"The Rivals" by Richard Brinsley Sheridan
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"The Rivals" by Richard Brinsley Sheridan
- 2. Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816) born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Thomas Sheridan, a prominent actor, playwright, theater manager, orator, and also a scholar of English elocution - mother, Frances Chamberlaine Sheridan, wrote a few plays (comedies) and one novel, The Memoirs of Sidney Biddulph. Attended Harrow, the public school – Harrow like Eton, a school for the rich, for aristocrats, for future politicians and for scholars. Sheridan is known for writing satire and comedies of manners in the 18th Century England owned the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and served as a Whig MP in the British House of Commons for 32 years – great orator
- 3. One of Sheridan's most admired achievements as a politician - impeachment of Warren Hastings, Governor-General of India, against supposed corruption and misuse of power. Supported the French Revolution - to provide the answer to the gross inequalities of European society was a constant champion of the Catholic community in Ireland. published nine successful plays, the most famous -The Rivals, The School for Scandal, both comedy of manners; The Duenna, a comic opera; The Critic, a burlesque. The School for Scandal (1777) - universally acclaimed as his masterpiece
- 4. His plays - known for their ingenuity which borrowed and amalgamated many devices from the English Restoration. Sheridan helped to perfect the comedy of manners that originated with Restoration playwrights such as George Etherege and William Congreve. Sadly, his last years were harassed by debt and disappointment - A combination of gambling, drinking, generosity and carelessness led him into debt. Sheridan’s financial difficulties were largely brought about by his own extravagance and procrastination, as well as by the destruction of Drury Lane Theatre by fire in February 1809. With the loss of his parliamentary seat and his loss of income from the theatre, he became a prey to his many creditors. He died on July 7, 1816 in his 65th year. Upon his death, Sheridan was buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey.
- 5. Sheridan’s Works The Rivals (1775) St Patrick's Day ; or, The Scheming Lieutenant (1775) two-act farce The Duenna (1775) a three-act comic opera The School for Scandal (1777) A Trip to Scarborough (1777) The Camp (1778) The Critic; or, Tragedy Rehearsed (1779) last successful work The Glorious First of June (1794) The Strangers (1798) Pizarro (1799) last play – melodramatic historical drama
- 6. Sheridan’s Satires Sheridan satirized society - satires are milder in tone than that of cynical Restoration comedy or the savage attacks Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift. His satires are gentle; the societies they depicts are less brittle, or less brutal - reflect gentle morality and sentimentality. His plays depicted the amorous intrigues of wealthy society - returned to the witty, satiric comedy of manners of the Restoration, but without cynicism and sexual license. Some of the Restoration comedies had been frankly immoral, and as a natural reaction from this - production sentimental "domestic" dramas. Goldsmith and Sheridan redeemed the drama from the mawkish sentimentality, the didactic dialogues, the grotesquely happy endings and various stage-tricks which had come to be typical of the contemporary English stage.
- 7. His first comedy, The Rivals, was produced at Covent Garden on January 17, 1775 Initially, the performance of the play failed because of miscasting and the play's excessive length - it was too long by nearly an hour - badly performed - in particular, the character of Sir Lucius O’Trigger was so wretchedly acted - general disapproval. In the second performance he corrected all the earlier pitfalls Sheridan’s first play, The Rivals, reflects his own experiences - his life in Bath, his elopement with Elizabeth Linley, his duels - but it is not strictly autobiographical. The Rivals (1775)
- 8. Social Background It was the era of the Industrial Revolution - of epoch-making inventions in the weaving trade and the mining industry, of Watt's steam engine, of the first iron bridges, of canals and of child labour. The era witnessed the establishment of Indian empire, but the American colonies were firmly lost. It was a time when fortunes were made through commerce and lost through gambling and when a child could be hanged for stealing a handkerchief. Discontent, poverty, disease existed beneath the general prosperity, a discontent that is reflected in the poems of William Blake (1757-1827). Children were made to work in the mines and as sweeps. The age of reform was still half a century away, but as the rumblings of discontent grew louder, riots became increasingly frequent. Drink and gambling were prevalent vices for all classes; duelling was confined to the upper stratum of society, and crude violence mainly to the lower.
- 9. Ladies ran the household, they did not run the house. They entertained, often lavishly, and frequently provided musical entertainment themselves, but they did not have to prepare food, bedrooms for guests, or floors for dancing. A lady had to learn to keep accounts, and that is one of Mrs Malaprop's priorities in female education. Conversation was an art, not simply a means of communication, and a session in the coffee house could last for hours . The park was a centre for intrigue and romantic encounters; there, the ladies indulged their taste for gossip, while keeping an eye out for the latest fashion. Secrets were never kept, because ladies’ maids, like Lucy, seemed to lurk round every corner. Period of massive unemployment, because everywhere manpower was being replaced by machinery It was the age of landscaped gardens and of the importing of exotic plants and trees. These would have been status symbols , particularly among townsfolk.
