The School for Scandal

Sir Peter Teazle is a middle-aged man living in town who recently married a young woman from the country. His marriage forms the central conflict of his character arc, as he wants Lady Teazle to love him, but he also wants a degree of control over her. There is an implicit misogyny in Peter’s character, in which he explains that he married Lady Teazle because he assumed she had country sensibilities, such as a preference for simple things, housework, and frugality. His disappointment when Lady Teazle begins to enjoy living in town reflects his assumptions about women, as he sees women’s personalities as static and unchanging. Peter is a static character in the play, which lends a sense of irony to his perception of Lady Teazle, who is the only dynamic character.

Though the text does not have a clear protagonist, Peter could be considered a protagonist because he professes a disdain for gossip and scandal that aligns with the moral of the play. He interrupts gossip and even suggests passing a law to ban it. However, his role in the play relies on the fact that Peter, too, is deceived by gossip: He thinks Charles is a bad person because of his rakish, or libertine, lifestyle, but he bases his opinion largely on the gossip spread by Joseph.