Oliver Goldsmith (c.1728-1774) was born in Ireland, the son and grandson of Church of England
rectors much like the central figure of his only novel. His family was poor but did manage to
obtain an education for their son at Trinity College in Dublin, where he almost flunked out because
he gave far too much attention to drinking and gambling, and at the University of Edinburgh, where
he studied medicine. In early adulthood he wandered aimlessly from one job to another, including
tutoring and practicing medicine, both of which he found largely unprofitable. Finally he found
his true love, writing, beginning as an editor of the Monthly Review. Most of his editing and
numerous translations of the works of others left little mark on his own time, let alone on future
generations. He wrote on whatever subject would bring in money, whether he knew anything about it
or not, and some of his largest works, including an eight-volume History of the Earth and Animated
Nature and histories of England and Rome were largely plagiarized and frequently inaccurate. Amidst
all the dross, however, were nuggets of gold
– two poems, The Traveller (1764) and The Deserted Village (1770), two plays, The Good Natured Man
(1768) and She Stoops to Conquer (1773), and one novel, The Vicar of Wakefield (1766), containing
some of the finest writing the English language has ever known.
Despite his undeniable talent and versatility as a writer, Goldsmith’s personal life was a
disaster. He never forgot the poverty in which he had grown up, thus lusted for riches, which he
tended to drink and gamble away whenever they came his way. He was remarkably ugly, so socially
awkward that even his friends made fun of him, and was jealous of any praise given to others. Yet
he attained to the highest literary circles in England, moving among the likes of Samuel Johnson,
painter Sir Joshua Reynolds, actor David Garrick, and politicians Edmund Burke and Horace Walpole,
who called him an “inspired idiot.” Ever insecure, he died prematurely because he rejected the
advice of doctors and instead insisted on diagnosing himself.
She Stoops to Conquer is Goldsmith’s most famous play, and in fact revived the comedy of manners,
which had fallen into disuse in the century before. Though the plot has its roots as far back as
the comedies of ancient Rome, with the conflict between parents who wish to arrange their
children’s marriages and children who have ideas of their own on the subject, the central plot
element actually came from Goldsmith’s personal experience. He, like poor young Marlow, was
socially awkward, and on one occasion actually wandered into a private home, mistook it for an inn,
and began to order the owner about as if he were the proprietor of some hostelry. The play was
originally entitled Mistakes of a Night, and indeed it observes the classical unity of time, with
the story occupying less than a day - little more time than the two hours spent in the theater.
The scene in The Three Pigeons briefly violates the unity of place, while the Hastings/Constance
subplot violates the unity of action, however.
MAJOR CHARACTERS
• Dick Hardcastle – The owner of a rambling old house that looks like an inn. He is a
stubborn traditionalist who loves the old ways.
• Dorothy Hardcastle – His wife, she longs to get away from the house and spend time among
the fashionable people in London.
• Tony Lumpkin – Dorothy’s son by a previous marriage, he is a ne’er-do-well practical joker
intended by his mother to be married to Constance Neville despite the fact that the two cordially
detest one another.
• Kate Hardcastle – The lovely and lively daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastle, she decides to
pursue the bashful Charles Marlow, the love of her life, by pretending to be a kitchen maid.
• Constance Neville – Kate’s best friend, she is intended for Tony Lumpkin, though the two
can’t stand one another, but is in love with George Hastings.
• Charles Marlow - A shy bachelor who falls apart in the presence of women of his own class
but is very comfortable with servants and barmaids. Kate pretends to be a servant in order to
increase his self-confidence and win his love.
• Sir Charles Marlow - Young Charles’ father and one of Hardcastle’s oldest friends, he
wishes his son to marry Hardcastle’s daughter, though he despairs of the possibility because of the
young man’s diffidence.
• George Hastings - Marlow’s best friend, he is in love with Constance Neville. The two of
them participate in the plot to trick Marlow into falling in love with Kate.
