Characters of ‘The Rivals’
Jack Absolute - Jack Absolute is one of the important characters of the drama. He is a very good man. A very good man at heart also. He is sincere in his love. He is also very courageous. He was ready to accept the consequences of wooing Lydia. He knew his father was not knowing about his affairs; and that his father was searching for a suitable negotiation. He confronted his father with bravery and honesty. When his father asked to marry a girl that he had selected for him, he refuses. He said, unless he knew who the girl was, he would not give his consent.
Anthony Absolute - Anthony Absolute was the father of Jack Absolute. He was also as obstinate as his son but his reasons for being obstinate were of no cause. Jack Absolute accepts the challenge bravely. Even in the challenge of love with Bob Acres. He is clever and intelligent. He is frank and honest he confesses his love. Moreover, when he knows that the game is up and that his affairs have been disclosed, he gives up. Thus he wins the sympathy and he is different from others. He is noble and attractive. He doesn’t let his friend down, nor does he favoured anything means.
Faulkland - Faulkland is a symbol of fault and defeat. He is always suspicious and in doubt. This makes him the master of his misfortunes. He is not convinced of his real worth. He loses Julia because of his own folly & stupidity. He suspects her sincerity. He misinterprets her. He doesn’t have a way to control the defects, that he knows of. He tries to test the sincerity of Julia but then due to his stupidity, his pretensions are disclosed Faulkland does not impress us.
Sir Anthony Absolute - he is obstinate and hot-tempered. He is self-willed. He was a typical old-type squire but he was not of a bad heart. He is not very refined in his ways and conversation. Then this was Sir Anthony Absolute. He has no depth in his ways and no sides to his character. He is hot-tempered but jolly. He sometimes comes to the level of young ones, without the air of superiority. He almost acts as a compromiser, when everything goes wrong. He gets cheerful enough. His jokes are not very biting. On the whole Sir Anthoney Absolute is impressive, with all his defects and no ill-nature attitude.
Lydia Languish - Lydia is a type in herself. She is different from the traditional type that is prevalent in general - in dramas and novels, she is a queer creature. She is full of bookish fancies about love and elopement. She is soft-headed there is no special appeal in her. How jack falls in love with a girl like her is a bit difficult to understand she was living in a dream. The best aspect was that in the end also, she is sorry there was no elopement. She needed to be cured of what Julia does to Lydia, Jack does to Faulkland. Lydia is a spoilt girl. She was too much fondled and there was a lack of control by Mrs. Malaprop also the change in her towards the character of the Rivals. The end of the novel is sudden but her foolishness is innocent it is not malicious.
Julia - Julia is different from Lydia. She is like, ‘patience on a movement.’ She has patience in her dealing with Faulkland. The change in Faulkland's behaviour, and his reformation is all due to her goodness. She is noble-minded she is sincere in her love for Faulkland. She is patient in her hour of difficulty and maintains calmness of attitude and behaviour in the strange behaviour of Faulkland. Thus she wins the sympathy but sometimes it becomes her weakness. With this continuous patience even against sufficient causes, she behaves in a manner almost inconsistent with her character but she has a justification.
Mrs Malaprop - Mrs Malaprop has become immortal. She has given a word to literature, ‘Malapropism’ her name indicates what she stands for. The term “Malaprops” stands for anything said unreasonably or unsuitably. She is a type having no special feature, except that she is an expert in the most improper use of words. These words come out more naturally from her. She is made more ridiculous by her love affairs. Other characters in literature have used words in an improper context, but none of them has been held up to ridicule like Mrs Malaprop. She is foolish, she is one of those about whom it is said, ‘they have ages but see not.’ under her nose things are happening, which cannot see and even if she sees, she cannot diagnose correctly.
Plot of the Rivals
Captain Jack Absolute, the son of sir Anthony Absolute is in love with Lydia Languish. She is the niece of Mrs Malaprop Lydia was full of strange ideas. These ideas came to her as a result of reading a great deal of stuff. She was a fantastically romantic girl. She was not ready to marry any person who would marry her for her money. Another demand of Lydia was that she would marry him who would be as romantic manner as she wants. Hence captain Absolute pretends to be Ensign Beverley. He pretends not to be rich. He also plans to run away with her to Scotland for a secret marriage. This intrigue is known to Julia. Faulkland, the friend of Jack also known for his intrigue in Julia’s father had chosen Faulkland as a suitable husband for his daughter. Faulkland is fickle and capricious. Sir Anthony comes to bath to arrange the marriage of his son Jack Absolute and Lydia. He was not knowing. Sir Anthony was not knowing that Lydia and Jack were knowing each other. That Jack was Ensign Beverley. Jack comes to know that his father had arranged his marriage. Jack was supposed to obey his father but Jack refuses. The comedy of the situation starts when Jack comes to know that the girl his father was Lydia. On the other side, Sir Anthony comes to know, that his son would not marry unless he came to know who the girl was & when Jack comes to know that the girl was Lydia, he agrees to marry the girl of his father’s choice.
