The Rivals

by Richard Brinsley Sheridan

During a brief but brilliant literary career, Irish-born dramatist and statesman Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816) wrote cleverly plotted plays that revealed his nimble wit and keen eye for comic situations. Two of them—The School for Scandal and The Rivals—are among the funniest in the English language.

The Rivals, brimming with false identities and with romantic entanglements carried on amid a cloud of parental disapproval, satirizes the pretentiousness and sentimentality of the age. It features a cast of memorable characters, among them the lovely Lydia Languish, whose pretty head has been filled with nonsense from romantic novels; Capt. Jack Absolute, a young officer in love with Lydia; Sir Anthony Absolute, Jack's autocratic father; Sir Lucius O'Trigger, a fiery Irishman; and Jack's provincial neighbor, Bob Acres, a bumptious but lovable country squire in love with Lydia.

Hoping to win Lydia's affection, Captain Jack woos the pretty miss by pretending to be a penniless ensign named Beverley, an act that nearly incites a duel with Acres. His actions also provoke serious objections from Lydia's aunt, Mrs. Malaprop, a misspeaking matron whose ludicrous misuse of words gave the English language a new term: malapropism. Ultimately, the hilarious complications are resolved in a radiant comic masterpiece that will entertain and delight theater devotees and students of English drama alike.

Genres: Plays, Classics, Drama, Fiction, 18th Century, Humor, Theatre

68 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1775

About the author

Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816) was an Irish-born playwright and poet and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. For thirty-two years he was also a Whig Member of the British House of Commons for Stafford (1780–1806), Westminster (1806–1807) and Ilchester (1807–1812). Such was the esteem he was held in by his contemporaries when he died that he was buried at Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. He is known for his plays such as The Rivals, The School for Scandal and A Trip to Scarborough.

Reviews

[Fabfabian]

Helped along by viewing scenes from Bristol Theatre production, I found this 18th century comedy still rewards with numerous laughs. There is still much to learn about "The Game of Love and Chance" as exemplified by the behaviours of Julia/Falkland, and of course Lydia/Captain Absolute.

[Katie Lumsden]

Great fun.

[Kay]

I think it was this reading of The Rivals at age seventeen that disabused me of the notion that people several centuries back were not as fond of being entertained as we are today. Prior to that, I think I had lumped all things from earlier times into some great, depressing lump, sure that since our predecessors lacked modern conveniences that they must have found life a dreary affair indeed.

Sheridan's sparkling wit and exuberant language made short work of that notion. I've also retained a lifelong affection for Mrs. Malaprop (and, of course, for malapropisms - my own contribution to the genre being, "it is a mere fig newton of your imagination" - but I guess that can't really be a malapropism since it's self conscious. Needless to say, I'm blissfully unaware of any real malapropisms I have committed!)

I seem to have read this immediately after Hamlet. Now there's a contrast for you!

[Julie Brochmann]

boo. not funny + didn't laugh + no earnings + maidenless + ratio'd + din mor

[Nadja]

I stumbled upon this play because I've read that Jane Austen performed The Rivals with her family in her time. Unfortunaly I didn't like it that much. The premise of the story sounded fun but the language was hard to understand at times and the writing was rather dull.

Jane Austen July 2018: Read a book by a contemporary of Jane Austen.

[♡ella grey♡︎]

I read this for my AP Lit class and this was….a circus. It was a jumble of crazy people and I don’t know how to feel about what I just read. Sir Anthony Absolute and Mrs. Malaprop were definitely my favorites tho they were just so insane and I love characters like that lol

Only reason why I thought this was funny was because our class had to act the characters out and that made it so iconic

[klau]

simplemente diré: ?????????

english literature class read : 1'5/5

[mar🪷🪼]

that was interesting and ridiculous but not in a good way

[Bettie]

Anna said: "The play mentioned in Wilkie's No name. I did enjoy it and it is available on librivox :) ”

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24761

[Sophie]

this was actually kind of funny

[Stephanie]

After seeing this play performed at the American Players Theatre and loving it, I decided to read it. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this; being able to see the play performed heightened my enjoyment and understanding of reading the text itself. The humor was especially brought out in the performance.

[Aiala]

Vaya circo

[Michelle]

I really enjoyed this very funny play and the incredible use of language. I loved learning the origin of 'malapropism' too.

[Jonathan Dauermann]

For a play written almost 200 years after Shakespeare's comedies, it's telling that this play feels much more dated. A marriage comedy that requires multiple characters to take the most convoluted, illogical paths to getting what they want, the plot's contrivances grow tiring after the first two acts. However, this is a distressingly common sin in most romantic comedies through history, where a playwright can seemingly only offer comic situations that arise out of a steadfast refusal on the part of the play's lovers to indulge in common sense for a single moment.

The most successful aspect of the play, and in fact the aspect of its writing that merits its continued relevance and consideration, is the fact that the silliness of the four main characters' romantic difficulties are rooted in genuine, relatable character flaws. Whether that is a pre-constructed ideal of a perfect mate that exists less to guarantee your own happiness than to flout and reject the conventions of your parents, a willingness to debase your own moral structure and engage in escalating deceits in order to win the love of someone who may simply be asking too much of you, or a lack of self-regard and self-love so all-encompassing you literally cannot accept the love of another, these basic dynamics remain as recognizable now as they were in 1775.

