Page 262 - DENG403_BRITISH_DRAMA

British Drama

Notes decides on the disguises to test each of his nephews. Had it not been for Sir Peter’s opposition to
Rowley’s judgements, Sir Oliver might never have felt it necessary to go to the extremes he does to
test the brothers.

The third role Sir Peter acts is as a contrast in character to Sir Oliver. Unlike Sir Oliver
the unmarried shrewd, often he is both comic and pathetic, particularly in the scenes with
Lady Teazle. In these encounters, his situation is pathetic in that his marital problem seems
insurmountable. His approach to Lady Teazle is a blend of love and affection, with an attempt
to win her with kindness and fatherly understanding.
At times, Sir Peter seems to be the dupe of Joseph, who has a design on Maria. He appears to be a
solid citizen, despite his name, who approves the virtues professed by Joseph, and is a sober
representative of the moral order. But when Sir Peter praises Joseph’s feelings, he is unable to tell
the difference between hypocrisy and honesty. In general, Sir Peter poses as a figure for sympathy
because of his trouble with marriage and self-proclaimed righteousness.

The sympathy built up for him in the first scene, however, is modified by his
very first line which puts him in a different framework altogether, “When an old bachelor takes a
young wife, what is he to expect?” The audience knew what he could expect. Having complained
of his wife’s expenses and admitting that he loves her, he concludes: “However, I will never be
weak enough to own it.” Here he produces a truly comic attitude.

By the end of the scene, Sir Peter has classed himself as a simple country squire, not very well suited
to the complexities of life in the city. He is still likeable in his own stubborn way, but his faults are
readily discernible.
By his widespread involvement in all the action, Sir Peter plays an important part in providing the
connecting personality between the disparate characters of the play. He is the guardian of maria,
the overseer of Charles and Joseph, the husband of Lady Teazle, the employer of Rowley, and the
friend of Sir Oliver. As such, he is “a nexus for all of them within the world of the play.” This
connection of the characters through Sir Peter is clearly borne out by the number of scenes which
take place at his house. Of the fourteen scenes in the play, five take place at Sir Peters. Sir Peter
appears in eight scenes, over half of those in the play. This figure is exceeded only by Sir Oliver,
who appears in ten scenes, and far overshadows Joseph, who appears in five Scenes, and Charles,
who is in only four scenes.

Lady Teazle

Young wife of Sir Peter. She and her husband have their little spats. When he visits Joseph Surface
one day, he discovers his wife hiding behind a screen and at first thinks she has been having an
affair with Joseph, whom he now brands as a villain. Lady Teazle, as a counterpart of Sir Peter, is
not quite a hoyden. She has become a charming, lovely young woman who has attained somehow
her place in London society. As a matter of fact, her charm and superior wit often leave Sir Peter the
comic butt of their arguments. Intoxicated with city life, clothes, and gossip, she is flattered by the
attention of a worldly and handsome young man, Joseph Surface. As a glittering personality and
novice of the worldly affairs, she is one of the important vehicles for Sheridans wit. Without her
daily jangle with Sir Peter, this would be a duller play. The audience shares the sense of danger
when she plays with fire.

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