Previous
Similes
Act 1, Scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—A Progeny of Learning:
During Act 1, Scene 2, Mrs. Malaprop and Sir Anthony debate the components that should make up a woman’s education. The conversation serves as an example of situational irony, as Mrs. Malaprop tries to argue that education isn't all that important even though, in making this point, she makes mistake after mistake—a fact that effectively contradicts her main argument. She says:
Mrs. Malaprop: I would by no means wish a daughter of mine to be a progeny of learning[...] Then, sir, she should have a supercilious knowledge in accounts; and as she grew up, I would have her instructed in geometry, that she might know something of the contagious countries; [...] she should be mistress of orthodoxy, that she might not misspell [...]; and likewise that she might reprehend the true meaning of what she is saying. This, Sir Anthony, is what I would have a woman know; and I don’t think there is a superstitious article in it.
Related Themes:
