She Stoops to Conquer, a comedy play by Oliver Goldsmith, has enjoyed continual popularity since its inception. Initially, it faced criticism for diverging from the prevailing sentimental comedy style of the time.
In my personal opinion, the play is incredibly charming and amusing, whether it is through the actors’ performances or simply the choice of words. It belongs to the genre of sentimental comedy, where characters are portrayed in very typical ways. For instance, the heroine is depicted as shy and romantic, while the hero is brave and daring. Love and romance take precedence over everything else in this play. In “She Stoops to Conquer,” the characters Miss Neville and Hastings are deeply in love and had intentions to elope to France. However, their plans are ultimately thwarted.
Despite Hastings’ desire for them to marry regardless, Miss Neville demonstrates sensibility by prioritizing her father’s wishes and financial stability. In contrast to the stereotypical sentimental comedy heroine, she asserts: “MISS NEVILLE: In a moment of passion, fortune may be despised, but it ever produces a lasting repentance.” In She Stoops to Conquer, servants typically relegated to the background are given prominence in an entire scene, highlighting their inherent inability to fulfill traditional servant roles.
In sentimental comedy plays, the typical response to something unfortunate happening was to feel sadness. However, Marlow in She stoops to Conquer challenges this conventional notion by stating, “MARLOW: Pardon me, madam. I was always willing to be amused. The foolishness of most people is more entertaining than distressing.” When Hastings finally confesses his love for Miss Neville to her uncle, Mr Hardcastle, Mrs Hardcastle cannot tolerate such romantic conversation and dismisses it as “Pshaw, pshaw, this is all but the melodramatic conclusion of a contemporary novel,” as modern novels were commonly written in sentimental style. Despite Mrs Hardcastle’s complaint, this instance showcases sentimental comedy seeping into the play.
Once people became accustomed to this new style of play, they started to appreciate the more humorous and light-hearted elements, which differed greatly from the traditional style. Nowadays, we are accustomed to it, but if sentimental comedy had been included, the play would have been much more dull.
The play’s main plot revolves around confusion and deception. Marlow is extremely shy and apprehensive when interacting with women from the same or higher social class, but displays loud and often disrespectful behavior towards those from lower classes. Tony, who is Mrs Hardcastle’s son, deceives Marlow and Hastings by making them believe that the house they intended to visit is actually a pub.
They regard Mr Hardcastle as a landlord and question the reason for his talkativeness: “MARLOW: I’ve never heard an innkeeper with such philosophy.” Mr Hardcastle wants Marlow to court his daughter Kate Hardcastle. However, when Marlow meets Kate, he struggles to speak: “MARLOW: (Becoming hesitant) Excuse me, madam, I-I-I-” Kate decides to deceive Marlow by disguising herself as a barmaid. Unaware that she is the same person, he becomes more confident: “MARLOW: Suppose I were to request a sample, just to test the sweetness of your lips…” She feigns misunderstanding and responds that they do not have that variety of wine, and further states: “MISS HARDCASTLE: Sir, please maintain your distance.”
It is amusing to witness the perplexity of Mr Hardcastle and Marlow in a theatrical representation, as both are unaware of the situation unfolding before them. Marlow remains oblivious to the fact that Kate and the barmaid are one and the same person, while Mr Hardcastle is greatly bewildered by the impoliteness displayed by Marlow and Hastings. Furthermore, Mrs Hardcastle falls victim to deception during the performance, as she had always believed that Miss Neville and her son Tony were in a romantic relationship. Yet, towards the conclusion, Tony discloses his decision to not marry Miss Neville to his mother.
Everyone applauds him, but she concludes the play by saying: “MRS HARDCASTLE: My disobedient child,” which adds a humorous contrast to the others’ remarks. The characters in She Stoops to Conquer are skillfully crafted and possess distinct personalities. Mrs. Hardcastle believes she is exceptionally attractive and diligently embraces the latest trends from London.
Marlow and Hastings enjoy teasing Mrs. Hardcastle about her clothes, but she takes their comments seriously: “MRS HARDCASTLE: Seriously? Then I shall be too young for the fashion.” She also believes she is still youthful and refuses to admit her age: “HARDCASTLE: Let me see, twenty and twenty, makes just fifty and seven.” This is amusing because many women today can relate to her reluctance to disclose her age. Mr. Hardcastle unintentionally upsets her by expressing his preference for an older wife, which is one of the worst things he could say to her since she doesn’t consider herself old: “HARDCASTLE: …and I believe Dorothy, (taking her hand) you’ll own I have been pretty fond of an old wife.” Additionally, Mrs. Hardcastle has a deep affection for her son Tony Lumpkin.
