OLIVER GOLDSMITH: SHE STOOPS to CONQUER (SUMMARIES OF ACTS AND SCENES)

OLIVER GOLDSMITH: SHE STOOPS to CONQUER

(SUMMARIES OF ACTS AND SCENES)

ACT 1 SCENE 1

The setting is a room in the Hardcastle’s house in the countryside. Mrs. Hardcastle presents her grievance to her husband for not traveling out of their local domain. She represents the English wealthy class who has passion for traveling; Mr. Hardcastle has a different view of traveling to the city as it brings vanity and affectation. The woman also complain of living in ‘an old rumbling mansion’ which looks like an inn and that the only visitors they have are the usual local old people, coupled with the hearing of only the same old war stories from her husband.  Mr. Hardcastle replies that he loves anything that is old and even pretty fond of an old wife. Here Mrs. Hardcastle protests because she does not want to be referred to as old. She claims to be 40 years when her husband humorously calculates 20 plus 20 to be 57 as her age. The dialogue shift to Tony and Mr. Hardcastle reacts against the poor training given to Tony. He says:

                        Not ever will, I dare answer for him.

Mrs. Hardcastle defends the poor training that she gives her son as due to various conditions.

Tony Lumpking goes to The Three Pigeons in order to join his drinking mates. Kate is introduced by her father. He expresses his feelings about the superfluous silk his daughter wears. She reminds her father of the freedom granted her to dress to her satisfaction in the morning and change to what pleases her father later. The news of the expected visitor, Kate’s suitor, is broken to her. She expresses some discomfort that the visit is too sudden and abrupt to her and this she says will make the first meeting too formal. Mr. Hardcastle tells her the qualities of her suitor. Miss Neville appears and Kate breaks the news of her suitor’s visit to her. Miss Neville knows that Hastings, her own admirer, will also come as he is a close friend to Marlow. She also mentions that her aunt is courting her for Tony because of her fortune in jewels. This Act 1 Scene 1 serves as the origin of what is to happen later in the play.

ACT 1 SCENE 2  

It has its setting in a room in an ale-house called The Three Pigeons. There, Tony and his several shabby fellows meet with punch and tobacco for entertainment in its usual rustic manner. Tony entertains and, shows his lack of interest to learning. Having being denied formal education, he develops a negative attitude to it. As these people are drinking, the landlord announces the presence of two strangers asking for the Hardcastles. Tony remembers that his stepfather is expecting one of them, that is, Mr. Charles. He quickly decides to retaliate.

For … calling me whelp, and hounds, this half-year.

Marlow and Hastings arrives The Three Pigeons tired, looking for the Hardcastle. Tony Lumpking, with some show of crudity and sarcasm, interviews. Marlow and Hastings about their destination. Giving signals to the landlord not to disclose his prank, he deceives two men. He tells them:

                        It’s a damn’d long, boggy, dirty, dangerous way.

He says that they cannot reach the place that night and advises them to stay overnight at a nearby inn which he calls the Buck’s Head – the Headcastle’s residence.

Presenting Marlow and Hastings from knowing that the place is the Hardcastles’ is the beginning of the ‘mistakes of the night’ which is achieved through the employment of dramatic irony.

ACT II

Mr. Hardcastle is expecting important guests and he is educating his servants towards waiting on guests at table. The presents comic entertainment from the rustic lower class in their crude dialect and shallow thoughts.

Marlow and Hastings are ushered in by a servant. Having mistaken Hardcastle’s place for an inn, Marlow and Hastings consider its decency and standard to effect high cost.

In their conversation, Marlow and Hastings discuss Marlow’s inability to woo ladies confidently. Marlow explains the cause of his inability as:

                        My life has been chiefly spent in a college.

Hastings accompanies his friend in the journey not only to assist his visitor but to see and effect elopement plan with Miss Neville whose dead father had chosen Hastings to be her husband.

