Question

What is the underlying reason Lady Teazle wants great sums of money from Sir Peter?

• A. She is planning to donate a large sum to charity.
• B. She wants to start a new business venture.
• C. She intends to travel extensively across Europe.
• D. She wants to represent her family’s status and maintain their reputation as a lady of fashion.

Answer 1

Answer:

D. She wants to represent her family’s status and maintain their reputation as a lady of fashion.

• Lady Teazle’s desire for large sums of money is not driven by personal greed, but by her understanding of the societal expectations placed on her as a lady. In the context of the play, women were expected to spend money lavishly to display their family's wealth and elevate their social standing.

• Lady Teazle seeks the money to maintain her appearance as a fashionable woman, which in turn reflects well on Sir Peter's family.

• By spending extravagantly, she aims to uphold the family’s reputation, which was considered an essential part of their social status during that time.

• Her request shows that her actions are rooted in a desire to act her role within the societal framework, rather than personal vanity.