A Study in Symbolism
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This study will examine symbolism and its role and significance in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The School for Scandal. Symbolism in the play will be examined in terms of its relationship to the characters and the light it sheds on the characters. Sheridan's play is a comedy about the viciousness of the human inclination to gossip and spread malicious rumors about others. As might be expected, the symbolism in the play is used in the service of that comic view of human nature. At the same time, however, the play should not be dismissed as a completely cynical look at a humanity lost in malice and deceit, for Sheridan also makes it clear that there is goodness in humanity as well. Still, he is not an angry writer using symbols to express that rage at humanity's vices. To the contrary, he even gently mocks his own imagined goodness in the Prologue to the play: "Is our young bard so young to think that he/ Can stop the full spring-tide of calumny?" (Sheridan 188). Sheridan even refers to ink as a symbol for blood, implying in a sense that he spilling his own in an effort to stop scandalmongering, or at least to bring "smiles" to the faces of his audience: "He'll fight---that's write---a cavalliero true,/ Till every drop of blood---that's ink---is spilt for you" (Sheridan 188). On first glance, it might appear that the play has a minimum of symbols. The fact is, however, that the first obvious symbol is the scandal college itself. The school for scandal stands for all of hu
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tige. Again, from the beginning of the play in the exchange between Lady Sneerwell and Snake, it is made clear that the rumors they proudly spread are indeed symbols for the meaning in their lives. Sneerwell, Snake and most of the others covet rumors the way that materialists covet Mercedes Benzes.
Money, of course, is also a symbol of power and pleasure for a number of the characters, such as Joseph Surface, who yearns for Maria's money. Again, a character's name---Surface, in this case---stands for his character. He is a superficial man, as his name suggests, and a false moralizer. A thoroughly shallow man, he is nevertheless shown to be wanted desperately by Lady Sneerwell, who admires Surface for his very obvious vices and shortcomings, which are themselves symbols of pride and accomplishment in the morally topsy-turvy world of the school for scandal.
The family portraits which Charles Surface sells at the auction can be seen as symbols of traditional society. The symbols are not entirely mocked or de-valued at the auction, however, because, finally, Charles refuses to sell the portrait of Sir Oliver, who is one of the decent characters in the play. Oliver, disguised in order to assess his family's morality, is truly disg
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Scandal Symbolism, Sir Oliver, Oliver Oliver, Lady Teazle, Scandal Tell, Careless Sneerwell, Captain Boastall, Lady Sneerwell, Joseph Surface, Charles Surface, school scandal, charles sell, oliver disguised, lady sneerwell, sheridan 188, real world, rumors gossip, proficient scandalmongering, characters play, charles refuses,
Approximate Word count = 1619
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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