Appunti di Letteratura Inglese, libro consigliato: The School for Scandal, R. B. Sheridan

ACT THIRD SCENE I

Quotation of Shakespeare from Henry IV. Sir Oliver decides to behave like a

“Open as the day for melting charity”

money-lender in order to test Charles. He asks Moses to help him and to pose like a money-lender.

SCENE III

For now viewers have known Charles only through gossip > We too have made an image of him.

Sir Oliver presents himself as a money lender to his nephew because he needs loans and getting money

Charles is a play dealer, he’s direct and honest. He

“Pshaw! Have done. Sir, my friend Moses is a very honest fellow”

goes directly to the point

Charles gives SECURITY to his uncle’s WEALTH. He gives securities with things he

“Nothing but live-stock”

doesn’t possess yet > but it is not sure he will possess them. Then they talk about Sir Oliver in front of Sir

Oliver. Charles puts up auction (mette all’asta) for the family pictures, the families portraits

“Oh, yes, I do, vastly”

were considerable sound of money

This links to a debate that was ongoing at the time > THE LIKENESS AND TRUTH IN PORTRAITS. All the

scenes are linked to what is truth and what is untruth. Sir Oliver is posing as Mr Premium disguises an

impersonation which reveals the truth is exposed.

PORTRAITS AND FASHION

"This seems to be a Portrait-painting Age! From what causes the present universal employment of the Artist

in this line of Painting proceeds, it is not my immediate design to enquire. It may be Fashion; it may be the

increase of Sentiment; it may be the Spirit of Luxury which pervades all ranks and professions of men; or it

may be a union of them all”

In former times, Families of Distinction and Fortune alone employed the Painter in this line of Profession.

But in these days, the Parlour of the Tradesman is not considered a furnished room, if the Family-Pictures not

adorn the wainscot [wood panelling applied to a wall]: And many a good Woman, whose arms are marked with

an eternal red, from the industry of less prosperous days, considers the Bracelet, with the

Miniature-Painting, and ornament necessary to her Station in Life".

From William Coombe, «A poetical epistle to Sir Joshua Reynolds, Knt. and President of the Royal Academy»,

1777, Introduction.

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Portraits were like LUXURY and they were exhibited

ACT FOURTH SCENE I

the portraits means NOTHING to Charles because they’re too

“No, no, the merit of these is the inveterate likeness”

similar to the ORIGINALS He sells picture in a cheap price because he needed money, he doesn’t have

“ancestors with their own pedigree. ”

the time to negotiate

They specifically describe one portrait: Their paintings, that were made at the Restoration 100 years

“em”

before, are dated because they are too similar to the originals > they mean nothing to Charles.

It’s criticised and problematised: each social identity (in which others can recognize in us) is possessed with a

theatrical dramatical sell. Aunt Deborah wished to be portrayed as a virtuous woman,a Nymph (ninfa) but this

setting risks to be misread in the play.

Virtue is just theatre and a show put on > related to the fact of impersonation. Sir Oliver is impersonating a

character. Thought impersonation comes the revelation of the true nature

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Charles sells the paintings for a small price to make money quickly, he has no time to bargain (contrattare).

Sir Oliver when Charles does not sell his uncle’s painting is pleased and offers even more.

Here we have the Debate on Art about Portrait.

Compared to the century before, the value no longer lies in the exact resemblance of the subject but in the

exaltation of the subject >>> Reynolds' speeches (modern Raphael Reynold).

Charles' family paintings are out of fashion, they don’t meet these new standards.

But where is the truth? Sir Oliver discovers the truth through a disguise >> different speeches that intertwine

and dialogue with each other.

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IMPERSONATION AS REVELATION

«Here, now, is a maiden sister of his, my great-aunt Deborah, done by Kneller, in his best manner, and

esteemed a very formidable likeness. There she is, you see, a shepherdess feeding her flock. You shall have

her for five pounds ten the sheep are worth the money»

Alexander Pope, «To a Lady on the Characters of Women» (1735): How many pictures of one nymph we

view, All how unlike each other, all how true! [...] Whether the charmer sinner it, or saint it, If folly grows

romantic, I must paint it.

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Critic to the idea of these paintings created to put up a social identity > Too many masks and no true

character.

These painting are too similar to the originals >> they’re just CURRENCY

Reference of SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS idea had of art of paintings

“not like the works of your modern Raphael,”

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SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS

Reynolds was the leading English portraitist of the 18th century. He created fashionable, large-scale

images of British high society as well as early celebrities including actors and courtesans.

