Sir Anthony Absolute

This spluttering, domineering baronet rules his son (Jack Absolute), and anyone else who gets in his way, with an iron fist. As Fag describes him at the very beginning of the play, Sir Anthony is "hasty in everything." His method of raising Jack has consisted of issuing commands to the boy—"Jack do this"—and if Jack demurred, Anthony "knocked him down." Now that Jack is a grown man, Sir Anthony announces his intention to bestow his £3,000 annual income on his son, only on the condition that Jack accept the bride of Anthony's choice, prior to meeting her. His ultimatum is a test of his son's obedience to his will. Sir Anthony gives the young man a mere six and one-half hours to decide. When Jack balks, Sir Anthony insists that his son not only must marry the woman, who is hideously ugly...