This prologue compares tragedy and comedy, the theatrical muses who were traditionally used to represent the forces of artistic and imagined as female. At the time that Sheridan wrote, plays were expected to impart a moral lesson to the audience. Sheridan is preparing the audience not to expect this light comedy to teach too grave a lesson. He suggests that in a tragedy, lessons are imparted when the characters die as a punishment for their sins, but that his play will not try to teach lessons in this way. Further he suggests that the forces of morality can find stronger…