NOTABLE QUOTATIONS
“An impudent fellow may counterfeit modesty, but I’ll be hanged if a modest man can ever
counterfeit impudence.” (Marlow, Act II)
“I’m doomed to adore the sex, and yet to converse with the only part of it I despise.” (Marlow, Act
II)
“If I could teach him a little confidence, it would be doing somebody that I know of a piece of
service. But who is that somebody? That, faith, is a question I can scarce answer.” (Kate, Act
II)
“Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no fibs.” (Tony, Act III)
“If I shortly convince you of his modesty, that he has only the faults that will pass off with
time, and the virtues that will improve with age, I hope you’ll forgive him.” (Kate, Act III)
“May you be as successful for yourself as you have been for me.” (Hastings, Act IV)
“I never knew half his merit till now. He shall not go, if I have power to detain him. I’ll still
preserve the character in which I stooped to conquer, but will undeceive my papa, who, perhaps,
may laugh him out of his resolution.” (Kate, Act IV)
“Seriously, Mr. Marlow, do you think I could ever submit to a connection, where I must appear
mercenary, and you imprudent?” (Kate, Act V, scene 3)
“Mr. Marlow, if she makes as good a wife as she has a daughter, I don’t believe you’ll ever repent
your bargain.” (Hardcastle, Act V, scene 3)
NOTES
Prologue - An actor named Woodward bemoans the impending death of Comedy, which is personified as a
sick woman who can only be cured by the ministrations of a doctor [Goldsmith was a medical doctor].
He then begs the audience’s indulgence for the comedy that is to follow.
Act I, scene 1 -
Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastle live in a big rambling old house that looks like an inn.
The scene begins with Mrs. Hardcastle begging her husband to take her to London for a vacation so
she can see all the newest trends. He tells her that he loves what is old and reliable and hates
everything new. We soon find that Mrs. Hardcastle has a son from a previous marriage, Tony
Lumpkin, a ne’er-do-well practical joker. He briefly passes through the room on his way to the
local pub despite his mother’s attempts to stop him. Soon the lovely Kate, daughter of the
Hardcastles, enters. Her father complains about her fancy dress, and she reminds him that they
have an agreement to the effect that she can dress as she pleases in the mornings as long as she
wears a simple house dress in the evenings. Hardcastle tells his daughter that young Marlow, the
son of a friend of his, will be coming for dinner that evening, and that he intends Kate to marry
him. When he describes the young man to his daughter, she is very pleased, but he warns her that
he is extremely shy. Kate is determined to win his love anyway. Soon Constance Neville, Kate’s
best friend, arrives. When Kate explains her predicament, Constance exclaims that Marlow is the
best friend of her admirer, Mr. Hastings. Constance informs Kate that Marlow is bashful indeed
among gentlefolk, but quite a different person among those of the lower class.
Act I, scene 2 –
Tony Lumpkin and some of his lowlife friends are carousing in an alehouse called
The Three Pigeons. As they sing, the landlord announces that two gentlemen from London have
arrived asking directions to the Hardcastle home. Marlow and Hastings come in complaining because
of the length of their journey; they had gotten lost because Marlow refused to stop and ask
directions. Tony proceeds to give them a hard time, asking if the family they seek is one with an
ugly and difficult father, an ungainly daughter, and a handsome son; Marlow replies that they
had heard that the daughter was beautiful and the son a spoiled, “awkward booby.” Tony gives such
confusing directions that they give up all hope of reaching the house, so he tells them they can
stay at an inn nearby (which is really the Hardcastle residence). The owner, they say, is
eccentric and will try to convince them that he is a gentleman and the house is not an inn at all,
but they should pay no attention.
Act II -
At the Hardcastle house, the master is preparing his servants to receive the expected
guests, but because he has brought them in from their duties in the barn and fields, they are very
uncertain about how to wait tables. Soon Marlow and Hastings enter, believing that the house is an
inn, and are greeted by a servant. When Hastings begins to chide Marlow about his awkwardness
among members of the fairer sex, the latter claims his shyness is due to lack of experience, having
spent much of his time among men at the university, but insists that he is perfectly at ease among
lower-class women, whom he finds much less intimidating. In fact, he admits that he only came on
the trip in the first place to help advance the romance between Hastings and Miss Neville.
