The Conscious Lovers

Steele explains in the Preface that the entire play was written around the first scene of Act IV, which dramatizes the de-escalation of conflict. Steele’s purpose in writing this scene was to propose an alternative to dueling, which was becoming problematic in early 18th-century society. Myrtle challenges Bevil Jr. to a duel because he thinks that Bevil Jr.’s correspondence with Lucinda implies that Bevil Jr. is going to marry Lucinda. Bevil Jr. is thus caught between maintaining Lucinda’s trust, which involves keeping her letters secret, and fighting Myrtle over a misunderstanding. Both men are thus trapped by rules of social decorum and expectations of masculinity; they have seemingly no alternative but dueling. However, Steele wants audiences to see how abstract concepts of honor and duty do not justify combat and death, so he has his characters demonstrate how Calm Restraint in Love and Friendship can avert hot-headed disaster.

The solution—sharing the contents of the letters rather than allowing the misunderstanding to fester—promotes Honesty and Integrity in Relationships. After Bevil Jr. explains the situation, Myrtle is relieved to know Bevil Jr. is innocent and not to have killed him only to experience “the most exquisite distress” (364) after reading Lucinda’s letter proving Bevil Jr.’s innocence. The men examine how their anger flared: Just as Myrtle was offended by the proposed match between Bevil Jr. and Lucinda, so too did Bevil Jr. lose his temper when Myrtle “spoke to the disadvantage of her you loved” (363). The friends are easily insulted by any reference to the women they love, identifying the society Steele is portraying as a patriarchal honor culture. Though this convoluted situation is unlikely to be replicated in real life, Steele’s point is that keeping a cool head, discussing any issue openly, and investigating conflicts despite perceived offense can save lives and prevent needless violence.

Similarly, Sir Bevil and Sealand get into an argument that could also lead to anger and violence, as Sir Bevil questions Sealand’s heritage and Sealand questions the integrity of members of the upper class. Sir Bevil highlights The Impact of Social Standing on Prospects by privileging the importance of heritage in arranged marriages: “Genealogy and descent are to be of some consideration in an affair of this sort” (365). Sir Bevil’s doubtful questioning implies that Sealand’s mercantile origins (meaning, he earns a living from a business rather than from land ownership or inheritance) make Lucinda less desirable from a socio-economic perspective. Sealand’s response is an even more direct insult—he counters that only “lazy” nobles think that “industry is dishonorable” (366). Each man sees his way of life as superior, reflecting the ongoing social conflict of Steele’s time. The emerging middle class saw themselves as self-made nobility, accumulating wealth and servicing the burgeoning economy of England. However, nobles saw their heritage and breeding as a sign of their superiority, disregarding the efforts of the middle class as fruitless imitation.