The School for Scandal

 

The School for Scandal
Robert Baddeley as Moses in The School for Scandal by Johann Zoffany c.1781
Written by	Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Characters	Sir Peter Teazle Lady Teazle Sir Oliver Surface Joseph Surface Charles Surface Maria Lady Sneerwell Sir Benjamin Backbite Rowley Snake Mrs Candour Crabtree
Date of premiere	May 18 1777 Theatre Royal
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
Genre	Comedy of manners
Setting	London, UK

The School for Scandal is a comedy of manners written by R. B. Sheridan. It was written and first performed in London in 1777.

Synopsis

Short

Sir Peter Teazle's ward Maria is courted by brothers Joseph and Charles Surface. Lady Sneerwell, a malicious gossip and founder of The School for Scandal, wants to marry Charles and spreads false rumours about an affair between Charles and Lady Teazle in an attempt to make Maria reject Charles. Meanwhile, Joseph is attempting to seduce Lady Teazle in order to win her favour, and thus the favour of Sir Peter, which will serve his interests with Maria. The brothers have a rich uncle, Sir Oliver, whom they have not seen in sixteen years, and who visits them both incognito to test their characters before deciding which of them shall inherit his fortune. At first shocked by Charles' profligacy, he cannot help but like the charming younger brother, and when he discovers that Joseph is a sanctimonious hypocrite he prefers Charles.

In a farcical scene involving characters hiding behind furniture, Sir Peter learns of the plotting between Joseph and Lady Sneerwell, that the rumours about Charles and Lady Teazle are false, and that his wife is merely a victim of Joseph's flattery. He is therefore reconciled with his wife, and decides that Charles deserves to marry Maria. Lady Teazle, who has had a narrow escape from ruin, delivers an epilogue warning of the dangers of scandal-making.

By scene

Act I, Scene I: Lady Sneerwell confides to her cousin, Miss Verjuice, (or Snake, in some versions), her plan to undermine Charles Surface's attempts to woo Maria, in order that Lady Sneerwell may have him for herself. Both Charles's older brother Joseph, who is also wooing Maria, and Maria herself make a brief appearance. News of the imminent return of the Surface brothers' rich uncle, Sir Oliver, from India is discussed, as well as Charles's currently dire financial situation.

Act I, Scene II: Sir Peter complains of his spendthrift new young wife, Lady Teazle, to his servant Rowley who relates news that Peter's friend, Sir Oliver, is now in town.

Act II, Scene I: Sir Peter argues with his wife, Lady Teazle, over her unbridled spending behavior in order to keep in Fashion despite her recent and far humbler country origins.

Act II, Scene II: After a round of the cards and community scandal discussion, Joseph Surface gets a moment alone to pursue a mostly indifferent Maria before Lady Teazle interrupts, dismisses Maria, and proves herself a far more forward flirting partner and prospect.

Act II, Scene III: Sir Oliver and Sir Peter discuss the Surface brothers. Sir Peter praises Joseph's high morals, but Sir Oliver suspects that he may be a hypocrite, and decides to give the libertine and spendthrift Charles a chance to prove his worth.

Act III, Scene I: Sir Oliver describes his plan to visit each of the brothers incognito in order to test their characters. He will disguise himself as their needy relative Mr. Stanley. (Later, he changes his plan, visiting only Joseph as Mr Stanley, and posing as a broker, Premium, to Charles.)

Sir Peter and Lady Teazle argue again, and conclude that they should separate.

Act III, Scene II: Sir Oliver (as Mr. Premium) arrives at Charles' house.

Act III, Scene III: Charles, entertaining his raucous dinner guests, raises a toast to Maria. He then meets Sir Oliver, not recognising his long-lost uncle, and asks him for credit, with a promise that Sir Oliver (whom he believes is in Calcutta) will soon leave him a fortune. He admits that he has sold the family silver and his late father's precious library, and offers to sell the family portrait collection to Sir Oliver (as Mr. Premium). Sir Oliver is horrified by Charles' disrespect for his heirlooms, and decides to disinherit him.

Act IV, Scene I: Charles auctions all but one of the family portraits to Sir Oliver, using the precious family tree rolled up as an auction-hammer. However, he refuses to sell the last portrait, which is of Sir Oliver, out of respect for his benefactor. Sir Oliver is moved, and inwardly forgives Charles. Sir Oliver later receives from Charles some of the proceeds of the auction addressed to their poor relation Mr. Stanley, which confirms his favourable opinion of Charles.

