She Stoops to Conquer Reflects the 18th-Century Society of England.
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“She Stoops to Conquer” (1773) is a famous comedy by Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774). Through this play, Goldsmith presents a clear picture of 18th-century English society. He shows society through characters, their behavior, mistakes, love affairs, and daily life. By following the story of the Hardcastle family, Marlow, Hastings, and Tony Lumpkin, we can understand how people thought, lived, and behaved in England during that time.
Country Life and City Life: One important feature of 18th-century society was the strong difference between country life and city life. In the play, Mr. Hardcastle represents the old country gentleman. He loves tradition, simple living, and old manners. He dislikes modern city life. He believes that city life spoils people.
Mrs. Hardcastle represents the opposite side of society. Though she lives in the country, she dreams of the city. She says,
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This line shows social snobbery and the habit of looking down on people of lower status.“His uncle a colonel! We shall soon hear of his mother being a justice of the peace!”
Love, Marriage, and Money: Marriage in 18th-century England was closely connected with money and property, not only love. This is clearly shown in the case of Constance Neville. Mrs. Hardcastle wants Constance to marry Tony so that her jewels remain in the family. Love is less important to her than wealth.
However, Goldsmith also shows a changing idea of marriage through Kate and Marlow. Kate believes love should be sincere and says,
In the end, Kate and Marlow marry because of love and understanding. It shows that society was slowly moving toward marriage based on mutual respect.“A reserved lover… always makes a suspicious husband.”
Mistakes, Deception, and Comedy: Another important feature of 18th-century society was the love of comedy and amusement. The play is full of mistakes and tricks. Tony Lumpkin enjoys playing jokes. He misleads Marlow and Hastings and later tricks his mother into thinking they are lost in a dangerous place. These comic mistakes present a society that enjoyed laughter. At the same time, Goldsmith uses humor to correct social faults like pride and arrogance.
Position of Women: The play also shows the position of women in 18th-century England. Women were expected to marry well and behave properly. Mrs. Hardcastle is obsessed with fashion and marriage. Constance’s future is controlled by her guardian. However, Kate Hardcastle represents a new type of woman. She is intelligent, confident, and practical. She uses disguise to understand Marlow’s true nature. Marlow praises modesty and ays,
Kate proves this true by revealing Marlow’s real goodness. Through Kate, Goldsmith shows that women could be clever and independent, even within social limits.“A modest man can never counterfeit impudence.”
In fine, She Stoops to Conquer clearly reflects 18th-century English society. Through its story, characters, and gentle humor, the play shows country and city life, class differences, marriage customs, love of money, and the position of women. Thus, the play gives us a lively picture of the world of 18th-century England.