On the other hand, when Lydia comes to know about his identity of Beverley, She refuses to marry him. She would not give up her idea of romance.
Faulkland refuses to marry Julia. He thinks that Julia does not love him. Bob Acres proposes to marry Lydia Lucius Trigger, another suitor for Lydia sends a challenge to Beverley to fight a duel.
Beverly accepts the challenge Lucy, the maid of Julia is the chief intriguer she makes money from all. She conveys all the letters from Jack to Delia. She makes Bob Acres fuel that he also has a chance with Lydia though his letters never reached Lydia. The best part is that she takes the letters from Mrs. Malaprop to sir Lucius. Sir Lucius thinks these letters are from Julia. This misconception is cleverly made by Lucy’s intrigue.
The letters were given in the name of ‘Delia’ in the end when the combatants arrived to fight the duels - Jack as Beverly with Bob; and Jack as Jack against Lucius. The whole party of sir Anthony, Mrs. Malaprop Julia, Lydia, and the servants came up. The duel stopped. Bob Acres was proven a coward. Another revelation draws upon sir Lucius that ‘Delia’ was not ‘Ludia’ but Delia was Mrs. Malaprop.
It irritates him. He tells captain absolute: “since you have taken the lady from me, I’ll give you my Delia into the bargain. Mrs. Malaprop plays the part of an old woman who is duped in her love pretences. She gets calmed as sir Anthony tells her that she was in her ‘bloom yet’. – “come Mrs. Malaprop don’t be cast down – you are in your bloom yet.”
Rivals
Sheridan’s Rival holds a mirror to social life and modes and manners of the people. It is a satire, an amusing satire on the upper class of Sheridan’s time.
It is in five acts. Sheridan has beautifully portrayed the manner in which members of society behave.
It can be seen in the way, people in particular communicate through body language.
In the rivals, the characters, play in the comedy of manner, which leads to confusion, conflict and confession.
He focuses on the follies of society's pretences. As we find Bob Acres pretending to be what he is not, ‘I used to dress so badly’ later on he says, “it makes my clothes known who the master was.
Mrs. Malaprop is an excellent example of a comedy of manners. She tries to use excellent words but it comes out in the wrong way– “promise to forget this fellow too illiterate him. This is Malapropism.
Lydia’s love affair is known to the audience her dreams are also known as the identification of Beverly is not also hidden.
Sheridan makes clever use of wit, especially involving plots with characters. Jack makes use of this, as he says to his friend Faulkland – “ have been full of wit and humour” and “ no faith to do you the justice you have been confoundedly stupid indeed.”
He speaks out loud, “my father wants to marry me with the girl I have and I am plotting to run away
Sheridan focuses on the humour of the upper society. He used it for amusement, ignorance, obsession, manners, intelligence and verbal communication.
Like a Restoration comedy, in Rivals, we find unconventional wit and emotion.
It is very funny to have Lydia as his wife. Jack presents himself to be poor. It presents the confused lifestyle of the upper class and the rising middle class.
It encouraged the audience to upload the virtues and avoid the vices by stirring their emotions.
Rivals have the plot of three love affairs - Absolute and Lydia, Faulkland and Julia, Mrs. Malaprop and Lucius.
Comedy of manners is a type of comedy that deals with the way of character, it makes fun of the follies and weaknesses of the people using satire.
You can say comedy of manners gives a satirical portrayal of a certain group of people.
Rival also focuses on arranged marriage and falling in love. Marriage was one important means of obtaining and acquiring wealth.
In rivals, we find all intrigues refer to the rivalry of different characters.
On the surface, it seems comical, but it is actually satirical.
Moliere the French writer is considered to be the father of the comedy of manners.
Drama has five segments – introduction, Rising, Action, Climax, Falling actions and Conclusion.
This was based on the Greek structure during the 10th century.
Julia is the ward of Sir Anthony. She is an orphan her father had arranged her marriage with Faulkland before his death.
Julia’s friend is Lorence. She is very daring.
Lucy is the maid of Lydia, she pretends to be innocent but she is a chief intriguer.
Bath symbolizes the gentle urban lifestyle. It is a way of life that does not exactly fit for any character.
David is the servant of Bob Acres.
Fag is the servant of Jack Absolute.
(as of now I don't have any more notes related to this topic, it would be more around 1.5 pages)
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End of Drama
Now we will have a look at the Novel.
In BRABU English paper __ we are having 2 dramas they are as follows-
Click here for Wuthering Heigts
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