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Unit 19: The School for Scandal: Detailed Analysis of the Text Act I to Act V

Notes

With Lady Sneerwell’s talents out in the open, she admits that she is proud of her
abilities and she wants to use them on her next project. In this project, she is going to use
Snake to break off the affections between Charles Surface, a drunk who is throwing away his
money, and Maria, the ward of Sir Peter Teazle. Once the couple is split up, Sneerwell wants
to move Maria’s affections toward Charles’s brother Joseph.

19.1.2 Scene II

Sir Peter complains of Lady Teazle’s spendthrift ways. Rowley, the former steward of the Surfaces’
late father, arrives, and Sir Peter gives him an earful on the subject. He also complains that Maria
has refused Joseph, whom he calls “a model for the young men of the age,” and seems attached to
Charles, whom he denounces as a profligate. Rowley defends Charles, and then announces that Sir
Oliver has just arrived from the East Indies.
Sir Peter Teazle, an old man, married a young woman six months ago and his life has been terrible
since then. The once shy, innocent, poor young woman Sir Peter wedded has become a greedy
shrew who argues with everything he says and demands everything that he has to give and more.
Thus, rather than getting a beautiful, retiring woman, he is tied to an absolute beast.
Rowley arrives to speak with Sir Peter and Sir Peter tells him about his troubles with Lady Teazle.
In fact, Sir Peter believes that much of her shrewish behavior is due to her spending so much time
with Lady Sneerwell and her gang of character assassins. To add to his worries, Maria is still intent
on marrying Charles, despite the fact that he has tried to get his ward to move her affections
elsewhere.

19.2 Act II

19.2.1 Scene I
Sir Peter argues with his wife, Lady Teazle, refusing to be “ruined by [her] extravagance.” He reminds
her of her recent and far humbler country origins. Lady Teazle excuses herself by appealing to “the
fashion,” and departs to visit Lady Sneerwell. Despite their quarrel, Sir Peter still finds himself
charmed by his wife even when she is arguing with him.
Sir Peter and Lady Teazle are having another argument, this time about the fact that Lady Teazle
wants some expensive new fashions and Sir Peter is not willing to spend the money. Sir Peter tries
to convince her that she should be happy just to get a few things from him, since she grew up poor.
She, however, insists that she deserves everything any other woman has and more. After all, Sir
Peter showed her how rich people live and it is his fault that she wants to live the best life possible.

Sir Peter and Lady Teazle argue until Lady Teazle finally tells Sir Peter that she has to
be at her appointment at Lady Sneerwell’s and, to make matters worse, Sir Peter promised to
join her. So, once Sir Peter offers one final complaint about his wife to the audience, the two of
them go to Lady Sneerwell’s.

19.2.2 Scene II

At Lady Sneerwell’s, the scandal-mongers have great fun at the expense of friends not present.
Lady Teazle and Maria arrive; Lady Teazle joins in, but Maria is disgusted. So is Sir Peter, when he

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