- 10. Education still tended to concentrate on the classics, but science played an increasingly important part in the curriculum. Women's education was normally of a domestic nature. The theatre was at the centre of London life. Music was the staple form of family entertainment In some respects, life was extremely formal. Even when wigs ceased to be worn , the hair was kept long and dressed; women's head-dresses were high and elaborate and their corsets were breathtakingly tight. Clothes were full, particularly the hooped skirts of the ladies wide that double doors became a necessity as well as a fashion; costume accessories were various and must have been cumbersome: there were canes and snuff-boxes for the men, and perfumed handkerchiefs, smelling salts and, above all, fans for the women. White gloves and large hats added to ceremony out of doors, and greetings were part of an acquired etiquette. rude for a young person to omit some polite gesture when meeting an older person. Hand-kissing was a sign of reverence or affection. Children were expected to obey their parents in the matters of marriage and career.
- 11. Sheridan’s Dramatic World His world never revolved round the professional progress or the latest scientific discovery; about the separation of gases or the implications of electricity etc. Sheridan the playwright was not primarily interested in political satire or class satire, or against the existing social order - His world was mainly of love, marriage, and of each other. He did not even seek to demonstrate the possibility of changing the country's economic structure; nor did he wish to blacken the reputation of the court party or the favouritism of King George III . His targets were more domestic but no less universal. His plays are unmistakably Georgian in its tone and attitudes, as well as in the social milieu that it explores.
- 12. The Plays at the Time of Sheridan Sentimental comedy was the dominant genre in eighteenth- century drama Sentimental comedy - the heroic sacrifice of a loving wife; maidenly distress; the correct matching of fortune with fortune; the punishment of vice and the reward of virtue; examples of honesty allied to good breeding - these were the stuff of the drama when Sheridan appeared. Sheridan and Goldsmith was the popular playwrights. Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer written two years before The Rivals owes a certain amount to the earlier play, in particular to its tone. Both Goldsmith and Sheridan were resolved to tackle the domestic vices, though in such a manner as to raise the laughter of understanding rather than a storm of disgust. They forged a new direction for eighteenth-century comedy by returning to the Comedy of Manners.
- 13. The Rivals – Act Wise Summary Characters Lydia Languish Captain Jack Absolute Faulkland Bob Acres Sir Lucius O'Trigger Mrs. Malaprop Julia Melville Lucy Fag David Thomas
- 14. Act I Scene 1 Thomas and Fag have their conversation Captain Absolute is informed of Sir Anthony’s presence in Bath Captain pursues his love as Ensign Beverley
- 15. Act I Scene 2 Lydia’s fondness for romantic novels Julia pays Lydia a visit Lydia deliberately picks up a quarrel with Beverley Julia consoles Lydia and tries to understand her as a person Lydia is critical of Faulkland’s whims Lucy informs Lydia of Sir Anthony and Mrs. Malaprop’s arrival Lydia refuses point blank to obey Mrs. Malaprop Sir Anthony proposes Captain Absolute, for Lydia’s hand Mrs. Malaprop’s secret affair with Sir Lucius Lucy serves her own ends at all costs
- 16. Act II Scene 1 Setting: Captain Absolute's Lodgings – Captain in conversation with Fag Sir Anthony is informed of his son’s presence in Bath by Fag – conveys his wish to meet him Jack gets worried that Fag told too elaborate of a lie as explanation Faulkland comes depressed to share his sorrows with Absolute filled with melancholy Absolute teases him initially, then discloses presence of Julia in Bath Absolute too informs Faulkland of his quarrels with Lydia Faulkland is moody and unsure of Julia's love for him Revelation of Faulkland’s absurd temperament Arrival of Bob Acres, the country squire - reveals Julia is having merry and gay time in Devonshire – lively and entertaining at all parties – Bob Acres opens up his intention to pursue urban fashion to obtain Lydia - tells absolute of Lydia’s dislike for him Fag announces the arrival of Sir Anthony Absolute – presents marriage proposal with a rich girl Captain Absolute is perturbed, disagrees - remain firm on his resolution
- 17. Act II Scene 2 Lucy meets Sir Lucius O' Trigger to deliver a letter Lucy hands over Mrs. Malaprop’s letter with a romantic name ‘Delia’ It is filled with misused words, and Lucius calls her "the queen of the dictionary!“ Fag sees the letter being handed over - She tells Fag the letter is actually from Mrs. Malaprop and not Lydia Fag enters and Lucy tells him that Anthony is planning to marry Jack to Lydia
- 18. Act III Scene 1 The North Parade Captain Absolute and his father meet on the street. Jack learns that the girl his father wants him to marry is Lydia Tells his father that he is ready to obey his father unconditionally – even the ugliest woman he suggests Captain Absolute pretends to be a penitent son However, the two men are reconciled, and Sir Anthony prepares his son to meet and woo Lydia Languish When Jack remains indifferent Frustrated, Anthony becomes determined to send Jack to Lydia at once.
