She Stoops to Conquer

She Stoops to Conquer

Oliver Goldsmith had an immediate hit on his hands after the first performance of his play She Stoops to Conquer on March 15, Covent Garden. During the eighteenth century She Stoops to Conquer was popular throughout England and its popularity even spread to the then still young, America.

Before its debut, Goldsmith took great pains in choosing the right title for his play. Some of the titles that he rejected were The Old House a New Inn, The Mistakes of the Night (which became its subtitle), and The Belle's Stratagem (Ferguson 26). One of the reasons that this comedy was such a hit was its departure from the high minded, more dramatic comedy of the day. Though the play does not rely solely on slapstick comedy, some of its best scenes are farcical. The play itself has been called a "laughing comedy" and many of the best comic moments are still as funny today as they were over 200 years ago (Danziger 57). Tying with Dryden's Amphityron, She Stoops to Conquer is the most entertaining eighteenth-century play that I have read to date.

The plot concerns the "Mistakes of the Night" and the resulting problems that come between two sets of lovers. The story centers on Charles Marlow and George Hasting's attempts to court Kate Hardcastle and Constance Neville, and how a practical joke played by Kate's stepbrother results in cases of mistaken identity, and many acts of blatant greed, selfishness and plain stupidity that almost ruin two pending marriages.

Many of the situations and characters in the play are recognizable in the twentieth century. Mr. Hardcastle's concern with his daughter's dress and prospects for marriage are akin to a father not wanting his little girl to start wearing makeup and high heels...

... middle of paper ...

...es common comic tools such as mistaken identity and conflict between lovers to a higher plane.

It is perfectly understandable that this comedy is still popular today in many places including America, where it is performed quite frequently in period dress. I missed the opportunity to see it performed while in Colonial Williamsburg a year ago, but hope that I might one day have another opportunity. I'm sure that it is even more amusing on stage than it is on paper.

Casts Lists: original performance, March 15, 1773, Covent Garden

October 3, 1775, Drury Lane

Works Cited

Danziger, Marlies K. Oliver Goldsmith and Richard Brinsley Sheridan. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1978

Ferguson, Oliver W. "Kate's Stratagem and the Naming of the She Stoops to Conquer." Restoration and 18th Century Theatre Research. Illinois: Loyola University of Chicago, 1991