When Hardcastle enters the room, the two young men mistake him for the innkeeper. When they demand
drinks, he thinks them very impudent, while his reluctance to serve them creates a bad impression
on their part as well. Mutual misunderstandings pile one upon another. Whenever Hardcastle tries
to engage them in conversation about military history, they ignore him and think him very rude for
inserting himself into their company. He, in his turn, wonders how anyone could describe Marlow as
shy and withdrawn.
After Hardcastle and Marlow leave to check out room arrangements, Constance Neville enters, much to
the delight of Hastings. When he asks her why she is staying at an inn, she quickly disabuses
him of his mistake, realizing that he has been tricked by Tony Lumpkin. The two decide to keep
Marlow in the dark while pursuing their own goal of matrimony. When Marlow returns, Hastings
introduces him to Constance and tells him that Miss Hardcastle is also in the inn, but Marlow
immediately becomes nervous and refuses to meet her. She soon enters, and he promptly begins
stumbling over every sentence he attempts to speak. When Hastings and Constance leave to enjoy
some privacy, things quickly get worse. Marlow soon takes his leave, but Miss Hardcastle has taken
a liking to the man under the mask of shyness and I determined to give him some self-confidence.
The scene continues with a conversation involving Hastings, Constance, Tony, and Mrs. Hardcastle,
largely comic in tone and content. After the women leave, Hastings and Tony talk about Constance,
who is loved by the former and despised by the latter. When Hastings offers to take Constance off
Tony’s hands, the latter readily agrees to help with the plan.
Act III -
The scene begins with Hardcastle, alone on stage, wondering aloud at the rudeness of
Marlow, who had been described by his father as the mildest of men. Kate then enters in simple
dress and tells her father of her amazement at young Marlow’s shyness, so that the two soon wonder
if they are speaking of the same person. Despite the vast differences of their impressions,
however, both for their own reasons are determined to reject him as a suitor for Kate’s hand,
though Kate proceeds to argue that he might be acceptable if he shows boldness to her and
politeness to her father.
After they exit, Tony runs in with a box containing Constance’s jewels – the basis of her fortune –
which he has stolen from his mother, who is Constance’s aunt and guardian. He gives the casket to Hastings, who is preparing to elope with the love of his life. Hastings, however,
tells him that Constance is trying to get the jewels from Mrs. Hardcastle at that very moment, and
he is worried about what might happen if she finds them missing. Hastings exits just as Mrs.
Hardcastle and Constance are coming downstairs. Clearly Constance has been unable to convince her
to part with the jewels. Tony whispers to his mother that she should tell Constance that the
jewels are missing, which she promptly does. After she leaves the room, Tony tells Constance that
he has stolen them and given them to Hastings, which calms her significantly. Constance then leaves
quickly before Mrs. Hardcastle comes back downstairs. When she discovers that her jewels are really
gone, she is distraught, but Tony speaks to her as if she is pretending in preparation for putting
Constance off despite all her assurances to the contrary. She finally chases him offstage in her
frustration.
Kate then enters with her maid and tells her that she intends to pretend to be a barmaid in order
to discover Marlow’s true character. When he comes into the room, she asks if he called for her
services. He is clearly upset with his treatment in the house and is preparing to leave when he
gets a good look at the supposed barmaid and finds that she is quite fetching [the conceit here is
that when he met her in the character of Kate he was too bashful to look her in the face, and thus
does not recognize the barmaid as the same person]. He immediately tries to kiss her, though she
resists his advances. As they banter back and forth he tries to seize her hand, but she pulls away
and he quickly exits when Hardcastle enters the room. Kate then tries to convince her father that
Marlow is truly modest rather than being the rake he just saw grab his daughter’s hand, but to no
avail.
