careless speaks the phrase in the third scene of Act 3 in reference to his and Charles's friend Sir Harry. Harry is on an alcohol-free diet to get in shape for hazard, a dice game, or for any other game of chance.  Hyde Park : London park. jointure : Estate; legal arrangement in which a husband wills real estate to his wife. Kensington Gardens : London park. Kneller : Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646?-1723), an important portrait painter in England.  lud : Lord. Montem : See Salthill . Old Jewry : Section of London where moneylenders did business. oons : See zounds . pagodas : Gold coins of India. Pantheon : Concert hall in London.  Phoebus : In Greek mythology, Apollo, the god of prophecy, music, poetry, and medicine. When referred to as Phoebus, he was regarded as the sun. In this role, he drove a golden chariot across the sky. Pope Joan : Card game. post-obit : Note that promises to pay a debt after the death of a person expected to will money to the debtor. Sacharissa : Lady Dorothy Sydney, countess of Sunderland, whom poet Edmund Waller (1606-1687) wooed unsuccessfully. He praised her in poems such as “Song to the Rose” and “Verses on a Girdle,” addressing her as Sacharissa.  Salthill : Mound about two miles from Eton, a prestigious English school for boys, where students collected donations from passersby for the school's senior scholar, who would use the money when he later attended Cambridge University. The collection ceremony was referred to as the Montem (from the Latin phrase ad montem , meaning to the mound ). The collection was held once a year in January until 1758. Between 1759 and 1777, the collection was held every two years on the Tuesday after Pentecost. Beginning in 1778, the collection was held every three years. In 1847, the collection custom was abolished.  stool of repentance : In a Scottish church, a stool in the front of the church reserved for sinners. table d'hôte : Restaurant or hotel meal of several courses with a fixed price. tontine : Investment arrangement in which participants pay equal shares into a fund and periodically receive dividends. The investor who outlives all the other participants receives all the invested money. trepan : deceive, trick. vestals : vestal virgins. wainscot : Paneling on the lower part of a wall. woolsack : Cushion on which the lord chancellor of England sat in Parliament in the House of Lords. worsted : Woolen cloth with fibers combed to run in the same direction.  zounds : Interjection that abbreviates the phrase “by His wounds” (by the wounds of Christ). It expresses surprise, anger, annoyance, disbelief.

Anti-Semitic Overtones

....... In England and other European countries in the late Middle Ages, laws required Jews to wear identifying patches not unlike the yellow stars in Hitler's Germany centuries later. During outbreaks of plague, Christians blamed Jews for spreading the disease. England decided to solve the "Jewish problem" once and for all by expelling Jews in 1290. Beginning in 1655, England under Oliver Cromwell readmitted Jews. In 1753, Parliament approved legislation granting the naturalization of Jewish immigrants. However, anti-Semitism remained strong in the country. The School for Scandal , which debuted in 1777, contains passages that reflect the attitude of many Englishmen toward Jews. Several of these passages describe the Jewish moneylender Moses as "the honest Israelite," "honest Moses," and "very honest fellow," implying that his honesty is rare among Jews. In the first scene of Act 3, Rowley refers to Moses as a "friendly Jew," implying that most other Jews are unfriendly. Later in the same scene, Sir Oliver—in preparing for his role as Mr. Premium—tells  Moses that he will ask eight to ten percent in interest if Charles asks him for a loan. Here is the the dialogue in that scene, clearly implying that Jewish moneylenders are avaricious businessmen. 

Sir Oliver . I'll ask him 8 or 10 per cent on the loan, at least.  Moses . If you ask him no more than that, you'll be discovered immediately.  Sir Oliver . Hey! what the plague! how much then?  Moses . That depends upon the circumstances. If he appears not very anxious for the supply, you should require only 40 or 50 per cent; but if you find him in great distress, and want the moneys very bad, you may ask double. Sir Peter . A good honest trade you're learning, Sir Oliver! 

• Which character in the play do you most admire? Explain your answer.
• Which character do you least admire. Explain your answer. 
• In an essay, compare and contrast The School for Scandal with a modern situation comedy (film or TV program).
• In an essay, discuss the similarities between The School for Scandal and another comedy of manners, She Stoops to Conquer .
• In your opinion, why is Lady Sneerwell attracted to Charles Surface? 
• Which role in the play do you think poses the greatest challenge for an actor? Explain your answer. 
• Write an expository essay informing readers of what a typical English theatre was like in the late 1700's.
• Write an essay focusing on the appetite for stories of scandal in present-day England and America. Include in your essay a discussion of tabloid newspapers and television programs that serve scandal as their main course. 
• Write a psychological profile of Mrs. Candour. Use dialogue from the play—as well as book and Internet research—to support your thesis.
• Sir Peter Teazle is at least twice the age of his wife. Why did she marry him?

