PLOT CONSTRUCTION OR SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RIVALS
The Rivals written by Sheridon is a comic treatment of the theme of love of the hero and the heroine-Caption Absolute and Lydia Languish. They are modelled after the Jonsonian type called the comedy of humours.
There is no suggestion of Shakespeare reminiscence here, but the empress of Jonson and of Congrive is amply apparent. The name given to many of the persons such as Sir Lucius O! Triggar ,Sir Anthony Absolute and Lydia Languish take us back to the comedy of humours - -"
Lydia Languish who is rich,tender, sentimental and fond of Novel reading is a romantic girl. She takes a fancy for a poor penniless young man called Ensign Beverly for her lover. She likes him for his poor beggarly look and dress. As Mrs. Malaprop tells Sir Anthony Absolute;
"There Sir Anthony there sits the deliberate Simpleton,who wants to disgrace her family and lavish herself on a fellow not worth a shilling."
Captain Absolute disguises himself as a penniless Ensign Baverly only to humour the whims of Lydia Languish and wins her love. He knows that she cannot love him in his real identity. Captain Absolute is also very rich and is heir to three thousand a year.
But she is so whimsical and capricious by nature that she cannot love him as a captain Absolute. The truth of Captain Absolute's disguise and the whimsical nature of Lydia Languish is brought early to light by Fag, a servant to Captain Absolute. Fag explains to a coachman;
"Ah! Thomas there lies the mysteryo' the matter Harkee, Thomas my master is in love of a very singular taste of lady who like him better as a half pay Ensign than if she knew he was son and heir to Sir Anthony Absolute a baronet a three thousand a year."
Thus as Fag confirms it Captain Absolute and Ensign Beverly are one and the same person. So, one set of rivals in this drama and perhaps the only real rivals for the love of Lydia Languish is the two different appearances of Captain Absolute himself. For as the plot of the drama develops, we find the two persons of the name of captain as the rivals for the Lydia Languish.
Ensign Baverly is the person whom Lydia Languish loves and wants to marry. But as Ensign Beverley looks poor and beggarly and penniless,Lydia Languish's aunt Mrs. Malaprop does not approve of this match. She arranges Lydia's marriage with captain Absolute and a baronet of three thousand a year Mrs. Malaprop thinks that the marriage of her niece with the son of Sir Anthony Absolute will be proper and matching. This brings an element of conflict in the drama. The conflict is that Lydia Languish wants to marry Ensign Baverly but Mrs. Malaprop does not like and she arranges her marriage with captain Absolute whom Lydia doesn't like. Clearly the conflict between niece and aunt seems to be a conflict beyond all solutions.
There is a similar conflict between captain Absolute and his father Sir Anthony Absolute. Captain Absolute wants to marry Lydia but his father arranges his marriage with a girl whom he doesn't name to him. Their conflict seemingly serious provide much of mirth,joy and laughter in the drama.
The two elements one between Lydia and Mrs. Malaprop and other between captain Absolute and Sir Anthony Absolute and however happily resolved when Lydia,Mrs. Malaprop,Sir Anthony Absolute find to their wonder and amusement that captain Absolute and Ensign Baverly, the rivals of Lydia's love are the one and same person. Similarly captain Absolute also finds that the girl whom his father has chosen for him to marry is exactly the same girl whom he wants to marry. Thus the conflict between the aunt and niece on the one hand and between the father and the son the other hand is resolved to the joy and mirth of all conserned.
The other set of The rivals though not very important consists of Ensign Baverly and Bob Acres. Bob Acres who loves and wants to marry to learn from Lucius O' Trigger that Lydia wants to marry Ensign Baverly on the instigation of Lucius O' Trigger. bob Acres throws a challenge to Ensign Baverly to settle the matter. He sends his challenge to Ensign Baverly to reply to his challenge through a duel and sword fight. Bob Acres finds to a wonder and disappointed that Ensign Baverly and captain Absolute are the one and the same person and finally makes peace with him.
Clearly, the title The Rivals is very appropriate and significant for the rivalry between Ensign Baverly and captain Absolute for Lydia Languish is central character to the plot and story of the drama. The whole drama revolves round captain Absolute and Lydia Languish. The episode of Julia and Faulk Land is only secondary to the main plot and serves as a contrast between the treatment of love in a sentimental drama and the treatment of love is an anti-sentimental drama of Eighteenth Century.
Thus as Fag confirms it Captain Absolute and Ensign Beverly are one and the same person. So, one set of rivals in this drama and perhaps the only real rivals for the love of Lydia Languish is the two different appearances of Captain Absolute himself. For as the plot of the drama develops, we find the two persons of the name of captain as the rivals for the Lydia Languish.
Ensign Baverly is the person whom Lydia Languish loves and wants to marry. But as Ensign Beverley looks poor and beggarly and penniless,Lydia Languish's aunt Mrs. Malaprop does not approve of this match. She arranges Lydia's marriage with captain Absolute and a baronet of three thousand a year Mrs. Malaprop thinks that the marriage of her niece with the son of Sir Anthony Absolute will be proper and matching. This brings an element of conflict in the drama. The conflict is that Lydia Languish wants to marry Ensign Baverly but Mrs. Malaprop does not like and she arranges her marriage with captain Absolute whom Lydia doesn't like. Clearly the conflict between niece and aunt seems to be a conflict beyond all solutions.
There is a similar conflict between captain Absolute and his father Sir Anthony Absolute. Captain Absolute wants to marry Lydia but his father arranges his marriage with a girl whom he doesn't name to him. Their conflict seemingly serious provide much of mirth,joy and laughter in the drama.
The two elements one between Lydia and Mrs. Malaprop and other between captain Absolute and Sir Anthony Absolute and however happily resolved when Lydia,Mrs. Malaprop,Sir Anthony Absolute find to their wonder and amusement that captain Absolute and Ensign Baverly, the rivals of Lydia's love are the one and same person. Similarly captain Absolute also finds that the girl whom his father has chosen for him to marry is exactly the same girl whom he wants to marry. Thus the conflict between the aunt and niece on the one hand and between the father and the son the other hand is resolved to the joy and mirth of all conserned.
The other set of The rivals though not very important consists of Ensign Baverly and Bob Acres. Bob Acres who loves and wants to marry to learn from Lucius O' Trigger that Lydia wants to marry Ensign Baverly on the instigation of Lucius O' Trigger. bob Acres throws a challenge to Ensign Baverly to settle the matter. He sends his challenge to Ensign Baverly to reply to his challenge through a duel and sword fight. Bob Acres finds to a wonder and disappointed that Ensign Baverly and captain Absolute are the one and the same person and finally makes peace with him.
Clearly, the title The Rivals is very appropriate and significant for the rivalry between Ensign Baverly and captain Absolute for Lydia Languish is central character to the plot and story of the drama. The whole drama revolves round captain Absolute and Lydia Languish. The episode of Julia and Faulk Land is only secondary to the main plot and serves as a contrast between the treatment of love in a sentimental drama and the treatment of love is an anti-sentimental drama of Eighteenth Century.
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