Zusammenfassung der Ressource
The Rivals v Blake
- Youth v Age
- YOUTH - Jack is able to be controlled by Sir Anthony due to the power
which the estate holds over Jack's future. The blunt refusal to
allow Jack to marry for love demonstrates the hypocracy of Sir
Anthony who actually married for love himself.
- YOUTH - Women were generally controlled in their marriage
choice as shown by the role which Mrs Malaprop
fulfills in the play, however this is also shown by Julia
who was instructed to marry Faulkland in her fathers
will.
- AGE - The older characters of th play are shown to still enjoy the excitement
that the younger characters enjoy, Sir Anthony's remarks on Lydia
indicate the extent to which he misses his youth which also adds humour
to the situation. "such eyes! such eyes!so innocently wild!"
- Blake presents youth as being a state of innocence such that
'Songs of Innocence' as he explores the significance of the
childhood state, this is reflected in 'Infant Joy' with the
suggestion of "Sweet joy but two days old, Sweet joy I call thee"
has connotations of the original sin of the child.
- Age is contrasted to youth in Blakes focus upon
revolution which is reflected in 'London' as the
suggestion of "Runs in blood down palace walls"
which is an indication that change is to occur - this is
obviously something which can't be accepted
through age as shown by the suggestion that "In
every cry of every man."
- Blake's strong views on the education system are a
significant reflection on youth, in a similar fashion to Sir
Anthony's comments that "Madam a circulating library in a
town is an evergreen tree of diabolical knowledge" Blake is
critical of education however he delves into the stifling nature
of education within 'The Schoolboy.'
- Artifice and Deceit
- The deceit of Ensign Beverley in order to woo Lydia Languish is the typical
form of upper class behaviour which Blake so despises. It is important to
comsider the way in which we are given a resolution to the situation without
any deaths - Sheridan is specifically focusing upon the comic aspects of the
deceit as shown by the use of a typical blocking character of Mrs Malaprop.
- Blake is careful to address artifice in an often implicit method as
shown by his heavy criticism of both the Church and the
aristocracy which are both altered through revolutions - most
notably in the American declaration of Independance which
allowed any religion to be free of persecution in the USA. The use
of "marks" in London is an example of this implicit criticism.
- 'The Chimney Sweeper' is an example of the deceit which existed
within Blake's lifetime and he is eager to stress the significance of the
practice - the suggestion that "my father sold me while yet my tongue
could scarcely cry 'weep weep weep weep'" which demonstrates the
deceit which occured within the 18th century.