Act IV, Scene II: Sir Oliver reflects on Charles' character.

Act IV, Scene III: Joseph pretends to Lady Teazle that he has no interest in Maria, and that the Lady should have an affair with him. Sir Peter arrives; Lady Teazle hides. Sir Peter (misled by gossip spread by Joseph and Lady Sneerwell) tells Joseph that he suspects an affair between Charles and his wife. He also divulges his intention to give his wife a generous allowance and bequest. Charles arrives unexpectedly, and Sir Peter hides. Charles talks of Joseph's intimacy with Lady Teazle, unaware that Sir Peter is listening. Sir Peter now knows that Charles is not guilty of seducing his wife. Joseph, his secret exposed, has to call Sir Peter from his hiding place. While Joseph goes to answer a caller, Charles and Sir Peter discover Lady Teazle hiding. Lady Teazle admits that she came to pursue an affair with Joseph, but that having learned of her husband's generosity, she has repented, leaving Joseph friendless.

Act V, Scene I: Sir Oliver (as Mr. Stanley) visits Joseph. Sir Oliver's companion warns him about Joseph: "He appears to have as much speculative Benevolence as any private Gentleman in the Kingdom--though he is seldom so sensual as to indulge himself in the exercise of it." Joseph, not recognising his long-lost uncle, speaks ungratefully of Sir Oliver, and refuses, despite many hypocritical gestures of goodwill, to give him money. After Sir Oliver has left, Joseph hears that his uncle has arrived in town.

Act V, Scene II: Mrs. Candour, Sir Benjamin and Mr. Crabtree, members of The School for Scandal, gossip with Lady Sneerwell about Lady Teazle's misfortune. They exchange confused rumours about a duel between Sir Peter and Joseph, but Sir Peter arrives to prove them wrong. Sir Oliver laughs at Sir Peter's misfortune. Sir Peter plans to repair his relationship with his wife, after letting her suffer for a while.

Act V, Scene III: Lady Sneerwell complains to Joseph that Sir Peter, now that he knows the truth about Joseph, will allow Charles to marry Maria. They plot to use an accomplice named Snake as a witness to the relationship between Charles and Sneerwell.

Sir Oliver again visits Joseph as Mr. Stanley. Charles arrives. As Charles and Joseph try to eject Sir Oliver, Sir Peter and Lady Teazle arrive with Maria, ending Sir Oliver's pretence. Sir Peter, his wife and Sir Oliver together condemn Joseph and forgive Charles. Maria, however, declines to accept Charles, citing his friendship with Lady Sneerwell. Sneerwell and Snake arrive. Snake, however, has been bribed to turn against Sneerwell, so her lie is exposed. Joseph and Sneerwell are left to pursue their cynical partnership. Charles and Maria are reconciled.

Epilogue: Lady Teazle resolves to leave The School for Scandal.

Redraft

Sheridan made certain alterations to his text. In the original version of I.1, Lady Sneerwell's accomplice is her cousin Miss Verjuice, not the socially inferior Snake (who appears only in V.3): he later wrote out Verjuice and gave Snake most of her lines. He also slightly softened the arguments between the Teazles, for instance changing the lines:

SIR PETER I have made you woman of Fashion of Fortune of Rank - in short I have made you my wife.

LADY TEAZLE Well then, and there is but one thing more you can make me to add to the obligation.

SIR PETER What's that, pray?

LADY TEAZLE Your widow.

to read:

LADY TEAZLE Well then, and there is but one thing more you can make me to add to the obligation.

SIR PETER My widow, I suppose?

- which hardly equals the viciousness of the original.

Actors

• Ada Dyas - Irish actress as Lady Teazle
• William 'Gentleman' Smith (1730-1819) (actor) - created Charles Surface
• John Gielgud played Charles Surface in a legendary season at the Queens Theatre in 1937, and repeated the role under his own direction in a 1963 Broadway production.

• Perspectives on Gossip The theme of gossip in three literary pieces, including a voice reading (mp3) of prologue of 'A School for Scandal'

External links

• Full text of The School for Scandal at Bibliomania
• Full text of The School for Scandal at Project Gutenberg

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