the-school-for-scandal

LiteratureofDrama1RichardBrinsleySheridan1751-1816《TheSchoolforScandal》ThecontentofthestoryIthappenedinBritishuppersocietyinthe18thcentury.There’sawealthywidownamedSneerwell,wholikestospreadrumorsforfun.AndamannamedSnake,who’sSneerwell’shireling.OneoftheirfavoritesubjectsofgossipistheSurfacebrothers,JosephandCharles,andbotharethewardsofSirPeterTeazle.ThepopularperceptionisthatJosephisresponsibleandrespectable,whileCharlesisawastrelandamiscreant(恶棍）.CharlesandMaria,who’salsoPeter’sward,fallinlovewitheachother.ButJosephlikeMariaorhermoney,andSneerwellloveCharles,sotheyunitetogethertobreaktheloveofCharlesandMaria.Indeed,afterMariahearingSneerwell’swords,there’ssomemisunderstandingbetweenthem.Ontheotherhand,oldPeter’syoungwifeladyTeazlefromacountrysidewanttofindalover,finallyshechoosesJoseph.AfteranembarrassingmeetinginJoseph’shome,sheandherhusbandPeterrecognizedJoseph’sbadside.Atthesametime,theSurfacebrothers‘uncle,SirOliverSurface,returnstoLondonafterspendingmanyyearsinIndia,hearstherumorsabouthisnephews,anddecidestoverifythemforthepurposeofchoosinganheirbetweenthetwo.Sincehehasbeengonesolongthathisnephewswouldnotrecognizehim,hevisitsthemincognito.PosingasamoneylendertoCharles,andasapoorrelativetoJoseph,hediscoversthathisnephewsarenotquiteofthenatureshehasbeenledtobelieve.Atthelast,OliverdecidestogivehispropertytoCharles,andpresidesovertheweddingofCharlesandMaria.Moreover,Charlesdecidestokeepona“virtuouspath”underMaria’sinfluence.ＣＨＡＲＡＣＴＥＲＳ’ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮ①LadySneerwell:awealthyyoungwidow,herhousehasthenicknameof“theschoolofscandal”inBritishuppersociety.Becauseonceshewassulliedbyarogue(流氓），soshewantstomakepeoplesufferthesamepainjustashersviaspreadingvariousrumorstostainother’sfame.AndshelikesCharles.②Snake：Sneerwell’shireling,heisanunreliableperson,andforthesakeofmoney,hefinallystandswithCharles’sgrouptotellthetruth.③SirOliverSerface:theuncleofJosephandCharles,hehasbeeninIndiaforaverylongtime,whohasmademuchmoneythere.④JosephSurface:apretentioushypocrite,heisthebrotherofCharles.⑤CharlesSurface:thoughheisawastrelandamiscreant(恶棍）onthesurface,heisverykindandupright.HelovesMaria.⑥Maria:thewardofPeter,andshefallsinlovewithCharlesthoughPeterisagainsttheirlove.⑦SirPeterTeazle:anoldBritisharistocrat,heistheguardianofMaria,JosephandCharles.AndheisthefriendofOlive.Hemarriedayoungcountrygirl,thatistheladyTeazle.⑧LadyTeazle:thewifeofPeter,sheknowsnothingaboutthebadlifestylesofupperclassoriginally,butafterherwedding,shelearnsallofthem——gossip,luxuryandfashion.⑨Rowley:theex–stewardofSurface.