- 19. Act III Scene 2 Faulkland calls on Julia at her residence In Julia's dressing room Faulkland is alone - he remembers when he and Julia first fell in love – blames his over- suspicious and capricious nature Faulkland’s capriscious nature comes to the forefront Julia complains that Faulkland has been cold, and that he is often doubtful of her love for him. He in turn suggests that she does not love him, but she insists she does. When he doesn't believe her, she flees the room, weeping.
- 20. Act III Scene 3 ➢ At Mrs. Malaprop’s lodgings Captain Absolute visits her with Sir Anthony’s letter of introduction ➢ Jack flatters Malaprop, citing her "intellectual accomplishments, elegant manners, and unaffected learning.“ ➢ Malaprop tells Jack about the fact that Lydia has been corresponding with another man, Ensign Beverley Captain is made to read his own letter by Mrs. Malaprop stating that it was sent by Ensign Beverley Jack reads the letter aloud - calling her an "old weather-beaten she-dragon." Lydia enters, thinking she is about to meet Jack Absolute, but is surprised to see Beverley - Lydia nurtures her whims Lydia say, "Let her choice be Captain Absolute, but Beverley is mine," Mrs. Malaprop interrupts the conversation
- 21. Act III Scene 4 Bob Acres' lodgings - Acres is there with David, his servant While in discussion - Acres has recently changed his wardrobe to be more sophisticated and urbane, after years of country living. They are interrupted by the arrival of Lucius O' Trigger. Lucius enquires his presence in Bath - Acres tells him that he is in love with a woman without naming her. Bob tells Lucius that he has a rival named Beverley, who is also in love with the woman. Sir Lucius persuades Acres to challenge Beverley Bob writes a letter - in the letter, he summons Beverley to King's-Mead- Fields. Before he leaves, Lucius tells Acres that he has a rival he would like to fight as well.
- 22. Act IV Scene 1 Acres' lodgings – Bob Acres and David are in conversation about the duel David shows concern for his master - has little faith in his master’s courage and fighting ability Acres is determined to fight - Acres says he must fight to preserve his honour Acres calls David a coward and boasts that he will never disgrace his ancestors. Captain Absolute arrives in Acres’ lodging in response to his summons Acres hands him the challenge for Ensign Beverley and requests him to deliver the letter to his opponent. Bob also asks him to act as his second in the duel - Jack agrees to deliver the challenge but disagrees to be his second. Acres instructs Absolute to create a frightening image of his
- 23. Act IV Scene 2 Malaprop's lodgings - Mrs. Malaprop and Lydia discuss about Jack Absolute and Beverley. Mrs. Malaprop thinks Jack is very handsome – good breeding Sir Anthony and Captain Absolute call upon Mrs. Malaprop Sir Anthony tells Malaprop the difficulty he had in getting his son there. Lydia on the other hand is determined to be impolite to Jack, so much so that she decides to not even look at him when he comes in, looking away from the door. Sir Anthony compels captain Absolute to address Lydia - Mrs. Malaprop meantime tries coaxing her niece to talk to the gentleman. Captain Absolute is nervous and tries to avoid addressing her in everybody’s presence.
- 24. Act iv Scene 2 contd… Lydia on hearing the voice of Beverley is overcome by joy – gets disappointed - Lydia, however, is none too pleased The truth of the matter is revealed: Captain Absolute confesses Mrs. Malaprop and Absolute are surprised – they stand dumb-founded – Lydia comments that there will be no elopement after all. Mrs. Malaprop protests against Jack for writing the letters that calling her "an old weather-beaten she-dragon." Calming down, Sir Anthony advises everyone to "forget and forgive." Captain Absolute and Lydia are alone – he is in a difficult situation - All his attempts to break ice with her fails and as a last resort he kneels down before her. But Lydia angrily protests against all his attempts and retaliates by throwing her lover’s portrait, complaining that she was deceived and humoured like a child. However, Absolute remains a faithful lover - He hints that the world might laugh at Lydia for being unfaithful and perhaps Lydia has been abandoned by her lover. On hearing this, she bursts into tears, and storms out of the room, vowing not to marry him.
- 25. Act IV Scene 3 The North Parade. Lucius O’Trigger is waiting and looking for Beverley, his opponent for the duel - He is lamenting to himself that military officers often get in his way. He recalls that another woman he was interested in ran off with a major. Absolute is disheartened being rejected by Lydia - He runs into Lucius, who wants to fight him at King’s Mead Fields, even though Absolute does not understand why. Faulkland comes to meet Captain Absolute - asks Jack what is wrong Jack tells him that Lydia does not love him and that Sir Lucius has challenged him to a duel. He requests him to act as his second at the duel. But Faulkland distracts him by handing him a letter from Julia - Faulkland is too scared to read the letter, so Jack opens it and reads it Faulkland indulges in his fancies again - Faulkland devises a plot to use the duel as a way of testing Julia's love for him.
