Welcome to the World of 18th-Century Comedy!
Hello there! You are about to dive into one of the funniest plays ever written for the English stage: Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer. This play is a core part of your Pre-1900 Drama section for the OCR A Level.
Don’t worry if the 1700s feel like a long time ago. At its heart, this play is about things we still deal with today: social anxiety, trying to impress a crush, lying to your parents, and the awkwardness of being in the "wrong" social circle. Think of it as an 18th-century "rom-com" filled with pranks and misunderstandings!
1. The Context: Why Goldsmith Wrote This
To understand this play, you need to know about two competing styles of comedy in the 1770s. Imagine them as two different genres of movies today:
Sentimental Comedy vs. Laughing Comedy
• Sentimental Comedy: This was the "boring" stuff popular at the time. It was very serious, moralistic, and tried to make the audience cry rather than laugh. It was more like a soap opera where everyone is perfectly "good."
• Laughing Comedy: This is what Goldsmith wanted to bring back! He wanted people to actually laugh. He thought comedy should point out people's follies (silly mistakes) and be a bit chaotic.
Analogy: Think of Sentimental Comedy like a very preachy documentary that tells you how to behave, and Laughing Comedy like a chaotic sitcom (like *The Office* or *Brooklyn Nine-Nine*) where people make mistakes and get into embarrassing situations.
Key Term: Anti-Sentimentalism
Goldsmith wrote an essay called "A Comparison between Laughing and Sentimental Comedy." He argued that comedy should be about low characters and funny situations, not just "high" moral lessons. She Stoops to Conquer is his big proof that laughing is better than crying!
Key Takeaway: Goldsmith’s main goal was to make the audience laugh by showing how ridiculous people can be, especially when they are trying to act "upper class."
2. The Plot: The Big Mistake
The play’s subtitle is "The Mistakes of a Night," and that’s exactly what it is. Here is the simple version:
1. Marlow and Hastings (two city guys) are traveling to the country to meet Kate Hardcastle (the girl Marlow is supposed to marry).
2. They get lost. Tony Lumpkin (Kate’s mischievous stepbrother) plays a prank on them. He tells them that the Hardcastles' house is actually an inn (a hotel).
3. Marlow, who is very shy around posh ladies but a total flirt with working-class girls, treats Mr. Hardcastle (his future father-in-law) like a waiter!
4. Kate realizes the mistake. To get Marlow to open up, she "stoops" (lowers her social status) and pretends to be a barmaid.
Quick Review: The whole play depends on Dramatic Irony. This is when the audience knows something the characters don't. We know it's a house, but Marlow thinks it's a hotel. This creates all the funny moments!
3. Meet the Characters
Charles Marlow: He is the hero, but he has a "split personality." Around "high-born" women, he stutters and can’t even look them in the eye. Around "low" women (like barmaids), he is a smooth-talking "dog."
Memory Aid: Think of Marlow as having social anxiety around people he wants to impress.
Kate Hardcastle: She is the smartest person in the play. She is "double-natured"—she likes the fashion of the city but respects her father’s country traditions. She takes control of her own destiny by tricking Marlow into falling for her "true" self.
Tony Lumpkin: He is the "Lord of Misrule." He loves drinking, singing, and playing pranks. Even though he’s seen as "low," he is the one who drives the entire plot.
Did you know? Tony is a "squireson"—someone who has the money of a gentleman but the manners of a farmhand.
Mr. Hardcastle: An old-fashioned gentleman who loves "everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine." He represents the tradition that the city characters find boring.
Key Takeaway: The characters represent the clash between Town (London) and Country. Marlow and Hastings are "Town," while the Hardcastles are "Country."
4. Key Themes to Discuss in Your Essays
Class and Status
Goldsmith shows that class is often just a performance. Marlow acts differently based on what class he thinks the person in front of him belongs to. When Kate pretends to be a barmaid, she shows that her personality is the same, but Marlow’s perception of her changes.
Gender and Power
In the 1700s, women were usually expected to be passive. Kate is the opposite! She is the one who "stoops" to "conquer." She uses her wit to test Marlow’s character. She is the "director" of the play’s final act.
Deception and Appearance
Is the house a home or an inn? Is Kate a lady or a barmaid? Is Marlow a shy gentleman or a "rake" (a flirt)? The play suggests that appearances can be very misleading.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't just say the play is a "funny story." You must explain how Goldsmith uses these themes to comment on the society of his time. For example, he is criticizing how obsessed people were with "correct" social behavior (decorum).
5. Analyzing Dramatic Techniques
When you are writing your OCR essay, look for these specific tools Goldsmith uses:
• Asides: When a character speaks directly to the audience, but other characters can't hear. This helps us see the "real" character (like Marlow’s inner panic).
• The "Stage Business": This refers to physical comedy. For example, Marlow giving orders to Mr. Hardcastle or Tony Lumpkin driving his mother in circles in a carriage.
• Language/Register: Notice how Marlow’s language changes. When he’s nervous, he uses long, formal, and slightly silly words. When he’s flirting with the "barmaid," his language is shorter, punchier, and more direct.
6. How to Connect This to the Exam (Component 01)
For Section 2, you will be comparing this play with a pre-1900 poem (like Chaucer or Milton).
How to make connections:
• Look for similarities in themes: Does the poem also talk about gender roles or class?
• Look for contrasts in tone: Is the poem serious (like Paradise Lost) while the play is funny? How do they both use language to show authority?
• Context: Mention how both texts reflect the values of the time they were written in.
Quick Review Box:
1. Genre: Laughing Comedy (Anti-Sentimental).
2. Main Technique: Dramatic Irony (The Inn/House mix-up).
3. Hero’s Flaw: Marlow’s social anxiety/hypocrisy based on class.
4. Heroine’s Strength: Kate’s intelligence and agency.
Final Encouragement
English Literature is about finding the patterns. Don't worry if the 18th-century language feels a bit formal at first—read it out loud! It was written to be heard and performed. Once you get the "beat" of the jokes, you'll see why audiences have been laughing at Marlow and Tony Lumpkin for over 250 years. You've got this!