Melapropism

Abhay H Odedara
 Introduction to ‘The Rivals’:

• ‘The Rivals’, comedy in five acts by Richard

Brinsley Sheridan, produced and published in 1775.

• ‘The Rivals’ concerns the romantic difficulties of

Lydia Languish, who is determined to marry for love
and into poverty.

• ‘The Rivals’ is an example of what Oliver Goldsmith

called in his 1773 “An Essay on the Theatre,”
“laughing comedy,” in contrast with the “weeping
sentimental comedy” that dished out heavy handed
moralizing in every act.
Definition of Malapropism
• Britannica defines Malapropism(French:
“inappropriate”) as a verbal blunder in which one
word is replaced by another similar in sound but
different in meaning.

• Malapropisms allow writers and actors to create

laughable comedies of errors.
 Malapropism in ‘The Rivals’

• Some of Mrs Malaprop’s mistakes (or malapropisms!)

include her saying ‘illiterate(obliterate) him quite from
your memory’, or ‘He is the very pine-apple(pinnacle)
of politeness!’

• in the play words like “… a nice derangement of

epitaphs!”(epithets) and “… she’s as headstrong as an
Allegory (alligator).”
•
 Influence of ‘The Rivals’ on
‘Malapropisms’
• The character Mrs. Malaprop is a humorous aunt who
gets mixed up in the schemes and dreams of young
lovers.

• The popularity of the play and of the character led to the

creation of the literary term malapropism.
 Conclusion

• It is because of this misuse of words that Mrs. Malaprop

has become so well-known a character in the history of
English drama.

• According to Julia, “her select words are so ingeniously

misapplied without being mispronounced.”