Conclusion

Abstract

Arthur Sullivan was no saint and certainly no ascetic. He enjoyed life to the full and was an unashamed pleasure seeker, adding gambling to the usual trinity of women, wine, and song. It is not surprising that he related so closely to the biblical figure of the Prodigal Son whom he resembled both in terms of his somewhat profligate lifestyle and in his bouts of remorse and regret. He had a remarkable capacity for generosity and a simple and trusting Christian faith. Although his life was not without its apparent contrasts and contradictions, his character, like his music, was distinguished by its simplicity, straightforwardness, and utter sincerity. Both exerted a softening and uplifting effect which it is not too much to describe as a divine emollient.