- 26. Act V Scene 1 In Julia's dressing room - she reads a false letter from Faulkland about a "dreadful accident” and wanted to see her alone. He leads her to believe that he has been in a quarrel and killed a man. Faulkland says he must flee the country and has come to say good-bye. Julia says she will elope with him. He tests her again by saying that they will lose his fortune. Julia says that being alone can never make them unhappy. Finally, he says that the unfortunate incident may lead him to become even more ill tempered. Satisfied with her loving words, Faulkland reveals that he completely fabricated his need to leave the country. Julia is relieved - she is also angered by his doubtfulness. She then tells him that his deception is insulting and cruel and that she will never be his. She tells she is leaving him forever and exits, leaving Faulkland heartbroken.
- 27. Act 5 Scene 1 contd… Julia and Lydia converse about their misfortunes in courtship. Lydia tells that she has been duped by Jack, but Julia tells her that she already knew, because Faulkland told her. Lydia vows never to marry Jack, but Julia insists that Jack loves her sincerely, and that she ought to forgive him Suddenly, they are interrupted by Malaprop, Fag, and David. Malaprop tells the servants to tell Julia and Lydia about the duel that is to take place between Jack, Faulkland, Acres and Lucius. Lydia slowly coaxes details about the upcoming duels from Fag and David. Mrs. Malaprop at first declares that the ladies' presence would only complicate matters, but when she hears that Sir Lucius is involved, she changes her mind and decides they must rush to the place to "prevent mischief."
- 28. Act 5 Scene 2 South Parade - Jack Absolute waits on the South Parade for Faulkland Sir Anthony Absolute encounters his son Jack Jack hurriedly conceals his sword under his coat Sir Anthony wants to know where Jack is going. Jack lies that he is going to try to make up with Lydia. When Sir Anthony discovers that he is carrying a sword, Jack explains that he intends to appeal to Lydia's romantic ideals. If she refuses to forgive him, Jack will threaten to fall upon his sword and kill himself. This explanation seems good enough for Sir Anthony who lets Jack go on his way. David enters and asks Anthony why he didn't stop his son, revealing that Jack is on his way to a duel. David and Sir Anthony make their way for King’s Mead Fields
- 29. Act 5 Scene 3 King's Mead Fields - Acres and Lucius are the first to arrive. As they discuss a good distance for the duel (Acres prefers a long shot), Sir Lucius asks what arrangements he should make for Acres if he dies. Acres has apparently not thought about this possibility. He does not like to think about either being pickled or lying in the Abbey. Sir Lucius coaches Acres on how to stand to take his rival's shots. He recommends facing the opponent full on so the bullet has less chance of hitting a vital organ - makes Acres increasingly nervous. As Faulkland and Absolute approach, Acres feels his valor sneaking off. Acres is surprised to see his friends Jack and Faulkland and wonders where Beverly is - Jack sets him straight about the fact that Jack and Beverley are the same man. Acres does not want to fight, as Faulkland and Jack are his friends. As Sir Lucius and Jack Absolute draw their swords, Sir Anthony, Mrs. Malaprop, Lydia, and Julia arrive, together with David.
- 30. Act 5 Scene 3 contd… Confused, Lydia tells Lucius that she has come to offer Jack her hand in marriage, and Jack is overjoyed. Jack then addresses Lucius, telling him that there must be some misunderstanding. Acres says that he will give up his pursuit of Lydia Lucius pulls out the letters he believes are from Lydia. Lydia looks at the letters, and tells him they are not from her, before exiting with Jack. Malaprop reveals to Lucius that she is Delia, and Anthony suggests that Lucius should marry Malaprop, but he refuses and sarcastically proposes to offer Mrs. Malaprop to Bob Acres which he too denies. When Sir Anthony sees that everybody enjoy a joke at Malaprop, he comes to her rescue reassuring her that she was still in her bloom. Everyone leaves the stage except Julia and Faulkland. Julia forgives Faulkland for lying to her and they reconcile. Anthony encourages their union and the other characters come forward.
- 32. Comedy – An Overview Any comedy will include one or a number of these features: (1) comedy of character types (2) amusing intrigues and situations (3) wit of language (4) satiric commentary on human foibles (5) idyllic love stories whose strongest appeal is the warm glow with which they fill the audience. Since in a play almost all parts are organically fused and these features are closely related. Sheridan was a master of four of the five kinds of comedy listed above.