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The School for Scandal

Richard sheridan.

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

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.

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School for Scandal Quiz

Take our free School for Scandal quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. Take the free quiz now!

Directions: Click on the correct answer.

Questions 1-5 of 50:

What are Rowley and Sir Oliver laughing about at the beginning of Act 2, Scene 3? (from Act 2, Scene 3)

What does lady teazle hope for at the end of act 4, scene 3 (from act 4, scene 3), what is the one item that charles is not willing to sell at any cost (from act 3, scene 3), why do lady teazle and sir peter begin arguing at the end of act 3, scene 1 (from act 3, scene 1), what does lady teazle want sir peter to do as act 4, scene 3 comes to an end (from act 4, scene 3).

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The School for Scandal

By richard brinsley sheridan, the school for scandal summary and analysis of act i.

The play starts with two prologues that set up the themes of scandal, rumors, and public appearance.

Act I begins by presenting Lady Sneerwell , a wealthy widow, and her servant, Snake , gossiping as they usually do. Lady Sneerwell gossips because, in her past, someone destroyed her reputation.

Lady Sneerwell reveals to Snake why she is so involved in matters concerning Sir Peter Teazle, his ward Maria , and the young brothers Charles and Joseph Surface : Joseph loves Maria, but Maria loves Charles, whom Lady Sneerwell also loves. Lady Sneerwell and Joseph have been plotting to make Maria and Charles drift apart by putting out a rumor that Charles and Sir Peter’s wife, Teazle, are having an affair. Lady Sneerwell will be sending Snake to execute this plot.

After Lady Sneerwell finishes explaining, Joseph enters. Snake leaves, and Joseph then tells Lady Sneerwell that he suspects Snake of not being entirely faithful to them and their secret plan, because Snake has been in conversation with Rowley, who was his father's steward.

Maria now enters, having tried to escape Sir Benjamin Backbite, another man vying for her love, and his uncle Crabtree. She complains that she did not want to stay with Backbite and his uncle because they were talking badly about others.

Maria is followed by Mrs. Candour , and then by Sir Benjamin Backbite and his uncle Crabtree, who start gossiping that the Surface brothers' rich uncle will soon return to England from the East Indies. Crabtree also lauds Sir Benjamin's poetic sensibilities. They then start gossiping about Charles’ financial situation, so Maria chooses to leave. Mrs. Candour follows her to try to help, and then Crabtree and Benjamin follow as well.

Scene II begins with a soliloquy by Sir Peter about his wife’s spending habits. Rowley arrives and the two talk about Maria, discussing how she rejected Joseph and seems to like Charles. Rowley defends Charles and then tells Sir Peter that Sir Oliver arrived from the East Indies. Sir Peter fears that Sir Oliver will make fun of him for getting married, but he is excited to see a friend whom he last saw sixteen years ago.

Beginning with a prologue was fairly commonplace at the time of Sheridan's writing. These prologues are used to directly address the audience and set up some of the themes or issues of the play. Sometimes, these prologues were not even written by the playwright, much like the forward of a book. In this play, the audience first sees a "portrait" written by the playwright, Richard Brinsley Sheridan , followed by a prologue written by a man named Mr. Garric.

From the beginning of the play proper, characters' names are important for understanding characters' personalities and Sheridan's sense of humor and irony. In the first scene, Lady Sneerwell talks to Snake openly about their plot to spread a nasty, false rumor about Charles Surface and Lady Sneerwell's personal reasons for enjoying creating scandal. Lady Sneerwell's name combines her social status (Lady) with her major character trait of judging others (Sneerwell). Snake's name is slightly more metaphorical, evoking ideas of sneakiness. This sneakiness is why Lady Sneerwell chooses him to do her bidding; ironically, it is also the character trait that allows Snake to reveal Lady Sneerwell's plot in the end.

