The Conscious Lovers

The Conscious Lovers is a Sentimental Comedy written by Richard Steele in 1722. As part of the Sensibility movement, The Conscious Lovers aims at educating society and teaching morality through creating exemplary characters to imitate. Steele states in the preface of the play, that he wrote the entire play around a dueling scene, in which Mr. Myrtle, filled with rage and jealousy, challenges Bevil Junior to a duel. After overcoming his rage, Bevil Junior calms himself and declines. Steele says, that with this scene he hopes to influence young men facing a duel to commit themselves to reason over impulse, thus declining a duel.

Plot

Bevil Junior, only son and heir to the estate of Sir John Bevil, is set to marry Lucinda, the only daughter of Old Sealand. However, neither Bevil Junior nor Lucinda want to be married to the other, as they are both in love is somebody else. Bevil Junior is in love with Indiana, Old Sealand's long lost daughter who is believed to be dead, and Lucinda is in love with Mr. Myrtle, a friend of Bevil Junior. Through various intrigues, the not-lovers succeed in dissolving the engagement. In the final revelation scene, Bevil admits to his father, that he is in love with Indiana, who is revealed to be Old Sealand long lost daughter. The play ends with the engagement of Bevil Junior to Indiana and Lucinda to Mr. Myrtle.

Criticism

Criticism evolved early on after the publication of the play. John Dennis for example critizes the play, arguing, that Bevil Junior's behaviour follows no sense of reason, and that the final agnorisis is cheaply made. Such criticism underlines the close link between theatre and and society during the restoration period.

References

Dennis, John. "Remarks on The Conscious Lovers." Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Comedy. 2nd ed., Norton Critical Editions, 1997.

Jucker, Andreas H. "The Eighteenth Century: Educational Literature." Politeness in the History of English: from the Middle Ages to the Present Day. Cambridge UP, 2020. 135-159.

Steele, Richard. The Conscious Lovers. 1722.