She possesses a great amount of maternal affection which the audience can also connect with and find amusing. The play mocks and amplifies everything, like when MRS HARDCASTLE says, “I’m actually afraid of his lungs,” even though Tony’s only issue is that he drinks excessively. Ultimately, Tony deceives her into believing they are stranded in an unfamiliar place, but in reality, they are just at the back of their property. She becomes extremely frightened and mistakes Mr Hardcastle for a highwayman.
The play She Stoops to Conquer includes a moral in its comedic storyline. When all is revealed, Mrs Hardcastle becomes extremely angry. Tony, despite appearing dim, plays a crucial role in leading the plot. He enjoys teasing his mother, such as when they got lost and he purposely scared her. This moment provides comedic relief for the audience, who are aware of the true location being at the bottom of the garden while Mrs Hardcastle remains terrified.
Tony secretly takes his mother’s jewels to assist Constance and Hastings in their elopement, but initially keeps this information from them. When Constance requests the jewels, Mrs Hardcastle is unable to provide an excuse, so Tony advises her to claim that they have been stolen. Upon discovering that the jewels are indeed stolen, Mrs Hardcastle becomes extremely angry, exclaiming: “MRS HARDCASTLE: We are robbedthe jewels taken out, and I’m undone. TONY: Oh! Is that all? Ha! Ha! Ha! By the laws, I never saw it better acted in my life.” Although Tony knows she speaks the truth, he continues to mockingly praise her acting skills, further aggravating her fury. Another notable scene involving Tony takes place in a pub where he serenades, amidst a gathering of intoxicated individuals.
In the past, plays were not considered appropriate, and sentimental comedies did not include scenes in pubs. However, within this scene, there are amusing moments involving the drunken characters, such as when the third fellow states, “Even if I am forced to make a bear dance, I will maintain my gentlemanly demeanor. Let it be known that my preferred music for such an occasion would be the most refined tunes, like ‘Water parted’ or the minuet in Adriadne.” The man’s statement about making a bear dance to classical music can be seen as absurd.
Asides are instrumental in aiding the audience’s comprehension of errors and misunderstandings. Hardcastle and Marlow utilize asides to express their true thoughts, such as when Hardcastle remarks privately, “such a brazen dog sure never my eyes beheld.” These asides not only add entertainment value to the play, but also provide insight into the confusion on stage, as evident from the puzzled expressions on everyone’s faces.
The audience finds much of the humor in the acting, particularly when an old woman, covered in mud and on her knees, pleads for mercy from a highwayman. She mistakenly thinks her husband is the highwayman and begs him to spare their child and take her money and life instead.
Mrs Hardcastle’s stage presence is quite comical, with her outlandish attire, absurd costumes, and heavy makeup, not to mention the extravagant wigs. Similarly, Tony and Constance’s behavior on stage is amusingly contradictory. Whenever they are around Tony’s mother, they act affectionate, yet as soon as she looks away, they engage in fights and inflict harm upon each other. Kate’s appearance on stage would also be peculiar, as she adorns herself in intricate garments. As her father comments to Kate about Marlow, the audience finds it amusing: “HARDCASTLE: And very handsome.”
MISS HARDCASTLE: I love him so much, Papa. (She kisses his hand.) He is mine, and I will marry him. Even though she hasn’t even met the man, she desires him because of his handsome appearance. This is the reason why she disguises herself as a barmaid, a concept that the audience has found amusing and relatable for over a century.
She Stoops to Conquer has gained a significant following due to its humorous elements, evident both in the performances and the dialogues. While the plot itself is somewhat fantastical and even absurd, it is precisely this quality that contributes to its comedic appeal. Previously, one would have been appalled by Tony’s deceit of his mother in her state of distress and fear when she was lost. However, now we find amusement in it.
The enduring popularity of She Stoops to Conquer can be attributed to the amusing way people handle strange situations in the play, unlike the requirement for sadness in sentimental comedy. This adds a humorous and benevolent aspect to the play.