“[… ] the usual and most dangerous error is on the side of minuteness, and, therefore, I think caution is most

necessary where most have failed. The general idea constitutes real excellence. All smaller things, however

perfect in their way, are to be sacrificed without mercy to the greater. [...] in portraits, the grace and, we may

add, the likeness, consists more in taking the general air than in observing the effect similitude of every

feature. [...] All this is not falsifying any fact; it is taking an allowed poetic licence. [...] He cannot make his hero

talk like a great man; he must make him look like one. [...]if a portrait painter is desirous to raise and improve

his subject, he has no other means than by approaching it to a general idea. He leaves out all the minute

breaks and peculiarities in the face, and changes the dress from a temporary fashion to one more permanent

[...] It is very difficult to ennoble the character of a countenance but at the expense of the likeness”

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J. Reynolds, Seven Discourses on Art - «Discourse IV, delivered to the Students of the Royal Academy on

the Distribution of the Prizes, December 10, 1771»

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The same kind of idea Charles is supporting

The portrait becomes a sort of BIOGRAPHY that consist the individual to public view and judgments

DISCOURSE III

«[...] a mere copier of nature can never produce anything great; can never raise and enlarge the

conceptions, or warm the heart of the spectator. The wish of the genuine painter must be more extensive:

instead of endeavouring to amuse mankind with the minute neatness of his imitations, he must endeavour to

improve them by the grandeur of his ideas».

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J. Reynolds, Seven Discourses on Art - «Discourse III, delivered to the Students of the Royal Academy on the

Distribution of the Prizes, December 14, 1774»

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Thought IMPERSONATION you can find the truth > by adopting the disguise and impersonating Mr Premium,

Mr Oliver can see the true nature of Charles.

CHARLES AS VIRTUOUS CONNOISSEUR

«It has been often observed that the good and virtuous man alone can acquire [...] true or just relish, even

works of art. This opinion will not appear entirely without foundation when we consider that the same habit of

mind which is acquired by our search after truth in the more serious duties of life, is only transferred to the

pursuit of lighter amusements: the same disposition, the same desire to find something steady, substantial,

and durable, on which the mind can lean, as it were, and rest with safety».

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J. Reynolds, Seven Discourses on Art - «Discourse VII, delivered to the Students of the Royal Academy on

the Distribution of the Prizes, December 10, 1776»

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Charles is IMPATIENCE and he need money quickly

In this game of liveness (vitalià) and truth, of virtue and improving social

“No, hang it! I'll not part with poor Noll”

identity, Charles proves a virtuous expert, he is able to find substantial and durable among the picture. He

doesn't care about the details > he goes straight to the point and recognizes that, that one picture he doesn't

want to part with (separarsi)

Means EXPENSIVE, Sir Oliver has spent 800 Pounds to be able to expose, through the game that is

“A dear ”

linked with the discourse (also of Reynolds) artistic debate on how to be painted portraits of people, cost him

a lot.

ACT FOURTH SCENE III

Joseph wishes to win Maria’s heart (she is an heiress -ereditiera) and he thinks

“I am surprised she has not sent”

he is in advantage from Charles’s imprudence

The visit of Lady Teazle is a clandestine visit > put the screen in order to not be seeing

“em” Lady Teazle is INNOCENT but Sir Peter is SUSPICIOUS

“a husband entertains a groundless suspicion of his wife”

because she behaves like an innocent > she should be less innocent. Joseph gives an ADVICE: it is better if

she does something Her COUNTRY EDUCATION is still in her

“ah, the ill effects of your country education”

When Sir Peter is arriving Joseph fakes to be a MAN OF SENTIMENT in his LIBRARY >

“give me that book”

he’s meditating and expressing feelings as a man of sentiment does.

The screen is a source of KNOWLEDGE because:

“ you make even your screen a source of knowledge”

1. It represents GEOGRAPHICAL MAPS

2. Behind it there’s his WIFE

In the end also Sir Peter hides from Chales, so husband and wife are hiding themselves, pip out the scene

and each remains hidden from each other without knowing it

THE SCREEN SCENE

The scene is amusing and spectacular in

theatrical terms

intricacy of psychological substance:

➔

Sir Peter poses his heart out to Joseph, who is incapable of really listening to him, he does love her and after

Lady Teazle is moved from her husband’s decisions with her.

Lady Teazle is not guilty, but can be tempted (she is both innocent and guilty and her husband is both right

and wrong).

Her possible deceit is contemplated sadly, without rancour.

Here Sir Peter speaks about financial settlement, this is the proof that he

“I am sure i wish to think well of her”

loves his wife. The financial settlement is during the life (8 hundred) and after the death (the majority of his

fortune). Joseph doesn't want to talk about Maria because there is Lady Teazle behind the screen

“your affairs with maria”

she she can be jealous

Lady Teazle is moved by her husband’s decisions and intentions with her. Sir Peter thinks that she has a

liaison with Charles (from gossip) but in contrast, it is Joseph who tempted her. She is guilty and innocent

but at the same time her husband is true and wrong in accusing her. He loves her and he expresses his love

truth in the finan