The Rivals: Synopsis Lydia Languish is pursued by many men, including Bob Acres, Sir Lucius O'Trigger, and Jack Absolute (as Ensign Beverley); she prefers the latter. Her aunt, Mrs. Malaprop, carries out an anonymous correspondence with Sir Lucius. Julia loves the neglectful Faulkland. Sir Anthony Absolute arranges for his son to marry Lydia; eventually, they are married, although Jack Absolute is supposed to fight his alter ego in the process. Faulkland and Julia are reconciled. Sir Lucius and Bob Acres renounce any claim to Lydia. Act I. Fag and Thomas, a coachman, two servants, meet by chance and discuss their employers: Thomas is employed by Sir Anthony Absolute and Fag by his son Jack, who has taken on the identity of Ensign Beverley. Jack Absolute is in love with Miss Lydia Languish, who would prefer him as a half-pay ensign than as he really is (the son of a baronet). However, her troublesome aunt is impeding the progress of their courtship. Fag teases Thomas about h...
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Rivals, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The Rivals A Comedy Author: Richard Brinsley Sheridan Release Date: March 6, 2008 [EBook #24761] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RIVALS *** Produced by Kent Cooper The RIVALS A Comedy By Richard Brinsley Sheridan * * * * * * * PREFACE A preface to a play seems generally to be considered as a kind of closet-prologue, in which--if his piece has been successful--the author solicits that indulgence from the reader which he had before experienced from the audience: but as the scope and immediate object of a play is to please a mixed assembly in _representation_ (whose judgment in...