Still, the play lacks the depth of character and the believability of plot to be much more than an entertaining, fizzy, thin treat. Most of its verbal humor has lost its efficacy with the passage of time, and the passages of poetry that dot the play's prologue and epilogue are tedious and strained. It's hard to see this play now as much more than something that belongs in a museum rather than on a modern stage.

[Becca Housden]

Although this play may have not received a warm reception the night of its first performance, I did enjoy it. I found it a good portrayal of the stereotype of elegant Georgian society, and it was a light read. Although its plot was made up of a number of different tropes, many of them over used in common literature, The Rivals put them to good use, combining them and switching between plots in a simple yet effective way.
It cannot be stated that this is a particularly remarkable play, there is nothing that stands out about it to make it a great work compared to many others, but it is an enjoyable portrayal of the Georgian upper class at Bath, caught up in pleasure, romance, and honour. I feel that it cannot be stated that it 'luckily' ends with everything resolved and without tragedy, as, once again, it adheres to the tropes and expectations of literature of that period, with a happy ending, all confusions untangled, all happiness restored, in a very predictable but overall tidy and satisfying way.

[Elizabeth]

The Rivals is a decent play. It's a fun comedy of manners and farce, which is something I enjoy a lot from classic plays generally. The story is fun enough and there are a few good jokes. It wasn't all that I hoped in that it felt a lot like other plays I've read (I think I made a mistake by reading it too soon after having read Corneille's The Liar), and I did feel like some of it didn't age particularly well. Overall though it's a solid play, and decently entertaining. I also enjoyed the performances in the LA Theatre Works production, and enjoyed the talk after it. I still plan on checking out one other play from Sheridan.

[Alice C]

Sheridan is low-key cool… What a funny play… i mean it had everything: sexism? ✅ fairytale romance? ✅ a fight for honour between men? ✅
But seriously, not bad.. not bad at all sheridan…

‘no, tis certain i have most antigallican toes!’
- Acres, the rivals

[Ashish Mohan]

Fkykcucukjysvkyxj

[ambyr]

Charmingly frothy, but I'm still trying to work out how to pronounce "improve" and "love" in such a way as to make the closing couplet rhyme.

[Areeb Ahmad (Bankrupt_Bookworm)]

NGL, it was genuinely funny in places. Overall, a decent play if a bit stiff and dated.

[Leslie]

I listened to this full audiobook via the L.A. Theatre Works website. I so do enjoy this play, especially Mrs. Malaprop! A wonderful way to spend a grey morning :)

[Claire]

I wouldn’t be able to tell you who was who besides a few main characters. I didn’t really like anyone, and the plot had potential, but the ending was just stupid. Definitely not as funny as I was hoping either.

[Mars]

had to read this for class, funny

[Binish Fatima]

" Let your courage be as keen, but at the same time as polished, as your sword."

"I am come to you with such an appetite for consolation."
We need to bring these sentences back!

[Neens]

Worth reading just for the malapropisms. If you can find it, the filmed version starring a young and extremely dashing Jeremy Brett is amazing.

[Zan]

Sheridan's plays use conventions of the melodrama to move his plots along, and I can't help but be entertained by them all. The entanglements of Lydia Languish and Capt. Jack Absolute, as well as the other supporting cast of ridiculous characters, play on language, mistaken/hidden identity, and miscarried letters only to peak with a climactic series of duel challenges (one of them leveled at a fictionalized suitor).

I still am chewing on this one, since there is a VERY stage Irishman in this play who comes off almost as the villain; what am I supposed to do with this when Sheridan is himself an Irishman? I think this play could be really fun to discuss in an Irish studies classroom. I might get that chance in the fall.

Oh, and just for funsies, I took the time to watch an amateur theatre production of this play on YouTube. The costumes would undoubtedly be the highlight of any staging of this play.

[Sarah]

The Rivals was a surprisingly difficult play to read. I think it might be Sheridan's use of language that has me checking and rechecking myself, but I can't say that that is a bad thing in this case. This comedy deals with a man who is courting a woman under a false guise; his father arranges a marriage for him, but with the exact same girl, but only under his real name, not the guise. Confusion and hilarity ensues!

Maybe this play is just a little dated in a way, but is that really bad? I don't think so. I was entertained because this play actually reminded me of The Importance of Being Earnest, but in an 18th century costume. I mean, seriously? This whole play is one big case of Bunburyism. I love that I can apply the term to a play besides the play of its origin, yunno?

I liked this play a lot, and I like Sheridan. It's only a shame that he cut off his career so quickly, because I wish there was more. I look forward to reading his next play!

[Carolyn Page]

Double identies, mistaken letters, duplicitous servants--it has everything! I would love to see this play in person. I would love to be the comic Lydia now, and the hilarious Mrs. Malaprop in thirty years.

Update: saw this June 2022 at American Players Theater in Spring Green. HILARIOUS.

[Richard Seltzer]

Read as research for my novel Parallel Lives

[miruneitor]

(2,5) not really my cup of tea. it’s got some funny moments and some characters go nuts tho