- 33. Comedy of Manners Different from other types of comedy, i.e. situation comedy, romantic comedy, slapstick, farce. In English literature, the term comedy of manners (also anti- sentimental comedy) describes a genre of realistic, satirical comedy of the Restoration period (1660–1710) that questions and comments the manners and social conventions of a greatly sophisticated, artificial society. It is a witty, cerebral form of dramatic comedy that depicts and often satirizes the manners and affectations of a contemporary society. The main sources for the laughter are not situation, sexual intrigue and character, though all these have their contribution to make – the focus is on the foibles of high society, the follies of fashion and social pretension - to a greater or lesser extent there is an inherent desire to reform the ills that are exposed. The attempt to reform relies on humour rather than on a dramatic sermon.
- 34. The stock characters, such as the braggart soldier of Ancient Greek comedy, and the fop and the rake of English Restoration comedy. The plot of such a comedy, usually concerned with an illicit love affair or similarly scandalous matter, is subordinate to the play’s brittle atmosphere, witty dialogue, and pungent commentary on human foibles. e.g. The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), by Oscar Wilde, which satirises the sexual hypocrisies of Victorian morality. The comedy-of-manners genre originated in the New Comedy period (325–260 BC) of Classical Greece (510–323 BC), and is known from fragments of works by the playwright Menander, whose style of writing, elaborate plots, and stock characters were imitated by Roman playwrights, such as Plautus and Terence, whose comedies were known to and staged during the Renaissance.
- 35. In the 17th century, the comedy of manners is best realised in the plays of Molière, such as The School for Wives (1662), The Imposter (1664), and The Misanthrope (1666), which satirise the hypocrisies and pretensions of the ancient régime that ruled France from the late 15th century to the 18th century. The Age of Reason, sometimes called the Enlightenment or the Augustan Age, is an era in intellectual history that spanned the 18th century and witnessed the primacy of rational as opposed to emotional values, of measured discourse, and of social and literary decorum. The comedy of manners got its start in the opening decades of the Restoration (1660–88), when the exiled King Charles II (c. 1630–c. 85) was restored to the English throne. Literary historians often claim that comedy of manners was invented by Sir George Etherege (1635–92), but it would be more accurate to say that the genre gradually developed over the four decades from mid-1600 to 1700, involving at least a half dozen playwrights such as William Wycherley (1641– 1716), Etherege, George Farquhar (1678–1707), John Gay (1685– 1732), Aphra Behn (1640–89), and William Congreve (1670–1729).
- 36. Sentimental drama emerged as a reaction to the immoral tone of English Restoration plays had been reducing laughter in favour of admiration on the stage for many years, turning potential comedy into demonstrations of domestic virtue; the sentimental comedy tended towards a happy outcome moulded by the concept of poetic justice, where the vicious were punished and the good rewarded. Eg: Sir Richard Steele's The Conscious Lovers (1722) The genre went out of fashion for much of the 18th century but was revived by writers like Richard Sheridan and Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74). Jeremy Collier’s Short view of the Profaneness and Immorality of the English Stage A BURLESQUE calls attention to the foibles of the time by caricaturing them. The word FARCE comes from a French word meaning "stuffing“ - a dramatic work designed solely to amuse. In farce it is the situation which counts - the characters are of little interest.
- 37. Malapropism verbal blunder in which one word is replaced by another similar in sound but different in meaning. Although William Shakespeare had used the device for comic effect, the term derives from Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s character Mrs. Malaprop, in his play The Rivals (1775). Her name is taken from the term malapropos (French: “inappropriate”) and is typical of Sheridan’s practice of concocting names to indicate the essence of a character. Thinking of the geography of contiguous countries, she spoke of the “geometry” of “contagious countries,” and hoped that her daughter might “reprehend” the true meaning of what she is saying. She regretted that her “affluence” over her niece was very small.
- 38. The City of Bath The city of Bath in the West of England was founded by the ancient Romans in the 1st century CE as a town of spas with its mineral hot springs, but underwent a revival in the 18th century and became a meeting point for members of the upper class and the aspiring middle classes. Medieval Bath prospered in the cloth trade, especially wool. When Sheridan moved to Bath, it was a fashionable health- resort and watering-place - crowded with people of wealth and fashion, and haunted by adventurers. Province of pleasure – cauldron of gossip
- 39. At the time that Sheridan wrote his play, Bath was already beginning to fall out of favour with members of the true upper class - a rising middle class without a respectable pedigree that flocked there in search of high fashion. Disease was rampant, and that is one reason why Bath was so popular. Typhoid, smallpox, rheumatic fever, gout - all sent their victims rattling down by carriage to this chief spa of England.
- 40. The Rivals as “A Comedy of Intrigue” The Rivals is " a comedy of intrigue " in which the action turns upon humorous deception. The audience is let into the secret at the outset, and thus allowed to enjoy the pleasure of witnessing those not in the secret make themselves ridiculous; of anticipating the surprise of the ultimate discovery; of relishing the innumerable double- entendres; and of sympathizing with the hero when he is treading, so to speak, on thin ice. There is a continual bustle of action, mixed with surprises, and an ever-complicating plot. In many respects the play is strikingly like the comedies of Terence and Plautus, in which the young hero and heroine, by a series of ingenious devices, outwit their parents or guardians; and the similarity is heightened by the presence of clever servants.
