Search results
A comprehensive biography of the Anglo-Irish playwright, politician and Treasurer of the Navy. Learn about his life, works, family, duels and legacy in the Western canon.
- Overview
- Formative years
- Theatrical career
Richard Brinsley Sheridan, (baptized November 4, 1751, Dublin, Ireland—died July 7, 1816, London, England), Irish-born playwright, impresario, orator, and Whig politician. His plays, notably The School for Scandal (1777), form a link in the history of the comedy of manners between the end of the 17th century and Oscar Wilde in the 19th century.
Sheridan was the third son of Thomas and Frances Sheridan. His grandfather Thomas Sheridan had been a companion and confidant of Jonathan Swift; his father was the author of a pronouncing dictionary and the advocate of a scheme of public education that gave a prominent place to elocution; and his mother gained some fame as a playwright.
The family moved to London, and Sheridan never returned to Ireland. He was educated (1762–68) at Harrow, and in 1770 he moved with his family to Bath. There Sheridan fell in love with Elizabeth Ann Linley (1754–92), whose fine soprano voice delighted audiences at the concerts and festivals conducted by her father, Thomas. In order to avoid the unpleasant attentions of a Welsh squire, Thomas Mathews of Llandaff, she decided to take refuge in a French nunnery. Sheridan accompanied her to Lille in March 1772 but returned to fight two duels that same year with Mathews. Meanwhile, Elizabeth had returned home with her father, and Sheridan was ordered by his father to Waltham Abbey, Essex, to pursue his studies. He was entered at the Middle Temple in April 1773 but after a week broke with his father, gave up a legal career, and married Elizabeth at Marylebone Church, London.
After his marriage Sheridan turned to the theatre for a livelihood. His comedy The Rivals opened at Covent Garden Theatre, London, in January 1775. It ran an hour longer than was usual, and, because of the offensive nature and poor acting of the character of Sir Lucius O’Trigger, it was hardly a success. Drastically revised and with a new actor as Sir Lucius, its second performance 11 days later won immediate applause. The situations and characters were not entirely new, but Sheridan gave them freshness by his rich wit, and the whole play reveals Sheridan’s remarkable sense of theatrical effect. The play is characteristic of Sheridan’s work in its genial mockery of the affectation displayed by some of the characters. Even the malapropisms that slow down the play give a proper sense of caricature to the character of Mrs. Malaprop.
Some of the play’s success was due to the acting of Lawrence Clinch as Sir Lucius. Sheridan showed his gratitude by writing the amusing little farce St. Patrick’s Day; Or, The Scheming Lieutenant for the benefit performance given for Clinch in May 1775. Another example of his ability to weave an interesting plot from well-worn materials is seen in The Duenna, produced the following November. The characters are generally undeveloped, but the intrigue of the plot and charming lyrics and the music by his father-in-law, Thomas Linley, and his son gave this ballad opera great popularity. Its 75 performances exceeded the 62, a record for that time, credited to John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera (1728), and it is still revived.
Thus, in less than a year Sheridan had brought himself to the forefront of contemporary dramatists. David Garrick, looking for someone to succeed him as manager and proprietor of Drury Lane Theatre, saw in Sheridan a young man with energy, shrewdness, and a real sense of theatre. A successful physician, James Ford, agreed with Garrick’s estimate and increased his investment in the playhouse. In 1776, Sheridan and Linley became partners with Ford in a half-share of Drury Lane Theatre. Two years later they bought the other half from Willoughby Lacy, Garrick’s partner.
Are you a student? Get Britannica Premium for only 24.95 - a 67% discount!
Learn More
In fact, Sheridan’s interest in his theatre soon began to seem rather fitful. Nevertheless, he was responsible for the renewed appreciation of Restoration comedy that followed the revival of the plays of William Congreve at Drury Lane. In February 1777 he brought out his version of Sir John Vanbrugh’s The Relapse (1696) as A Trip to Scarborough, again showing his talent for revision. He gave the rambling plot a neater shape and removed much indelicacy from the dialogue, but the result was disappointing, probably because of the loss of much of the earlier play’s gusto.
Learn about the life and works of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, a Dublin-born writer who became a celebrated dramatist and a member of the British parliament. Explore his comedies, such as The Rivals and The School for Scandal, and his anti-colonial drama, Pizarro.
The School for Scandal, comedy in five acts by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, performed in 1777 and published in 1780. With its spirited ridicule of affectation and pretentiousness, it is one of the greatest comedies of manners in English.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn about the life and works of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, a British playwright, orator, and politician. He wrote comedies of manners such as The Rivals and The School for Scandal, and was a leader of the Whig party in Parliament.
Learn about the life and career of the Irish-born playwright and poet, best known for The School for Scandal and The Rivals. Find out his achievements, challenges, and legacy in the theatre and politics.
People also ask
Who is Richard Brinsley Sheridan?
Who wrote a biography of Richard Brinsley Sheridan?
How many plays did Richard Brinsley Sheridan write?
Who was David Wilkinson Sheridan?
May 29, 2018 · Learn about the life and works of the Irish dramatist and statesman who revived the Restoration comedy of manners. Find out how he wrote The Rivals, The School for Scandal, and The Critic, and how he became a prominent orator in Parliament.
