She Stoops to Conquer (1773) , written by Oliver Goldsmith deals with the themes of love , tricks , confusion , mistaken identity , happy ending , comedy and others. The title of the play was first given to be “Mistakes of a Night”. It is considered to be an anti-sentimental comedy that goes against the emotional release in the sentimental comedies. Goldsmith tried to reform the very idea of comedy that was supposed to be humorous and represent laughter and farcical situations. The comedy can represent immoral actions that has to reformed through plot or stories and not necessarily with the characterization.
As an anti-sentimental comedy , the motive of the play is directly addressed in the prologue where the actor mourns for the death of the comedy. The actor hopes that Goldsmith will rectify the comedy through this play. The prologue indirectly criticizes the sentimental comedies and brings upheaval to the reformation of comedy through the play.
However , the anti-sentimental comedies are sometimes considered to be comedy of manners because it represents the sophisticated lifestyle of the upper class society. In the play , the very lifestyle of Mr. Hardcastle and Mrs.Hardcastle is looked down upon by Marlow. Marlow has a different state of attitude towards woman who belongs to the lower class society. He behaves differently and while he was talking to Kate. It is because of the class consciousness that exist within the society and Marlow somehow at the later end of the play realizes that though he loves her , his father would reject her because of her social status and her lack of wealth. This reflects the sophisticated lifestyle and fortune hunters as depicted well in both comedy of manners and anti-sentimental comedies.
In addition to this , the play also gives a blow to sentimental comedies with the help of a character Tony Lumpkin. He is comical character and a trickster who played a trick upon Marlow and Hastings. Tony Lumpkin brings forth humour in the play throughout and he was able to dupe Marlow by bringing him to Hardcastle inn making Marlow and Hastings believe that they are not in Kate’s house. Tony Lumpkin also tried to help Constance and Hastings elope together by helping them steal Mrs. Hardcastle jewels. This provides a sense of immoral actions that Goldsmith presents without the characterization but through a story or a plot in contrast to the sentimental comedies.
Moreover , the play also projects a typical Shakespearean comedies of mistaken identity and cheats in the play. Marlow was a victim of mistaken identity and he behaves rudely to Mr. Hardcastle that shocked him. He even tried talking to her and she is attracted to him. Hardcastle is yet shocked at how rude Marlow is to him because of the mistaken identity that also generates a lot of humour throughout the play. When Marlow realizes that he has been tricked , his true nature comes forth and he apologizes for his mistake. His father Sir Charles Marlow arrives and they were both accepted for a marriage. Marlow created a lot of hunour throught out the play with his mistaken identity and his behaviour at the inn. His stupidity is also revealed when he gave the stolen jewels back to Mrs. Hardcastle whom he thought was a landlady.
As an anti-sentimental comedy , the play also projects the happy ending and the reformation of immortality. The sentimental comedies uses moral characters but the anti-sentimental comedies uses plots itself where the characters come forth to accept their actions. Hastings and Constance decided to come back and accept their mistake to Hardcastle for their attempt to elope and decides to tell that Tony Lumpkin is a grown man who can make his own decisions. However , their marriage was granted and leads to a happy ending which is a typical Shakespearean comedy.
Summary of Oliver Goldsmith The Deserted Village
Oliver Goldsmith The vicar of Wakefield as a Sentimental Novel
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