- 41. The Rivals as Comedy of Humours In The Rivals most of the dramatis personal exhibit clearly marked "humours" Bob Acres in his foppishness and his "referential oaths“ Mrs. Malaprop, in her misuse of big words, and her refrain " don't become a young woman" Sir Anthony Absolute, in his irascibility — his "absolutism" Lydia Languish, in her ultra-romantic temperament Sir Lucius O'Trigger, in his self-assurance and his love of quarrels Faulkland, in his absurd jealousy and alternating moods. These "humours" are well sustained throughout the play.
- 42. The Rivals as Anti-Sentimental Comedy The English stage in the latter half of the eighteenth century was overrun with the so-called Sentimental Comedy — the French comedie larmoyante. It presented to the audience impossible characters, speaking in an artificial, "genteel" language, and moving in an atmosphere surcharged with virtue. Apparently its main purposes were to teach morality, and to make the spectators “weep a flood." Against this prevailing sentimental comedy a warfare had been waged for some years. Goldsmith, in The Good Natur'd Man (1768) and She Stoops to Conquer 1773), had struck the hardest blows. The Rivals (1775) carried on the work of Goldsmith, and helped to give the finishing blows to the prevailing moral- lachrymose comedy.
- 43. Themes Love Deception Young versus the Old Arranged Marriage Posing and Pretending (Lydia and Faulkland are both prey to imagination)
- 44. Characters Restoration comedy , from the plays of George Etherege onwards, developed a gallery of recognisable types: the lawyer, the doctor, the cunning servant , the fop and so on ; they were the progeny of mixed dramatic cultures. Roman comedy, Moliere, the Elizabethan theory of humours and the unbalanced constitution , Ben Jonson and Shakespeare, could all be found as source mate rial for Restoration comedy character The play The Rivals is full of notable examples of human illusion— O’Trigger’s “honor,” Sir Anthony’s parental authority, Bob Acres’s “polishing” (that is, new clothes, hairdo, dancing lessons, and swearing), Mrs. Malaprop’s vanity, Faulkland’s doubts, and Lydia’s romance. Their illusions make them easy marks for one another and for the streetwise servants. To manipulate them, one simply plays up to their fantasies.
- 45. Mrs. Malaprop The character of Mrs. Malaprop (Fr. "mal a propos") is admirably drawn. Her chief characteristic is, of course, her aptitude for misapplying long words. It is noticeable that some of her remarks have been handed down to the present day and serve almost as cliches, e.g. "I own the soft impeachment". She thinks her big words make her, as O’Trigger says, “a great mistress of the language,” “the queen of the dictionary,” or, as Jack says, a leader in “intellectual accomplishments, elegant manners, and unaffected learning.” She has foolish ideas of her own importance and of her own attractiveness and is very susceptible to flattery. Her desire for a lover is ludicrous; she sends letters to Sir Lucius and signs herself "Delia", believing firmly that she is an attractive personality. Like all Sheridan's characters she should not be taken too seriously, however. All are caricatures rather than characters, and ridicule, rather than consistent character drawing, is Sheridan's aim.
- 46. Sir Anthony Absolute Sir Anthony Absolute is a caricature of a man who wants his own way in everything. He is quick to anger and quick to calm down. He evidently has strong views on the upbringing of girls, as on everything else. He objects to much of their reading matter (I. ii), and is quite ready to punish his son for being self-willed He is obviously very fond of his son, however, and hurries off (in spite of his gout!) to attempt to prevent his being involved in a duel At the end of the play he is in excellent spirits, accepting Bob Acres' generosity to "drink a health to the young couples, and a husband to Mrs. Malaprop".
- 47. Captain Jack Absolute Jack Absolute is a warm-hearted young man who loves a good joke and a bit of intrigue. He is evidently a good master; Fag seems devoted to him and models his conduct on that of the Captain. He is not without worldly wisdom; he wishes to gain Lydia, indeed, but not without her fortune in full-"What and lose two-thirds of her fortune?" However, he fails to realise how his action in keeping her miniature has softened her feelings, and, indeed, won her heart. he is dignified and sensible, though when he is upset by his father's anger the way he vents his ill-feeling on Fag has little to recommend it. He enjoys irritating his father as well as Mrs. Malaprop and Bob Acres. He has fixed ideas of honour and is ready to fight Sir Lucius since he has been challenged by him, even though he is unaware of the reason for the challenge.
