NAME: Inmaculada Polo Báñez

Reading Test: The Rivals

1.Why has Jack Absolute created a new persona—Ensign Beverley— inventing, in effect, his
own “rival?”

Jack creates that character because he knows Lydia's wishes for being mysteriously loved. Since he
knows Lydia loves forbidden love stories, he decides to create Beverley. Lydia has a particular taste
in men. She needs to love someone who is below her expectations, and both Lydia and Jack are low
aristocracy. For that reason, he becomes less than he actually is.

2. Why is Lydia angry when Beverley’s true identity is revealed?

Because she realizes that he had been lying all the time carrying a double personality. She feels
betrayed and frustrated. She is angry because she will not live a forbidden marriage anymore. She
wants to have a fantasy of a romantic love.

3. What are Lydia’s opinions about romantic love? How has her interest in romance novels
influenced her?

Lydia is the most romantic character in the novel. She fantasizes about living a secret love story. The
books she reads are about impossible love stories because of the class. Lydia is not allowed no read
because she thinks that class or money are not important in order to love someone.

4. Look up each character’s name. Which of the names tells you about his or her personality?


Mrs. Malaprop: A woman in her 50s who tries to decide on the love life of her niece Lydia. Also, her
name tells a lot about her self since Malapropism is the use of an incorrect word in place of
a word with a similar sound.

Absolute: powerful, absolutely charmy. He represents imposition as well as completeness.

Jack: It comes from John. Sense of low class. He uses a more popular name than he really is. Jack
was a slang word in the 19th century.

Antony: praise worthy, that’s what he thinks about him.

Lydia Languish: divine love, conception of love as the most romantic.

Julia: strong and beautiful name. It appeared after the restoration.

Bob Acre: It means hectares. He’s a country man, a coward. Land use for farming. Bob is a generic
name implying someone. It’s pointed out his country origin.

Lucius: It comes from Lucifer. Lucius is a catholic man. He represents the evil part of the play.

Lucy: The other ‘Lucius’. Lucy is a popular name. Lucy is the saint for eyes illnesses. Lucy is clever,
freaky and skinny. She carries most of the tricks.
Fag: To refer to something tidius. It describes the job of the character as a servant.

5. How has Lucy tricked those who trust her to help in their romantic entanglements? Why?

Lucy is one of the most manipulative characters in the play. She charged with carrying letters between
different courting pairs, Lucy pretends to be simpleminded in order to gain the trust of her social
superiors and elicit gifts and tips from them.

6. Why does Faulkland become disappointed with Julia? How does she respond?

Because he thinks Julia has been happy to have been without him for a few days. She also thinks that
she is not sure of marrying him. Julia tries to reassure her future husband, however, ends up running
away crying. Faulkland thinks Julia is not respecting his honor. Faulkland is very insecure about
Julia’s feelings.

7. Discuss the relationship between Jack and his father, Sir Anthony Absolute, and between
Lydia and Mrs Malaprop.

Both relationships are similar, since both adults want to force young lovers to marry the person they
want. Sir Anthony doesn’t consider the possibility that his son might disobey him. Both are figures
of authority. Both attempt the question of marriage. Jack doesn’t confront his father while Lydia
confronts her aunt. Sir Anthony has a high ego, he really thinks he is a good father.

8. A lot of wordplay is used in The Rivals. What kind of word play does Mrs Malaprop
represent?

Mrs. Malaprop is proverbial for her flowery way of speaking with high-sounding paragraphs and used
out of purpose. Her name tells a lot of the character since Malapropism is the use of an
incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound. She is the most comic character in the play.
She uses words with more of two or three syllables which come from Latin or French. She thinks it’s
fashionable. Mrs. Malaprop characterises social group. She’s convinced she speaks wonderfully.

9. What kind of rivalries can be found in The Rivals? How are those rivalries resolved?

The first duel occurs between Sir Lucius and Captain Absolute. Not really Sir Lucius does not give
any explanation for which they must face, however Absolute accepts this duel. On the other hand,
Lucius also tries to encourage Acres to face Faulkland. Finally, Sir Lucius tries that Acres beats in
duel against Beverley, person that really does not exist. And finally, he's glad to know that Beverley
is a character invented by Absolute because he does not have to fight a duel. From the point of view
of Lydia there is a rivalry between Absolute and Beverley.

10. Define the meaning of “honour” according to Bob Acres, Sir Lucius, Sir Anthony and Jack
Absolute.

Captain Absolute is a man with honor. It fulfills its obligation to fight in case of being challenged to
duel. According to Acres, honor is the least attributed adjective for him because of being accused of
cowardice, he claims his ancestor’s honor. Sir Lucious is a character who values honor above all else.
He is very brave and has fun fighting in duels. According to Sir Anthony, honor in obedience and in
duty. He feels that if his son does not obey him, he is not respecring his honor.
11. Describe briefly Julia’s character.

Julia Melville is a logical, mature, young woman. It is probably one of the characters with the highest
morality of the play. She represents the female sense (common sense) and the voice of reason. She
has to confront both Lydia and Faulkland.

12. Define the relevance of "elopement" for Lydia.

Kind of rebellion as image of romanticism. She prefers her lovers to be from low class. It comes from
the concept of love she has from books. Only this idea disappears at the end of the play.

13. Describe briefly Sir Lucius O'Trigger.

Lucius O'Trigger is one of the most controversial characters in the play. He doesn’t need to have a
reason to fight a duel, he just fights for fun. Lucius hopes to improve his fortune by believing that her
lover was Lydia but in reality, he corresponded with Mrs. Malaprop, his antagonist. He represents the
figure of Lucifer, violent, impulsive, old fashion. For him, honor is important. He is religious.

14. Explain the meaning of "caprice" as a relevant term in the description of certain characters.

Caprice is (the quality of often having) a sudden and usually silly wish to have or do something, or
asudden and silly change of mind or behaviour. Caprice as a new form of humour. Sheridan creates
the character of Lydia as a capricious girl who wants everything she proposes. As an absolute fan of
reading, she wants to have a love story similar to the one she reads. For that reason, she breaks up
with Captain Absolute when he lies to her, the situation does not come out as she expected even
though she still loves him.

15. Explain the communicative differences between the first and second prologue.

In the prologue on the first night, Sheridan once again shows that he saw writing The Rivals as a
means to an end. He wishes the play to be well-received and earn him praise and renown. At the same
time, he suggests that it is no fault of his own if the play is not well-received and, by showing the
serjeant-at-law as a bribe taker, suggests that there is no such thing as a fair and honest reception.

Sheridan’s second version of the prologue is less blatantly self-serving and at least attempts to aim at
loftier ideals of art and morality. The play is a comedy, it is funny, and the main characters get married
at the ends, but Sheridan suggests that he at least wants some of the moral weight that comes with
Tragedy to inform the work.

Autoevaluation

13/15