Terry F on 10 Sep 2007  •  Link

The Rivals was Sir William Davenant's adaptation of The Two Noble Kinsmen, attributed to John Fletcher and William Shakespeare for the Duke's Company

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_…

Cum Grano Salis on 11 Sep 2007  •  Link

more :
Although The Two Noble Kinsmen likely was written in 1613, the first printing of the play did not occur until 1634, when "the memorable worthies of their time, Mr John Fletcher, and Mr William Shakespeare, Gent." were credited as co-authors on the title page. It is now generally accepted that Fletcher wrote the majority of the play, while Shakespeare wrote most of Act 1 (1.1, 1.2, 1.3) and Act 5, with the exception of Scene 2.

While Fletcher and Shakespeare altered some events in the story for their own dramatic purposes, the overall plot of The Two Noble Kinsmen is true to its primary source: Geoffrey Chaucer's The Knight's Tale, found in his masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales.

http://shakespeare.about.com/libr…

THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN

PROLOGUE

[Florish.]

New Playes, and Maydenheads, are neare a kin,
Much follow'd both, for both much mony g'yn,
If they stand sound, and well: And a good Play
(Whose modest Sceanes blush on his marriage day,
And shake to loose his honour) is like hir
That after holy Tye and first nights stir
Yet still is Modestie, and still retaines
More of the maid to sight, than Husbands paines;
We pray our Play may be so; For I am sure
It has a noble Breeder, and a pure,

http://shakespeare.about.com/libr…

While Fletcher and Shakespeare altered some events in the story for their own dramatic purposes, the overall plot of The Two Noble Kinsmen is true to its primary source: Geoffrey Chaucer's The Knight's Tale, found in his masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales.

Terry Foreman on 9 Jul 2015  •  Link

The Rivals, text and introduction in the Google EBook)
The dramatic works of sir William D'Avenant, with memoir and notes [by J. Maidment and W.H. Logan].
https://books.google.com/books?id…