The Rivals: Act 5, Scene 3 Summary & Analysis

Sir Lucius and Acres are awaiting their opponents in King’s-Mead-Fields. Sir Lucius is coaching Acres in the correct conduct of duels, but Acres is getting very nervous. Sir Lucius inquires if Acres has any final requests, in case he dies in the duel, but Acres responds with surprise, as if the prospect of death in the duel had never occurred to him. Sir Lucius specifies: if Acres is killed, would he like to buried in Bath or preserved and shipped home for burial. Acres is spooked by this, prompting Sir Lucius to ask whether Acres has ever been involved in a duel before. Acres has not. Sir Lucius says that’s a shame, and then asks how Acres intends to stand. Acres shows his planned position: with his body perpendicular to his foe. Sir Lucius says if he stands that way and gets hit, the bullet will whizz through his body and be twice as likely to hit an organ. Acres is dumbfounded by this possibility. As two men approach them from across the field, Acres becomes even more nervous, while Sir Lucius chides him, telling him to think of his honor.

Sir Lucius greets Absolute and Faulkland, whom he assumes is Beverley. He says that he sees that Absolute will also be serving as a combatant in one duel and a second in the duel between Beverley and Acres. Acres is shocked to see Absolute and Faulkland appear, when he had expected Beverley. Sir Lucius, indignant, demands that if Beverley does not show up, then Faulkland and Acres should fight. With tongue in cheek, Absolute encourages Faulkland to fight “to oblige Sir Lucius.” Faulkland says he will fight against Acres if Acres wants. Acres says there is absolutely no need for him to fight against his friends; he only intended to fight against Beverley, who is too much of a coward to show his face.

Absolute then steps forward, saying that Beverley was a made-up identity of his, and that he is prepared to fight both as Absolute and as Beverley. Sir Lucius counts this as lucky, since now Acres will be able to fight after all. Acres refuses categorically to fight his friend Absolute, which prompts Sir Lucius to accuse Acres of having lost his valor. Acres replies that he is prepared to be Sir Lucius’s second in his duel with Absolute and will dutifully carry out Sir Lucius’s final wishes for his corpse. Sir Lucius calls Acres a coward, but Acres does not challenge him to a duel. Sir Lucius announces that it is time for his fight against Absolute. They both draw their swords.

Sir Anthony, David, Mrs. Malaprop, Lydia and Julia arrive, with David yelling for Sir Anthony to halt the combatants. Sir Anthony demands to know how Absolute got involved in a duel. Absolute says Sir Lucius called him out without explanation, to which Sir Lucius responds that Absolute insulted his honor.

Mrs. Malaprop interjects that all this dueling talk is inappropriate conversation for ladies: it is terrifying Lydia. Absolute asks if Lydia is terrified that he will not be killed. Mrs. Malaprop urges Lydia to speak, but before she can respond Sir Lucius says he can explain Lydia’s silence. Lydia interrupts him to ask what he means. Addressing her as “Delia,” Sir Lucius says they must not trifle any longer, and Lydia agrees, pledging her love for Absolute. Absolute is overjoyed: he begs Sir Lucius’s pardon for unintentionally insulting him, but says he will fight against any man who questions his claim to Lydia’s love.

Acres gives up any claim to Lydia, saying he would rather remain a bachelor than fight for a woman. But Sir Lucius persists, saying that he wonders if Lydia will deny her own handwriting and pulls out letters written to him by “Delia.” Mrs. Malaprop tries to interject, but Sir Lucius tells her not to interfere and asks Lydia if she is Delia. She says she is not. Mrs. Malaprop then confesses that she is Delia. Sir Lucius greets this news with scorn, saying he is unsure whether Mrs. Malaprop or Lucy was the author of the trick against him, but adding that he forfeits his claim to any lady. Absolute facetiously suggests that maybe Acres would like to marry Mrs. Malaprop, but Acres declines. Sir Anthony consoles a distraught Mrs. Malaprop.

Julia observes how dejected Faulkland seems and begins to soften towards him. Faulkland asks for her forgiveness, saying he does not deserve it. Julia forgives him. Sir Anthony comes forward and says that, although he was Julia’s guardian, he never interfered in Julia’s affairs before. However, as it seems to him that Faulkland’s faults arise from his passion for Julia, they should be married at once, and Faulkland’s behavior will improve.

Sir Lucius wishes the couples good luck and Acres promises to put together a party for them. Sir Anthony announces that the single men should drink a toast to the young couples and to an eventual husband for Mrs. Malaprop. Faulkland congratulates Absolute that Lydia came to her senses and reformed her own romantic inclinations, just as he has been reformed by Julia’s love. Absolute responds that the only difference is that Faulkland always created reasons for himself to be miserable, while he…but Lydia cuts him off, teasingly, saying that she was always the cause of his misery, but now they can all be happy. Julia makes the play’s last speech: saying that to preserve their current happiness for the rest of their lives they should all try to be virtuous, so that they will not fall out of love with one another in their old age, when their beauty has faded.