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The Rivals | Symbols 1775

Bath

By the late Middle Ages, the city of Bath, located in the county of Somerset in southwest England,
already had a rich history and tradition. It was founded by the Romans as a spa in the 1st century CE,
with its mineral hot springs as a central attraction. Medieval Bath prospered in the cloth trade,
especially wool. During the 18th century, the Elizabethan town was made over in the neoclassical,
Palladian style by a number of prominent architects. For decades, distinguished literary and social
links made Bath Britain's most fashionable and elegant urban center outside of London. Terraces,
crescents, and squares were hallmarks of the city's stylish layout.

In The Rivals, Bath symbolizes the genteel urban lifestyle. It is a way of life that does not exactly fit
any particular character, however. Mrs. Malaprop, the reader senses, is not quite to the manner
born, considering her linguistic and social pretensions. Sir Anthony Absolute, though wealthy and
ennobled, lacks suavity and polish. Bob Acres is a social-climbing country bumpkin, and Sir Lucius
O'Trigger is impulsive and somewhat oafish. The only truly centered character is Julia Melville. Bath
remains a social and cultural ideal, by which all the characters may be measured.

Reading

In Sheridan's play, reading is a symbol of entertainment and independence. The crucial scene
revealing reading's symbolic role is Act 1, Scene 2 in which Lydia Languish discloses her fascination
with sentimental novels of the day, and in which Sir Anthony and  Mrs. Malaprop air their prejudices
about the hazards of women's literacy.

It is evident from the context that reading occupies an ambiguous position in the society of the play.
On one level, reading is a source of independence, education, and entertainment—and it is plainly
established within Bath's fashionable orbit. On another level, reading is suspect, especially in the
eyes of arch-conservative members of society. Sheridan's ironic treatment of the topic leaves no
doubt that he regards the opinions of Sir Anthony and Mrs. Malaprop as antiquated.

Fashion

The setting of The Rivals in Bath virtually guarantees that there will be considerable discussion of and
attention to fashion in the play. The preoccupation with fashion comes to stand as an identifier of a
character's social status. As early as the first scene, the servant Fag cautions the coachman Thomas
that the latter "must polish": no one of any style (or what Fag calls "ton"—for "tone"), for example,
continues to wear wigs.

Although many of the characters pay some attention to fashion, the figure who is most preoccupied
with the topic is Bob Acres. In Act 2, Scene 1 Acres preens himself in front of Jack Absolute, showing
off his hairstyle and boasting of a new system of "genteel" swear words that he has devised.

Country bumpkins and servants, like Acres and Fag, are preoccupied with hairstyles and other
fashion statements so that they may "fit in" with the citizens of Bath. However, those already
considered the upper-crust, like Jack, find the preoccupation with fashion rather ridiculous.
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Dancing

Dancing was one of the most popular social diversions in 18th-century Bath. As such, this pastime
was a premier symbol of the leisure of an affluent and socially stylish stratum of the population. One
of Bath's prime locations, the Assembly Rooms, was devoted to dancing. Assembly Rooms grew
increasingly more common in provincial cities during the century.

Faulkland is especially concerned that Julia dances while the lovers are separated; he feels that
dancing a minuet might be acceptable, but that participating in country dances proves that she does
not miss him as he does her.

Dancing is especially prominent in the characterization of Bob Acres. In Act 3, Scene 4 the socially
inept bumpkin tries to impress the servant David with a display of dancing steps that he has
supposedly mastered as part of his effort to rise in "genteel" society.