Mrs. Candour (Verbal Irony)
In The School for Scandal, Sheridan often uses characters' names to hint at their personalities. For example, Lady Sneerwell is judgmental and enjoys spreading reputation-ruining rumors. However, some characters' names are ironic because they contradict their personalities. Mrs. Candour is an example of this type of ironic naming. While the word candor ("candour" in British English) means honesty and openness, Mrs. Candour is as much a hypocritical gossip as Lady Sneerwell and the others in their social circle.
Sir Oliver in Disguise (Dramatic Irony)
Dramatic irony is a major source of humor in The School for Scandal. One source of this dramatic irony is Sir Oliver's plot to visit both of his nephews in disguise to see if society's views of them are justified, and to decide which of them deserves his inheritance. He goes to Charles disguised as a money lender named Mr. Premium and to Joseph as a poor relation named Mr. Stanley. In both of these encounters, not only is there the dramatic irony of the young men not knowing to whom they are really talking, but both scenes also involve conversations about Sir Oliver himself, with the boys exaggerating certain facts about their relationship with their uncle and professing that he is definitely still away in the East Indies. This dramatic irony comes to a head in the climax of the play when both young men, seeing Sir Oliver, think he is someone else.
Behind the Screen and In the Closet (Dramatic Irony)
Another scene of dramatic irony is the suspenseful escalation of characters hiding and spying on one another in Joseph's house. The scene begins between Joseph and Lady Teazle, but Lady Teazle must hide behind a screen in the room when her husband is announced by a servant. Then, her husband almost sees her when he seeks a place to hide upon the announcement of Charles's arrival. Sir Peter decides to hide in the closet instead, and tension and irony increase as the audience hears Charles attempt to engage Joseph in conversation about his affair with Lady Teazle, knowing all the while that the positions of the characters will probably be revealed at some point.
Joseph and Charles (Dramatic Irony)
Perhaps the most pointed irony of the play is the contrast between society's expectations and gossip about Joseph and Charles Surface on one hand, versus their true characters and Sir Oliver's choice of heir on the other hand. From the beginning of the play, people gossip negatively about Charles's lavish spending habits while praising Joseph for being a giving, moral gentleman. However, Sir Oliver discovers that Joseph is a hypocrite putting on an act for society: this is revealed when he he refuses to give Mr. Stanley, a poor relative, any money. In contrast, his wild brother Charles takes pity on Mr. Stanley and sends him 100 pounds. In the end, Sir Oliver declares Charles his heir, surprising everyone.
