Form of Sentimentalism in Sheridan's 'œThe Rivals'

The literary history, Sheridan belongs to the period which was designed as the age of Johnson which was also alternatively called the age of Transition. During the age of Johnson his throne as classical dictator of the age was already tottering to its fall as rebellion against his authority was rife in spite of his attempt to stamp it out. Sheridan occupies an important position in the history of English drama. He was certainly the most important dramatist of the eighteenth century, and some critics give him the second place after Shakespeare. Thus Balston has remarked in his introduction to The Rival, of the only three plays in the English Language besides those of Shakespeare, which have achieved permanent popularity, two, The School for Scandal and The Rival are by Sheridan the third She Stoops to Conquer, was by Oliver Goldsmith. However long the interval the name of Sheridan comes second to Shakespeare's on the role of English dramatists. T. Poornima | M. Priyanga | T. Thilagavathi"Form of Sentimentalism in Sheridan's 'œThe Rivals'" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-2 | Issue-3 , April 2018, URL: http://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd11126.pdf http://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/english/11126/form-of-sentimentalism-in-sheridan's-'œthe-rivals'/t-poornima