The Rivals Chapter Summary & Analysis - Act 3, Scene 1 Summary

Act 3, Scene 1 Summary

After Fag informs Jack that Lydia is the woman his father's proposes, Jack decides to go along with the arrangement and to convince his father his actions are prompted by duty and obedience. Sir Absolute is suspicious of his son's motives but nonetheless reveals the name of Jack's intended. Jack pretends not to know Lydia Languish or Mrs. Malaprop. Sir Absolute describes Lydia's beauty in detail, but Jack shows little interest. He claims his only desire is to please his father and says he would even marry the aunt, if that were his father's wish.

At one point in the scene, Sir Absolute says that when he was Jack's age, he ran away with Jack's mother and he would not have touched anything old or ugly to gain an empire. Jack asks with feigned innocence, "Not to please your father, sir?"

Act 3, Scene 1 Analysis

In Act 2, Sir Anthony was ready to disinherit...
(read more)