She Stoops to Conquer

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Author:

Oliver Goldsmith

Published:

1773

Setting:

English countryside, late 18th century, Hardcastle home

Major Characters:

Kate Hardcastle: pretty, witty, stoops to conquer
Young Marlow: shy, proud, naive, stutters, gullible, courts lower class
Constance Neville: constant, patient, charming
George Hastings: hasty, level-headed, in love, Rattle
Tony Lumpkin: immature, fun-loving, booby

Minor Characters:

Mr. Hardcastle: stepfather of Tony, serious
Mrs. Hardcastle: silly, selfish, loud, obnoxious, gullible, (kinda like Mrs. Bennet)
Sir Charles Marlow: father of young Marlow
Diggory: servant, friend

Themes:

An artificial society brings indolence and silliness.
Manners of a high society are silly.
First impressions are unreliable.(Yep, we've heard this one before.)
English aristocrats live in their own world.

Symbols:

None.

Allusions:

War: Duke of Marlborough
Actors and playwrights of the day

Ironies:

Young Marlow does not know the inn is the Hardcastle home and the barmaid is Kate.
Marlow gives back the jewels to Mrs. Hardcastle.
Kate says the house looks like an inn.
Marlow talks to Kate when he is afraid of her.
Kate says she is fond of grave conversation.

Point of View:

Play

Ending:

Tony is of age and refuses Constance. Constance and Mr. Hastings marry. Kate and Marlow marry. Kate stooped to conquer: pretended to be lower class to make Marlow love her.

Other Important Notes:

Satire on aristocratic life, "comedy of manners," sentimental play, pride, Horation satire, uses irony, overstatement, understatement, incongruity, wit, farce, humor. Subtitle: Mistakes of a Night.

Brief Summary:

Marlow comes to court Kate. Kate thinks he is shy and reserved; he thinks she is grave. Kate pretends to be a barmaid to win his love. Tony loves to play jokes: pretending his home is an inn and relentlessly teases his mother. Mr. Hastings comes to court Constance and her jewels. Tony takes the jewels to Hastings, who gives it to Marlow, who gives it back to Mrs. Hardcastle. Tony takes his mother and Constance in circles.

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