Old Bellair and Young Bellair are father and son. In the play, their names are distinguished by their age, a naming convention that helps illustrate how the behaviors and practices of Restoration society redound across generations, especially in terms of Desire as a Social Game. This is further illustrated by the farcical way in which both Bellairs find themselves in love with the same woman. Old Bellair and Young Bellair both fall in love with Emilia, much to the amusement of the other characters and the despair of Young Bellair.

In a play in which gossip and rumors are spread with glee, Young Bellair is punished for keeping his relationship with Emilia private and sincere. His father, without the aid of gossip, is unaware of Young Bellair’s feelings, even while his son is plotting to marry the same woman with whom his father is becoming infatuated. Old Bellair is just as accustomed to the games of desire as his son. He is eager to flirt with Emilia and tease her, revealing how even the older members of the elite still find pleasure and purpose in courting others.

Medley can always be found in the midst of the swirling rumors. In the play, he is one of the few characters who is able to move seamlessly between social settings, with his carefree behavior reflecting The Performance of Masculinity. He is at home in Dorimant’s lodgings, talking about Dorimant’s latest love affair, just as he is at home with the young women, swapping items of gossip for their amusement. Notably, Medley is detached from the romantic intrigue of the play. He does not pursue any woman, nor is he pursued himself. Rather, he exists as a facilitator, enabling the free exchange of information that fuels much of the plot. He brings letters back and forth, encourages scandalous behavior, and then discusses these scandals as “very good content” (2.2.158). To Medley, gossip is something of a commodity. Like the orange-seller in the opening scene, he lays out his wares for the women and treats them to whatever salacious rumors he has heard.

In contrast to Medley’s self-assured social performance, the women face far more constraints on their behavior. Rumors about Mrs. Loveit threaten to isolate her from society and turn her into a laughingstock, introducing the theme of The Fragility of Women’s Social Standing. Dorimant and the other men are raised up by romantic intrigue, while women risk being condemned. The vulnerability of women in light of the sexual double standards pushes the female characters into competition with one another, as is the case with Mrs. Loveit and Belinda. Belinda and Mrs. Loveit are, ostensibly, friends. At the beginning of the play, Mrs. Loveit trusts Belinda and confides in her. She is not aware that Belinda is operating behind her back by scheming against her with Dorimant.

Dorimant shows casual contempt towards the feelings of both women. Belinda is willing to betray her friend for a chance to be with Dorimant, unaware of how Dorimant takes as much pleasure from the drama and the chaos of turning one woman against another as he does from any romantic encounter. He does not seem to hold any particular affection for Belinda other than valuing her capacity to turn Mrs. Loveit into a spectacle of mockery. He cares for her so little, in fact, that he is already more interested in Harriet.

However, Belinda recognizes the callous way he treats her friend and the wider implications of how Mrs. Loveit is getting cast aside. She tries to dismiss her fears by assuring herself that her own relationship with Dorimant will not end in the same way. The use of dramatic irony, in which the audience is aware that Belinda is in the process of betraying her friend, creates additional pathos around Mrs. Loveit’s situation, as she is being betrayed by both her friend and her companion. There is also dramatic irony in how the audience is already aware of Harriet as a potential rival for Dorimant’s affections, foreshadowing how Belinda will fare no better in her dealings with Dorimant than Mrs. Loveit has done.