The mood of The Rivals, Richard Sheridan’s 1775 play, is light and overall quite charming for the majority of the runtime. The romances are a whirlwind, an intoxicating mix of daydreaming and deception that never veers into tension or terror. Even as Absolute deceives Lydia, Mrs. Malaprop, and his very own father, Sheridan refrains from making the audience feel as though the protagonist’s actions are truly wrong. While the audience might be on the edge of their seats waiting for each character’s disguise to be revealed, they do so with delight rather than nervousness.
Sheridan’s satirical display of upper-class pretentiousness adds to the hilarity of the mood, especially in his depiction of Mrs. Malaprop, as well as the biting banter between characters as they try to outshine each other. Sheridan walks a fine line so that the entire play is enjoyable and humorous to the very end, even as he attempts to shove a moral message in to better align with the desires of his more curmudgeonly attendees and prove himself worthy of their praise. While certain characters, like Faulkland and Julia, are more serious in both their actions and their responses to the actions of others, their scenes are appropriately short and to the point, avoiding unnecessary drama and angst.