- 48. Bob Acres Bob Acres is a stock stage character - the country bumpkin come to town. Lydia could never abide his country dress, but in Bath he is revelling in his freedom from the control of his mother. He fancies his town clothes, he has his hair "in training", he learns the latest dances, though he retains "an odd kind of a new method of swearing" invented by "a commander in our militia", for "Damns have had their day". Bob is a simple soul, without a mind of his own. He is very open to suggestion, first by Sir Lucius O'Trigger to fight and then by David to the dangers if he does. In spite of his endeavours to establish a reputation as "Fighting Bob", his courage soon "oozes away". He is relieved when Beverley turns out to be his friend Jack Absolute for that gives him an excellent excuse not to fight-he cannot quarrel with his friend. At the end, when he sees that he has no chance of winning Lydia, he becomes the one whose generosity provides a festive conclusion to the events of the play.
- 49. Lydia Languish Lydia Languish is a person of romantic disposition that she builds castles in the air, picturing herself as the heroine of an elopement. Her choice of library books shows the same inclination, which is in turn fostered by it. She has sufficient determination to oppose her aunt, however, and to be thoroughly annoyed at having been made a dupe, though when the lover who "deserves the punishment of fraud“ says that in any event he cannot part with her miniature he wins her heart. So she is thoroughly frightened by the idea of his being in a duel and, mistaking Sir Lucius, she confesses her love with dignity -"Your reproof bids me offer this gentleman my hand, and solicit the return of his affections".
- 50. Sir Lucius O’Trigger Sir Lucius is a caricature of the sort of testy old gentleman who is never happy unless he is concerned in a quarrel. He adds a great deal to the humour of the play by his methods of stirring up the valour of Bob Acres, and, as the time of the duel draws near, casually mentioning the possibility of an "unlucky bullet" and thereafter the "snug lying in the Abbey".
- 51. Faulkland Mr. Faulkland’s almost psychotic behavior mars the tone of the play, but his fantasies of doubt correspond to Lydia’s fantasies of romance, perhaps pointing up the theme that a good marriage must be rooted in reality: true love and a solid bank account. His jealous nature makes him feel annoyed that Julia is on holiday enjoying herself, and he is upset when she appears to be unhappy, so that he is troubled both ways. He blames women in general for his trouble, not himself for his peevish suspicions. It takes him a long time to realise Julia's patient nature, but at length the "awful resolution in her manner" convinces him that he has gone too far, and suing for what he so little deserves he pleads that "Hope is the child of Penitence" . Faulkland's obsession is highly comic in a wry way. He refuses to believe that Julia loves him adequately. There are a number of specific scenes that have as their major purpose the presentation of this weird trait. After every quarrel with his fiancée, Faulkland is filled with remorse; at their next meeting, he voices thesame suspicions. In the structure of the play Faulkland is a contrast to Absolute, of course, and his niggling suspicions a foil to the more happy-go-lucky intrigues of Absolute, who is content to take the world as he finds it.
- 52. Julia Melville Julia is the epitome of patience - contrast to Lydia. Her love for Faulkland has grown out of gratitude for the saving of her life, and the desire to carry out the wishes of her father. She is not, however, blind to his faults and ultimately gives him a salutary lesson when he tests her love by deluding her into believing that he must fly the country. At the end of the play her patience and loyalty are rewarded, and Faulkland confesses that she has "by her gentleness and candour, reformed the unhappy temper of one, who by it made wretched whom he loved most, and tortured the heart he ought to have adored". The language of Julia and Faulkland is absurdly formal throughout the play.
- 53. The illusions of Faulkland and Lydia are essentially overreactions of the young to the sterile social order represented by Mrs. Malaprop and the older generation: Their illusions are examples of sentimentalism, the gross exaggeration of feeling that Goldsmith and Sheridan deplored. Faulkland is a man of sensibility, but unfortunately, as he notes, love “urges sensibility to madness.” Bob Acres is rustic and fop rolled into one . Sir Lucius is the conventional braggart , but he turns out to have courage to the point of recklessness. The peculiarities of Faulkland’s and Lydia's dispositions are inherited from the more recent sentimental comedy
- 54. Plot The plot deals with an intricate love-affair. Captain Absolute is in love with Lydia Languish, a very romantic young lady, and in order to gain her affection he pretends to be an ensign called Beverley. Lydia will lose two-thirds of her fortune if she marries without the consent of her aunt and guardian, Mrs. Malaprop, who naturally does not consider an ill-paid ensign a sufficiently good match. Bob Acres seems a more promising suitor to her, but when Sir Anthony Absolute arrives in Bath and suggests his son as a husband for Lydia Mrs. Malaprop is delighted, and the connection with Acres no longer appeals to her. Lydia, however, determines to have nothing to do with Captain Absolute but is set on marrying "Beverley". Meetings are arranged between the young people. Eventually Bob Acres is encouraged by a fiery old gentleman, Sir Lucius O’ Trigger, to challenge his rival to a duel. Absolute is also implicated in proposals for a duel. The ladies arrive in time to stop any duelling, and Lydia, having received a thorough fright, forgives her lover for having deceived her and promises to marry him. Another love-story, that of the patient Julia and the jealous Faulkland, provides a sub-plot which provides a foil to the main love-story.
