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Situational Irony
Definition of Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself, relating his or her innermost thoughts and feelings as if... read full definition
A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself, relating his or her innermost... read full definition
A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself... read full definition
Act 1, Scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—A Troubled Marriage:
During Sir Peter’s first appearance on stage in The School for Scandal, in Act 1, Scene 2, he delivers a short soliloquy. Recounting recent troubles with his wife of six months, Sir Peter’s soliloquy introduces another of the play’s subplots, which centers on the relationship between himself and Lady Teazle:
When an old bachelor marries a young wife, what is he to expect? ’Tis now six months since Lady Teazle made me the happiest of men—and I have been the most miserable dog ever since! [...] Yet I chose with caution—a girl bred wholly in the country, who never knew luxury beyond one silk gown, nor dissipation above the annual gala of a race ball. Yet now she plays her part in all the extravagant fopperies of the fashion and the town [...] She dissipates my fortune, and contradicts all my humours; yet, the worst of it is, I doubt I love her, or I should never bear all this. However, I’ll never be weak enough to own it.
Related Themes:
Epilogue
Explanation and Analysis—A Parting Message:
The School for Scandal concludes with the Epilogue, in which Lady Teazle soliloquizes on the final message of the play. Written by dramatist George Colman the Elder, Lady Teazle’s ending speech summarizes the play’s events and offers a closing word on the negative impacts of both gossip and miscommunication:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Old bachelors, who marry smart young wives,
Learn from our play to regulate your lives:
Each bring his dear to town, all faults upon her—
London will prove the very source of honour.
Plunged fairly in, like a cold bath it serves,
When principles relax, to brace the nerves:
Such is my case; and yet I must deplore
That the gay dream of dissipation’s o’er.
[...]
Save money—when I just knew how to waste it!
Leave London—just as I began to taste it!
Related Themes:
