Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal

Joshua Grasso (East Central University)

Ed. by Nicholas Seager, University of Keele
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1777

Places

Ireland, Republic of (Eire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play

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The School for Scandal

is the most celebrated and enduring dramatic comedy by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816), first performed at Drury Lane Theatre in May 1777. The title alludes to the coterie of scandalmongers headed by Lady Sneerwell, a group that disperses malicious and often fabricated gossip about the London

beau monde

. As well as Sir Benjamin Backbite, Crabtree, Snake, and the ironically named Mrs Candour, Lady Sneerwell’s club includes a newer recruit, Lady Teazle, a young woman arrived from the country as the wife of the older Sir Peter Teazle. He thought he was getting a docile and demure bride, but she promptly throws herself into fashionable society, causing comical squabbles between the mismatched couple. The main plot of

The School for Scandal

concerns Sir…

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2661 words

Citation: Grasso, Joshua. "The School for Scandal". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 April 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7652, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal

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