{"product_id":"the-rivals-9780486404332","title":"The Rivals","description":"\u003cp\u003e • Author(s): Richard Brinsley Sheridan\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher: Dover Publications\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher Imprint: Dover Publications\u003cbr\u003e • BISAC: European - English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring 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 -- \u003ci\u003eThe School for Scandal\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Rivals\u003c\/i\u003e -- are among the funniest in the English language.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Rivals\u003c\/i\u003e, 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.\u003cbr\u003eHoping 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dover Publications","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":45087630131351,"sku":"9780486404332","price":203.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0666\/3471\/1191\/files\/9780486404332.webp?v=1767640684","url":"https:\/\/atlanticbooks.com\/products\/the-rivals-9780486404332","provider":"Atlantic Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}