The Rivals is a play written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in 1775. It is a comedy of manners that satirizes the upper-class society of the time. The play revolves around the romantic pursuits of several characters, including the wealthy Captain Jack Absolute, who pretends to be a poor soldier to win the heart of the beautiful Lydia Languish. However, Lydia is more interested in the idea of a romantic hero than in Captain Absolute himself. Meanwhile, Sir Anthony Absolute, Jack's father, attempts to arrange a marriage between his son and the wealthy and socially prominent Julia Melville. However, Julia is in love with Faulkland, a man who is constantly plagued by jealousy and insecurity. The play is filled with mistaken identities, misunderstandings, and witty banter, as the characters navigate their way through the complicated world of love and social status. The Rivals is considered one of the greatest comedies of the English stage and is still performed today.Mrs. Mal. You thought, Miss!--I don't know any business you have to think at all--thought does not become a young woman; the point we would request of you is, that you will promise to forget this fellow--to illiterate him, I say, quite from your memory. (Note: all the webmaster's mis-typings on own message board have just been explained by genetics.)This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.