Act IV –
The scene begins with Constance telling Hastings that Sir Charles, Marlow’s father, is
expected to arrive that very evening. Because Sir Charles knows Hastings, the two realize they
must carry off their elopement before he appears to ruin the plan. Hastings tells Constance that
he has given the casket containing her jewels to Marlow for safekeeping. They leave and Marlow
comes in with a servant, clearly puzzled at the valuables entrusted to him by his friend. Because
he has no safe place to put them, he has given them to Mrs. Hardcastle, who needless to say was
surprised to be getting the jewels back that she had lost that morning. Marlow, meanwhile, is
becoming increasingly enamored of Kate, who he still thinks is the barmaid, and is determined to
make her his own.
Hastings then returns, and Marlow assures him that the jewels are safe – in the hands of the
landlady. Hastings conceals his consternation, and at the same time warns Marlow not to seek to
corrupt the barmaid. He is convinced that he and Constance must now elope without the jewels, since
he has no hope of retrieving them from the clutches of Mrs. Hardcastle. Hardcastle then enters and
rebukes Marlow for the fact that his servants are drinking his wine cellar dry, tough Marlow argues
that he is doing so for the good of the house because he assumes he will be paying for it.
Hardcastle can take no more of this and orders Marlow to leave his house, mumbling that the letter
from Sir Charles had led him to expect a gentleman rather than in insolent bully, and Marlow
demands to be given his bill. At this point Hardcastle stalks out of the room, leaving Marlow to
wonder whether or not he has made a terrible mistake.
Kate then comes in and Marlow asks her about the house. She tells him plainly that it is the home
of Mr. Hardcastle and that she is a poor relation employed to make guests comfortable and see to
their needs. Marlow is embarrassed at his mistake, but remains ignorant of Kate’s true identity.
He is more than ever determined to leave, but admits that he parts from her with great reluctance. He sees no alternative, however, since he cannot pursue a relationship with one so far
below his station, nor can he in good conscience seduce one so kind and modest. At this point Kate
begins to see his true character and is convinced that she should continue her pursuit of him, but
must first persuade him to stay.
Tony, helping Constance and Hastings to deceive the family about their intended elopement, pretends
to pay romantic attention to Constance when Mrs. Hardcastle enters the room. She is so convinced of
their love that she promises to give Constance her jewels forthwith and arrange for the two to
marry the following day. A letter then arrives for Tony from Hastings. Constance recognizes the
handwriting and is determined that Mrs. Hardcastle not see it. Tony, however, can’t read – his
mother always reads his letters for him. Constance grabs it from her hand to keep her from doing
so and makes up something about cock-fighting and then crumples it up, but Tony, wanting to hear
the entire contents, seizes it and gives it to his mother. The letter informs Tony that Hastings
is waiting at the foot of the garden to run away with Constance. Mrs. Hardcastle is indignant,
especially since Hastings refers to her as an old hag, and tells Constance that the horses will be
used to send her far away in the care of her Aunt Pedigree – something Constance considers a fate
worse than death. Hastings and Marlow then enter, both furious that they have been betrayed on the
one hand and duped on the other. Each begins to blame the other, and more than all to blame Tony.
The friends soon apologize, however, and Tony assures them that he will make all right.
Act V, scene 1 –
Sir Charles Marlow has arrived, and he and Hardcastle are enjoying a good laugh at
young Marlow’s expense. The two openly look forward to the union of their houses through the
marriage of young Charles and Kate. Hardcastle assures Sir Charles that Kate loves his son, but
Sir Charles wants confirmation that the attraction is mutual from young Charles, who does not yet
know the “barmaid’s” true identity. When asked, he insists that nothing more than respect and cool
reserve exists between him and Kate. He exits in confusion. Then Kate arrives and, when asked,
tells them frankly that young Charles has professed his love for her openly on multiple occasions.
The fathers are now at a loss, but Kate convinces them that all will become clear if they simply
hide behind a screen during her next conversation with young Marlow.
