Richard Sheridan’s 1777 play The School for Scandal is an 18th-century adaptation of a genre known as the comedy of manners. This genre can be traced back to the early Roman satirists, and particularly to the works of Horace. However, in the history of English literature, the heyday of the comedy of manners genre occurred during the Restoration Period in the 17th century. Two classic British examples of the genre are William Wycherley’s 1675 play The Country. Wife and William Congreve’s 1700 masterpiece, The Way of the World.
Some elements common to a typical comedy of manners include the use of satire, witty dialogue, clever and elaborate plotting, and abundant sexual innuendo. Additionally, plays belonging to this genre often poked fun at the contrived manners of society without straying too far from what might be considered realistic—that is, these plays often satirized society simply by artfully emphasizing its absurd but nonetheless authentic aspects. Taking his cues from Wycherly and Congreve, Sheridan’s play revived the comedy of manners, adapting the genre to suit the tastes of his 18th-century audience by toning down the explicit sexual innuendos and including elements of the sentimental comedy (a genre which rose in opposition to the raunchy works of the Restoration). The School for Scandal is considered one of the finest written comedies of its kind in English.