Mr. Hardcastle, not knowing that his visitors have been misguided, wholeheartedly welcomes Marlow and Hastings. Mr. Hardcastle is shocked by the behavior of the visitors. This amuses the audience through the devices of dramatic irony. Marlow and Hastings are also surprised and bored by the hospitality and civilities given them by the ‘inn lord’. Marlow and Hastings express their surprise in ‘asides’ and soliloquy.

Miss Counstance Neville surprisingly appears to Hastings, and he knows through her that they are not in an inn but the house of Mr. Hardcastle and that Tony had only played a practical joke on them. Hastings discloses his mission to Counstance, that is, to effect their plan to elope to France. She considers her fortune in the custody of Mrs. Hardcastle as the only hindrance to the plan. If got, they can elope, she says. She however, suggests to Hastings that they keep on the deception on Marlow, of taking the house for an inn. Marlow comes and Hastings announces the presence of Miss Hardcastle and Miss Neville to him. He lies to Marlow and this causes more confusion in Marlow. Marlow considers their dressing too rough to meet girls. He wants the meeting slated for the next day but Hastings prevents him from escaping the meeting as he introduces Miss Hardcastle and Marlow to each other.

Marlow is bashful and incoherent throughout his discussion with his lover. He cannot look at Kate in the face.

Tony shows his hatred for Miss Neville’s flirtation with him because she only pretends in her aunt’s presence to secure her jewels from Mrs. Hardcastle.

Here we see again the lust for fashion in Mrs. Hardcastle, and how Hastings teases and flatters her. She even boasts to Hastings that her son, Tony, is the fiancé of her niece, Counstance Neville, but Tony is unmoved. Miss Neville mischievously pretends as actually loving Tony.  Her statement, Tony describes as a blatant lie. This upsets Mrs. Hardcastle seriously to the extent of being emotional. Tony’s reaction in her mother’s s emotional depression indicates retaliation for pampering him. Tony retorts:  

                        ‘Ecod! You had reason to weep … I’ll not be made a fool no longer.

In his happy mood, Tony, asks Hastings not to mind Mrs. Hardcastle.

In this Tony and Hastings discuss Miss Neville, and Tony promises to assist whoever is willing to take Counstance Neville off his hands. Hastings reveals his intention to elope with the girl to France and Tony promises to assist them even the last drop of his blood. Tony goes on singing to show his happiness.

ACT III

Mr. Hardcastle soliloquizes.  He detests Sir Charles’, recommendation of Marlow whom he sees as

                        Most impudent piece of brass that ever spoke with a tongue…

Kate enters and father and daughter relate to each other their respective impressions of Marlow, not knowing that the suitor is prevented from knowing where he is actually. Kate presents Marlow as extremely bashful.

                        He met me with respectful bow, a stammering voice….

But she still wants her father to be patient and allow her to continue with Marlow.

Tony Lumpking steals the jewels casket and gives it to Hastings. Miss Neville, not knowing that the jewel casket is stolen , keeps on pleading with her aunt to let her have the jewels to wear, even if for a day. Mrs. Hardcastle does not allow Neville to have the jewels. Tony advises her to tell Neville that the casket is stolen.

Tony tells Miss Neville that he has stolen the casket and gives it to her suitor- Mr. Hastings he explains that she should accept the stop-gap type and quickly run off to her suitor. Getting to the drawer, Mrs. Hardcastle discovers that the jewels are indeed missing as she comes out shouting ‘confusion! Thieves! Rubbers! …

Tony teases his mother about the loss of the jewels until she becomes highly infuriated and says violently words to him. She even runs after Tony as he tries to runs off. The scene is a comic one indeed.

Kate changes to a simple dress in the house discussing with a servant who discloses to her that Marlow mistakes Kate for a maid so long as he considers Hardcastle’s place as an inn. Hearing this, she decides to seize the chance and ‘stoops to conquer’.

Seeing her in this disguised way, Marlow woos her confidently and sentimentally because he considers her to belong to the lower class.  It is in this close relationship that Mr. Hardcastle meets them, and this does not allow him to believe his daughter’s former story of Marlow’s bashfulness. Kate, to convince her father, descries Marlow as capable, confident and passionate and yet he remains a reserved and bashful lover as formerly expressed.

ACT IV

The secret that the house belongs to Mr. Hardcastle and not an inn which is not known to Marlow affects Hastings. Marlow keeps the jewel casket with the landlady when Hastings is unable to keep it for security reasons. The casket gets to Mrs. Hardcastle who is actually looking for it and she receives it happily. Mr. Hastings feels bad and depressed for the casket to have got back to Mrs. Hardcastle. The make-believe deception scene prevents Tony and Neville as having a close courtship which impresses Mrs. Hardcastle believing that that her marriage plan for them is working out successfully. She therefore hands the jewel casket to Miss Neville.

Marlow, still under deception, in an attempt to exonerate a drunken servant from blame, reacts rudely and this angers Mr. Hardcastle. Mr. Hardcastle gives him an ejection order which he refuses. Marlow is adamant. He later discovers his stupidity when Miss Hardcastle appears and discloses the status of the house as Mr. Hardcastle’s house and not an inn. Marlow is ashamed of how he has behaved in the house having noticed that the whole town would laugh at him. He plans to leaves immediately but Kate cleverly detains him, encourage him to continue the courtship.

Mr. Hastings waits for Miss Neville at the bottom of the garden to elope as planed but he notices the inability in his horses to perform the journey.  He sends a note to Tony for a pair of fresh horses. The note is dispatched to him by the servant in the presence of Mrs. Hardcastle and Miss Neville. The secret is revealed to Mrs. Hardcastle who angrily decides to take Neville to Mrs. Pedigree. Tony still insists on helping them and he asks Mr.Hastings to meet him in two hours as Miss Neville is ready to be driven off.

ACT V SCENE 1

Mrs. Hardcastle is supposedly on her way to Aunt Pedigree where she is taking Miss Neville. The deceptive journey is being led by Tony, Charles Marlow, the father-in-law, arrives Hardcastle’s place and the two old friends discuss young Marlow’s awkward behavior and mistakes in a joking manner. Marlow apologizes profusely for his impudence which is considered as a laughing matter by his father-in-law. Kate presents her suitor as a confident man to Charles. Kate’s story amazes Sir Charles, as he knows the nature of his son with women. Young Marlow, on the other hand, ironically denies his having wooed Kate. He says he has come down only at his father’s order. But Kate still tries to convince Sir Charles.

ACT V SCENE 2

Tony Lumpking gives Hastings the report of the deceptive journey, how he has led his mother and Miss Neville astray on their journey to Aunt Pedigree. He narrates how he tells his mother that they are forty miles away from home, how he scares her by telling her of the impending doom on the way because of dangerous robbers and how he also presents Mr. Hardcastle as a highwayman. This makes Mrs. Hardcastle increasingly frightened and hysterical. When she knows the truth, she promises to punish Tony for such an irrational behavior; but he blames her mother for what he has done.

                        Ecod, mother, all the parish says you have spoiled me…

ACT V SCENE 3

As advised by Kate, Mr. Hardcastle and Sir Charles stay behind the scene and listen to the courting of Kate by Marlow which proves passionate and sentimental, really because he still considers her as ‘a poor relation’ of the Hardcastles. Kate ‘stoop to conquer’ Marlow as she plays the unwilling lover, which makes Marlow begging and more emotional. The two old friends are very happy and have to step out of their hiding.

At the end of this scene, Mr. Hardcastle joins the hands of his daughter and Marlow in marriage. Everybody, except Mr. Hardcastle, is happy at the end.

LANGUAGE AND DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES

She Stoops to Conquer belongs to the ‘comedy of manners’, a satirical work which dramatizes the variety, excesses and sexual immorality of the upper class, thus bringing such society/class into ridicule. It is also referred to as a classical comedy since over time it has acquired a great deal of responsibility, especially because of its enduring (lasting) value. It is a play or comedy written in the fashion or following the style or manner in which the classical (i.e. the ancient Greek and Roman) comedy plays were written.

