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The Benefit of the Doubt; a Comedy in Three Acts

Chapter 1: THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT
By Arthur Wing Pinero
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A three-act social comedy follows a family and their friends as a young woman’s honor is contested in a public divorce hearing; anxious relatives await the verdict at home while courtroom accusations and defenses unfold. The decision ultimately clears her, but lingering doubts and strained loyalties remain, forcing characters to reckon with appearances, gossip, and the pressures of respectability. The play explores how reputation is fragile under public scrutiny and how intimacy and compassion are tested when social judgment demands quick conclusions.

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Benefit of the Doubt; a Comedy in Three Acts

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Title: The Benefit of the Doubt; a Comedy in Three Acts

Author: Arthur Wing Pinero

Release date: December 9, 2017 [eBook #56151]
Most recently updated: October 23, 2024

Language: English

Credits: Produced by KD Weeks, ellinora, Bryan Ness and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT; A COMEDY IN THREE ACTS ***
Transcriber’s Note:

Footnotes have been collected at the end of each chapter, and are linked for ease of reference.

Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation.

Any corrections are indicated using an underline highlight. Placing the cursor over the correction will produce the original text in a small popup.

Any corrections are indicated as hyperlinks, which will navigate the reader to the corresponding entry in the corrections table in the note at the end of the text.

THE BENEFIT
OF THE DOUBT
THE PLAYS OF ARTHUR W. PINERO
WITH INTRODUCTORY NOTES
By MALCOLM C. SALAMAN
Paper cover, 1s. 6d.; cloth, 2s. 6d. each
In 16mo
Vol. I. THE TIMES
” II. THE PROFLIGATE
” III. THE CABINET MINISTER
” IV. THE HOBBY-HORSE
” V. LADY BOUNTIFUL
” VI. THE MAGISTRATE
” VII. DANDY DICK
” VIII. SWEET LAVENDER
” IX. THE SCHOOLMISTRESS
” X. THE WEAKER SEX
” XI. THE AMAZONS
 
Also
In small 4to.
 
” XII. THE SECOND MRS. TANQUERAY
” XIII. THE NOTORIOUS MRS. EBBSMITH
” XIV. THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT
LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN
MDCCCXCVI
THE BENEFIT
OF THE DOUBT
A COMEDY
In Three Acts
By ARTHUR W. PINERO
LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN
MDCCCXCVI

Copyright 1895 All rights reserved Entered at Stationers’ Hall Entered at the Library of Congress, Washington, U.S.A.

This Play was produced at the Comedy Theatre, London, on Wednesday, October 16th, 1895

THE PERSONS OF THE PLAY
  • Mrs. Emptage (a widow)
  • Claude Emptage (her son)
  • Justina Emptage
    Theophila Fraser    } (her daughters)
  • Sir Fletcher Portwood, M.P. (her brother)
  • Mrs. Cloys (her sister)
  • Rt. Rev. Anthony Cloys, D.D., Bishop of St. Olpherts
  • Alexander Fraser—“Fraser of Locheen”
  • John Allingham
  • Olive Allingham
  • Denzil Shafto
    Peter Elphick    } (Allingham’s Friends)
  • Mrs. Quinton Twelves
  • Horton (a servant at Mrs. Emptage’s)
  • Quaife (a servant at Mr. Allingham’s)

The scenes are placed at Mrs. Emptage’s house, in the neighbourhood of Regent’s Park, and at “The Lichens,” Mr. Allingham’s cottage at Epsom.

The events of the First and Second Acts occur on the same day,day, those of the Third Act about fifteen hours afterwards.

THE
BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT