Editing Ruddigore (section)

===Act I===
[[File:Robin and Rose.gif|left|thumb|Robin and Rose]]
In the town of Rederring, in [[Cornwall]], a chorus of professional [[bridesmaid]]s frets that there have been no weddings for the last six months. All of the eligible young men are hopeful of a union with Rose Maybud, the prettiest maiden in the village, yet they are too timid to approach her.  The desperate bridesmaids ask Rose's aunt, Dame Hannah, if she would consider marrying, but she has vowed to remain eternally single. Many years previously, she had been betrothed to "a god-like youth" who turned out to be Sir Roderic Murgatroyd, one of the bad [[baronet]]s of Ruddigore. Only on her wedding day had she discovered his true identity.

Dame Hannah tells the bridesmaids about the curse of Ruddigore. Centuries ago, Sir Rupert Murgatroyd, the first Baronet of Ruddigore, had [[witch hunt|persecuted witches]]. One of his victims, as she was [[burnt at the stake]], cursed all future Baronets of Ruddigore to commit a crime every day, or perish in inconceivable agonies. Every Baronet of Ruddigore since then had fallen under the curse's influence, and died in agony once he could no longer bring himself to continue a life of crime.

After the horrified bridesmaids exit, Dame Hannah greets her niece, Rose, and asks whether there is any young man in the village whom she could love. Rose, who takes her ideas of Right and Wrong from a book of etiquette, replies that all of the young men she meets are either too rude or too shy. Dame Hannah asks particularly about Robin Oakapple, a virtuous farmer, but Rose replies that he is too diffident to approach her, and the rules of etiquette forbid her from speaking until she is spoken to. Robin enters, claiming to seek advice from Rose about "a friend" who is in love. Rose says that she has such a friend too, but Robin is too shy to take the hint. Rose's devotion to etiquette prevents her from taking the first step, and so they part.

[[File:Lely as Dauntless 1887.jpg|left|thumb|upright|[[Durward Lely]] as Dauntless]]

Old Adam, Robin's faithful servant, arrives and addresses Robin as Sir Ruthven (pronounced "Rivven") Murgatroyd.  Robin reveals that he is indeed Sir Ruthven, having fled his home twenty years previously to avoid inheriting the Baronetcy of Ruddigore and its attendant curse.  He tells Adam never to reveal his true identity. Now Richard Dauntless, Robin's foster-brother, arrives after ten years at sea. Robin tells him that he is afraid to declare his love to Rose, and Richard offers to speak to her on his behalf. When Richard sees Rose, however, he falls in love with her himself and proposes immediately. After consulting her book of etiquette, Rose accepts.<ref>The book of etiquette is a parody of the melodramatic device of the Bible left by a dead parent that is regarded as a moral guide and followed literally.  Rose seeks self-serving passages from the book of etiquette much as a biblical literalist (or the devil) finds convenient passages in scripture to justify their actions.  See Bargainnier, Earl F. "''Ruddigore'', Gilbert's Burlesque of Melodrama", pp. 7–15 at pp. 14–15, ''Gilbert and Sullivan [https://archive.today/20120715191328/http://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/dspace/handle/1808/5875 Papers Presented at the International Conference] held at the [[University of Kansas]] in May 1970'', Edited by James Helyar. Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas Libraries, 1971; and Troost, Linda V. [https://books.google.com/books?id=VvObMS6AtwgC&pg=PA203 "Economic Discourse in the Savoy Operas of W. S. Gilbert"], ''Theorizing Satire: Essays in Literary Criticism'', Brian A. Connery and Kirk Combe (eds.), p. 203 Palgrave Macmillan, 1995 {{ISBN|0312123027}}</ref> When Robin finds out what has happened, he points out his foster-brother's many flaws through a series of backhanded compliments. Realising her mistake, Rose breaks her engagement with Richard and accepts Robin.

Mad Margaret appears, [[mad scene|dishevelled and crazed]].  She has been driven to madness by her love for Sir Despard Murgatroyd, the "Bad Baronet".  She is jealously seeking Rose Maybud, having heard that Sir Despard intends to carry Rose off as one of his daily "crimes".  Rose tells her, however, that she need not fear, as she is pledged to another.  They leave just in time to avoid the arrival of the Bucks and Blades, who have come to court the village girls, followed by Sir Despard, who proceeds to frighten everyone away. He muses that, although he is forced by the family curse to commit a heinous crime every day, he commits the crime early, and for the rest of the day he does good works. Richard approaches him and discloses that Despard's elder brother Ruthven is alive, calls himself Robin Oakapple, and is going to marry Rose later that day. The elated Despard declares himself free of the curse, as he can now transfer the baronetcy to his brother.

The village gathers to celebrate the nuptials of Rose and Robin.  Sir Despard interrupts, revealing that Robin is his elder brother and must accept his rightful title as the Bad Baronet.  Rose, horrified at Robin's true identity, resolves to marry Despard – who refuses her: now free of the curse, the ex-baronet takes up with his old love and fiancée Mad Margaret, who is ecstatic.  Rose then accepts Richard, as he "is the only one that's left."  Robin leaves to take up his rightful identity as Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd.