The tone of The Rivals is humorous and satirical. Every character interaction throughout the play is intended as a mostly-lighthearted jab at the artificiality of Sheridan’s contemporary society, and of Sheridan’s own life. Most of the acts of deception carried out in The Rivals are not treated as signs of any great moral failing but rather as benign overall actions that move the story along to its happy conclusion. Sheridan balances this non-condemnation of Absolute’s many lies by including the case of Faulkland’s manipulation of Julia (regarding his supposed participation in a duel) and her resulting initial heartbreak. In doing so, Sheridan demonstrates that deception is only acceptable up to a certain point before it becomes cruelty.
Faulkland’s deeply expressed repentance and Julia’s later decision to forgive him allows the play to maintain its lighthearted tone. Sheridan directs his satirical tone towards all of his characters—both old and young, male and female, high and low (and middle) class—to jokingly examine the everyday realities of his audience’s lives. The result is an entertaining and memorable play that simultaneously tackles and bridges generational, gender, and class divides. By imbuing so much of his personal life story in the plot of the play, Sheridan also invites the audience to laugh with him at the absurdity of the rumor mill while shaping his opinion of the events as they occurred.
