The Rivals: Act 3, Scene 3 Summary & Analysis

Absolute visits Mrs. Malaprop, who welcomes him with flattering remarks about his pedigree and “the ingenuity of his appearance.” He flatters her by saying that since he has never met Lydia, his attraction to the family comes from what he has heard about Mrs. Malaprop’s “intellectual accomplishments, elegant manners, and unaffected learning.” In her usual incoherent way, Mrs. Malaprop comments that most men do not care about the “ineffectual qualities in a woman” and only care what a woman looks like. Few women are both beautiful and wise, like Mrs. Malaprop, Absolute says. Mrs. Malaprop is very impressed with Absolute and asks him what he thinks of Lydia having decided she is in love with a poor ensign whom no one else has ever met. Absolute says he is not prejudiced against Lydia because of it, but Mrs. Malaprop continues to complain that she has not been able to convince Lydia to give up Beverley.

Mrs. Malaprop pulls out a letter that Absolute had sent to Lydia in his character as Beverley. Under his breath, Absolute curses Lucy for betraying him to Mrs. Malaprop. He then reads the letter aloud, stopping at points while he and Mrs. Malaprop interject to scoff at its content. Beverley’s letter begins tenderly, then says he is alarmed to hear he has a rival in Absolute, who has the reputation of being an honorable gentleman. It goes on to make fun of Mrs. Malaprop’s vanity about her looks and pretentious and senseless way of speaking, and calls her a “weather-beaten-she-dragon.” Finally, the letter promises that Beverley has a plan to see Lydia with Mrs. Malaprop serving as his unwitting accomplice by flattering her vanity in order to gain her trust. Mrs. Malaprop laughs at Beverley’s audacious claim and Absolute pretends to laugh along with her, while actually laughing at how thoroughly he has tricked her.

Absolute suggests a plan: that Mrs. Malaprop should allow Beverley to correspond with Lydia, and then when the pair tries to elope together, Absolute will waylay Beverley and carry Lydia off himself. Mrs. Malaprop is delighted with the suggested scheme. Absolute asks to see Lydia, but slips up by asking Mrs. Malaprop to tell Lydia that Beverley is there to see her. He quickly covers his tracks by saying that he meant that Mrs. Malaprop should lie about who was there to visit her, in order to get Lydia to come down. Mrs. Malaprop goes off to summon Lydia to meet Absolute.

While alone, Absolute reflects that he may lose Lydia if he reveals his true identity to her now. He turns his back to the door. Lydia enters and reflects on how unfortunate she is to have to listen to the wooing of someone other than her beloved. She demands that Absolute turn around and is shocked to see …Beverley! “Beverley” explains that he heard Absolute was coming to visit and found a way to delay him and come in his place. Lydia is delighted to hear how Beverley has tricked her aunt. “Beverley” pleads with Lydia to run away with him, and she asks if he is ready to forego her fortune. He says that he is, and makes a romantic speech about how happy he would be to be penniless with her. Lydia hesitates; she is won over by “Beverley” but feels unready to give up on the excitement of their forbidden courtship.

At that moment, Mrs. Malaprop sneaks in and begins to eavesdrop. She misinterprets the lovers’ speech and thinks that Lydia has been rudely rejecting Absolute. Mrs. Malaprop comes forward, and Absolute fears that she has discovered that Lydia thinks he is Beverley, but is reassured when she starts to lecture Lydia for her bad treatment of him. Lydia denies that there is any rudeness in saying that she will only love Beverley. Mrs. Malaprop tries to quiet Lydia’s speech while ushering her from the room.