There are many instances of witticism, sarcasm, and humour in the play, and these give it a lot of comic effect. These instances shine forth through natural conversation, clear language, and short speeches. Mr. Hardcastle’s remarks in the opening dialogue with Mrs. Hardcastle can be used as an illustration. Mrs. Hardcastle says she hates ‘such old fashioned trumpery’ (p.1) while Mr. Hardcastle replies with all humour and sarcastic candour:

                        And I love it. I love everything that’s old, old friends, old tunes

Old manners, old books, old wines, and, I believe, Dorothy (taking her hand) you’ll own I have been pretty fond of an old wife.

Making further reference to his wife’s age, Mr. Hardcastle says:

                        Let me see, twenty added to twenty make just fifty and seven.

            There is an extensive use of dramatic irony in the play which underlies much of the audience’s hilarious laughter.  Dramatic irony’ is a technical term used to describe a situation in which the speaker is unaware of the significance of what he is saying, but the audience and possibly some of the other characters are quite aware. The most important illustration of this is Marlow’s delusion (false belief) that he is staying in an inn.  The Hardcastles’ house is depicted as old-fashioned and provincial; so also Mr. Hardcastle who is made to appear old-fashioned.  Mrs. Hardcastle shows some pretensions to refinement, but her behavior tends towards naivety.  Thus when Marlow and Hastings appear, we can understand why the house is mistaken for an inn.  As the story unfolds and other characters become aware of the mistake, they join us in the joke and this helps to heighten the irony as Marlow is increasingly isolated in his ignorance of the true position of things.  There are other examples of dramatic irony in the play which students can easily bring out – the affair of Counstance’s jewels; Kate’s pretence of being the barmaid and the consequent revelation of Marlow’s other character etc.

            The play possesses what can be called ‘unity of time’.  This means the duration of action within it is almost the same as the length of time it would require or consume on stage.  This normally takes a few hours.  It suggests that all the events and incidents in the play happen within the same day, indicating that the pace of action is fast.  She Stoops to Conquer can be said to be a one-night play.  There are expressions to justify this ‘this very day’ (Act 1 Scene 1) ‘bed time’ (Act I, Scene 1), ‘Tomorrow’, ‘this night’, ‘that hour’, ‘a few hours’, At this time o’ night’, ‘Such a night’, ‘Mistakes of the night’, etc,.

             The author has used two varieties of English to divide his characters into two groups.  The educated speech of the Hardcastles, the Marlow’s, Miss Neville and Hastings, marks them out as belonging to a refined, cultured class, while the uneducated speech of Tony Lumpking, his fellows at the ale-house, the ale-house landlord and Diggony (Hardcastle’s servant) marks them out as purely rustic and unschooled. This exchange is an example:

               TONY:    Pray, gentlemen, may I be so bold as to ask the place from whence

                            you came.

            MARL:    That’s not necessary towards directing us where we are to go.  Examples of archaisms abound in the play, pointing to the period when it was  written – eighteenth century. Such words include:

                              

       ‘whence’ (where, from which)

        ‘pleace’ (place)

        ‘sartain’ (certain)

        ‘chuse’ (choose)

        ‘choaks’ (chokes)

        ‘faultering’ (faltering)

 These words feature mostly in the uneducated speech of the rustic characters, and the colloquial effect produced is unmistakable.

REVISION QUESTIONS

1.      Discuss She Stoops to Conquer as a comedy of manners.

2.      Give an account of how Miss Hardcastle stoops to conquer in the play.

3.      How is Mr. Hardcastle different from Mrs. Hardcastle?

4.     Discuss The Mistakes of a Night as an alternative title to She Stoops to Conquer.

5.     What are the circumstances that led to Marlow wooing Miss Hardcastle as a barmaid?

6.     Discuss the contrast between city life and country life as portrayed in the play.

7.     Describe any two incidents of dramatic irony in the play, and assess their contribution to the story.

8.     Comment briefly on the use of language in the play.

9.     Discuss any three humorous incidents in the play and bring out their significant to the story.

10.                        What is the significance of Neville’s jewels in the play?

By:

Eguriase S. M. Okaka