Lady Sneerwell's forwardness and honesty with Snake might be surprising in a Comedy of Manners. For example, she says directly, "Wounded myself, in the early part of my life, by the envenomed tongue of slander, I confess I have since known no pleasure equal to the reducing others to the level of my own injured reputation" (p.15). However, this honesty and self-awareness in the first scene allows the audience to contrast her manner in private with her behavior in the public sphere, where she constantly throws attention on others rather than drawing it to her own situation.

Act I Scene I introduces many of the important characters and relationships of the play. When Maria is introduced, there is immediate contrast between her own manner and beliefs and those of the rest of the characters. In Maria's second line of the play, she explains why she fled from conversation with Benjamin Backbite, saying, "his conversation is a perpetual libel on all his acquaintance" (p.23), meaning that he, like Lady Sneerwell, is a gossip. Throughout the play, Maria is used as a symbol of innocence and purity. The love Joseph, Charles, and Benjamin all have for her could suggest either that society still sought morality in the midst of all the scandal and gossip that most people partook in, or that women specifically were expected to be seen as moral and pure.

One of the major issue raised in Act I is the relation between mean gossip and wit. Maria suggests that she loses respect for wit when wit is used to hurt or spread gossip about another; in her words, when she "see[s] it in company with malice" (p.23). However, Lady Sneerwell responds that the two concepts (mean gossip and wit) are inextricably linked. Sheridan is perhaps challenging his audience, and especially viewers who are highly educated or writers themselves, to contemplate whether all wit must have a "barb that makes it stick" (p.24). If nothing else, as a writer of satire, Sheridan certainly had to confront the relation between wit and meanness personally.

The School for Scandal Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The School for Scandal is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What is Sheridan's message in the play's final scene?

In the play's epilogue, Sheridan urges the audience a final time to see this play not as simple entertainment, but rather as a harsh criticism of any who engage in gossip—both its creation and its transmission.

What is the significance of the auction scene in the play School for Scandal by R. B. Sheridan?

In the auction scene, Sir Oliver becomes aware of Charles' betrayal, something for which he will never forgive him.

What is an example of metaphor in School for Scandal?

"a neat rivulet of text shall meander through a meadow of margin" (p.32) (Metaphor)

In this quote, Benjamin Backbite describes the way his writing will look when published, in an attempt to woo Maria. As a poet, he uses figurative, lyrical...

Study Guide for The School for Scandal

The School for Scandal study guide contains a biography of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The School for Scandal
• The School for Scandal Summary
• Character List

Essays for The School for Scandal

The School for Scandal essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The School for Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan.

• Human Nature in Sherdian and Burke
• Satire in The School for Scandal
• The Pride of Wealth: Hypocrisy and Money in The School for Scandal

Wikipedia Entries for The School for Scandal

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High School Assignment Sparks Controversy for Asking Students to Answer ‘Is God Real?’

“This is some crazy s--- overall and also on a technical level,” said a Skiatook High School student’s mother

A homework assignment ignited uproar online after a concerned parent shared a photo of the questions a teacher wanted her child to answer, including "Is God real?"

Oklahoma mother Olivia Gray posted her sophomore daughter Nettie Gray’s world history assignment from a Skiatook High School teacher on Facebook on Aug. 15, describing it as “some crazy s---.”

The assignment — titled “How did the world start?” — ended with two questions that raised concerns: “Is God real?” and “Is Satan real?”

“It’s being called a research paper,” Olivia wrote of the assignment, which asked students to provide sources using APA Style to support their answers. 

“This is some crazy s--- overall and also on a technical level. Literally the kid had been in school ONE WEEK,” she concluded.

Many reacted to the assignment in the comments section of Olivia's Facebook post.

“This assignment is wrong on more than ten levels,” one person commented, while another wrote, “I’m stunned and horrified they are even being allowed to push or preach their own personal religion/religious bias like that onto students in a public school in the United States.”

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In a statement to area news outlet 2 News Oklahoma on Aug. 19, the school district addressed the situation.

“Skiatook Public Schools became aware of the World History assignment in question through a social media post,” the statement read. “Once administration reviewed the assignment, it was determined that the presentation of the material was not conducive to our instructional plan.”

“Administration and staff will continue to collaborate on best practices to meet the Oklahoma Academic Standards,” the statement added.

PEOPLE reached out to Skiatook Public Schools’ Superintendent Rick Loggins and Director of Curriculum Tim Buck for comment about the controversial assignment, but did not immediately hear back.

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