Topics for Further Study
- Sheridan, a male writer, explores themes of marriage and women's roles in School for Scandal. Research the societal position of women in London at that time. Do you believe Sheridan's portrayal of women is accurate? Does the marriage depicted in the play authentically reflect late eighteenth-century marriages?
- Sheridan's biography reveals that he earned substantial income from writing plays. Investigate the financial viability of playwriting and other theatrical professions during that period. How profitable was acting, playwriting, or owning a theatre?
- School for Scandal centers on gossip and slander as social maladies. How significant was the issue of slander in London society? Through your research, did you find that Sheridan used slander to highlight a deeper societal problem?
- The eighteenth century saw a growing divide between poverty and wealth in England. Enclosure laws forced many people, who previously sustained themselves in the countryside, to relocate to London in search of work. Concurrently, the rise of gin bars led to widespread public drunkenness. Investigate the impact of these events. What new problems emerged due to high unemployment and public intoxication?
- Sheridan was one of the last playwrights to write a "comedy of manners," a genre that gained popularity after the Restoration but was declining by the time he started writing. Examine this genre and discuss the characteristics that define a comedy of manners.
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