- 55. Structure The whole of the action takes place in Bath, and can logically be confined to a single day. Inherited his five-act structure, with its apparent casualness of building scene upon scene, from Congreve, who in his turn learnt it from Shakespeare and Ben Jonson. The stories of the two pairs of lovers, which are prefaced by Thomas in the opening scene, run parallel to one another throughout the play and both reach their resolution in the final scene. The intrigue, and the problems, are well explored verbally before Julia and Faulkland meet in III.ii and before Jack first meets Lydia in III.iii These two central scenes, central in terms of the span of the playas well as of their importance, present the heart of the matter, and offer contrasting portraits of love distorted.
- 56. Sir Lucius and Acres provide a further elaboration of the main plot, for each regards himself as a suitor to Lydia. Each in his own way impedes a straightforward solution to the crisis and at the same time aggravates it ; theirs are highly individual rhythms, the former's heavy and tending towards bombastic slowness, the latter's quick in an oafish way, garrulous and without authority. So each time one of them appears, the play seems to change step as well as tempo. The scenes in which Sir Anthony and Mrs Malaprop appear derive much of their freshness from the irony that we know so much more than they do, and that they suffer from continual misapprehension ; this allows the developments of the plot to be diverted in several comic ways. As in most comedy, the plot and structure of The Rivals demonstrate an initial state of confusion that grows worse before becoming gradually clarified ; the mess gets sorted out, and bad gets better. The breadth of this play and the depth of its comedy are produced by the author's giving his characters the space and the time to suffer for a love that is improperly returned.
- 57. Sheridan’s Style The enjoyment that we derive from Sheridan's style is intellectual - apt expressions, the pointed wit. He has delightful hits at Shakespeare and charming robberies from him. In The Rivals - there is much humour of situation also, owing to the disguise of Captain Absolute as Ensign Beverley. Sheridan's style is made more lively and picturesque by the use of figures of speech, such as metaphor and simile – ironical speech and of dramatic irony - The disguise of Captain Jack Absolute best example for dramatic irony.
- 58. Names as Labels - The custom of attaching representative names to characters in plays dates from very early times. In Morality plays the virtues and vices could often be utilised to represent living people; they were not simply abstractions - Ben Jonson's names invariably suited his "humours“ Mrs. Malaprop's incorrect use of words, the "languishing" of Lydia Languish, the "absolute“ nature of Sir Anthony Absolute, so sure that he is always right, Sir Lucius O'Trigger longing for a duel, and Bob Acres the "complete" countryman.
- 59. Symbols 1. Reading In Sheridan's play, reading is a symbol of entertainment and independence. The crucial scene revealing reading's symbolic role is Act 1, Scene 2 in which Lydia Languish discloses her fascination with sentimental novels of the day, and in which Sir Anthony and Mrs. Malaprop air their prejudices about the hazards of women's literacy. It is evident from the context that reading occupies an ambiguous position in the society of the play. On one level, reading is a source of independence, education, and entertainment—and it is plainly established within Bath's fashionable orbit. On another level, reading is suspect, especially in the eyes of arch-conservative members of society. Sheridan's ironic treatment of the topic leaves no doubt that he regards the opinions of Sir Anthony and Mrs. Malaprop as antiquated.
- 60. 2. Fashion In the play the preoccupation with fashion comes to stand as an identifier of a character's social status. As early as the first scene, the servant Fag cautions the coachman Thomas that the latter "must polish": no one of any style (or what Fag calls "ton"—for "tone"), for example, continues to wear wigs. Although many of the characters pay some attention to fashion, the figure who is most preoccupied with the topic is Bob Acres. In Act 2, Scene 1 Acres preens himself in front of Jack Absolute, showing off his hairstyle and boasting of a new system of "genteel" swear words that he has devised. Country bumpkins and servants, like Acres and Fag, are preoccupied with hairstyles and other fashion statements so that they may "fit in" with the citizens of Bath. However, those already considered the upper- crust, like Jack, find the preoccupation with fashion rather ridiculous.
- 61. 3. Dancing Dancing was one of the most popular social diversions in 18th- century Bath. As such, this pastime was a premier symbol of the leisure of an affluent and socially stylish stratum of the population. One of Bath's prime locations, the Assembly Rooms, was devoted to dancing. Assembly Rooms grew increasingly more common in provincial cities during the century. Faulkland is especially concerned that Julia dances while the lovers are separated; he feels that dancing a minuet might be acceptable, but that participating in country dances proves that she does not miss him as he does her. Dancing is especially prominent in the characterization of Bob Acres. In Act 3, Scene 4 the socially inept bumpkin tries to impress the servant David with a display of dancing steps that he has supposedly mastered as part of his effort to rise in "genteel" society.
- 62. Thank you