Act V, scene 2 –
Hastings is in the garden behind the house waiting for a message from Tony. He has
led the carriage by a roundabout route so that the ladies eventually arrived back where they
started, and stuck in a pond at the bottom of the garden at that. Tony then instructs Hastings to
make away with Constance while he keeps his mother occupied. The women struggle up from the pond,
in deplorable condition after their terrible journey and still believing themselves to be forty
miles distant. Tony warns his mother that the region is notorious as a thieves’ lair, and insists
that she hide herself when they see a man approaching. The man is none other than Mr. Hardcastle
himself, and while he and Tony talk, Mrs. Hardcastle runs from behind the tree to beg mercy from
the “highwayman.” Once she recognizes her husband, however, they both turn on Tony as the most
nefarious trickster and rogue in all the land, then proceed into the house. Hastings, meanwhile,
sees his chance to escape with Constance, but she refuses to elope with him, insisting that she
will do nothing underhanded, but instead patiently await the favor of her guardian.
Act V, scene 3 –
Inside the house, Kate has convinced Sir Charles to hide and observe her
conversation with young Marlow. He goes to find Hardcastle so they can overhear what transpires
together. When young Marlow comes in, still believing Kate to be the barmaid, he professes his
love and insists that he is willing to risk all in order to have her. Kate demurs, telling him
that she could not be the means of hurting his prospects or his family, but he is not to be put
off, and prepares to propose marriage. At that point Hardcastle and Sir Charles burst out from
their hiding place and both excoriate Marlow for misrepresenting himself and Kate. He is
astonished to discover that the girl he loves and the Hardcastle daughter he feared are one and the
same. All, however, readily forgive him, and the young lovers retire to the back of the stage.
At this point Mrs. Hardcastle and Tony come in. By now she is quite willing, on Tony’s
recommendation, to allow Constance to marry Hastings as long as she is able to retain the jewels.
Hardcastle, however, steps forward and rebukes her for her mercenary attitude. He reminds his wife
that Constance will receive her inheritance if Tony, her intended, refuses to marry her when he
comes of age. Mrs. Hardcastle quickly notes that this has not yet occurred, but Hardcastle tells
Tony that he and his mother have concealed his true age, hoping that he might develop some maturity
under their tutelage; in fact, he came of age three months earlier. Tony, overjoyed at the
prospect of being his own man, eagerly rejects Constance, leaving her free both to receive her
fortune and to marry whomever she pleases. The two then prepare to join Marlow and Kate in a state
of blissful matrimony.
Epilogue – The play actually has two epilogues. The first, written by the playwright and spoken by
Kate, summarizes the action of the play, while the second, written by J. Craddock, is spoken by
Tony Lumpkin, who assures the audience that he has every intention of continuing his rakish ways,
especially now that he can live on his own and soon expects to inherit a fortune.
ESSAY QUESTIONS
Discuss the following in a five-paragraph essay:
1. Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer and Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The Rivals
appeared on the London stage within two years of one another. The two plays have similar plots
involving conflicts between parents determined to choose their children’s mates and children who
have minds of their own on the subject. Compare and contrast the plot devices of mistaken
identity used by the two playwrights, as both Kate Hardcastle and Captain Absolute pretend to be
someone else in order to appeal to their chosen mates. Which is in your opinion more credible?
Which is more humorous? Why?
2. Both Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer and William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer
Night’s Dream focus on young lovers whose romance is hindered because their parents have other
plans. Compare and contrast the ways in which the two playwrights resolve this parent/child
conflict. Be sure to consider elements of both plot and character along with the use of comedy to
produce a satisfactory denouement.
3. Both Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer and William Shakespeare’s As You Like It
center around a young woman who disguises herself in order to win the love of a man to whom she is
attracted. Compare and contrast the characters of Kate Hardcastle and Rosalind with regard to
their motivations, methods, and successes. Which do you find more admirable, and why?
4. Evaluate the character of Charles Marlow in Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer.
He behaves very differently in the presence of people of different social classes. Which set of
behaviors reflects his true character? Is he really a rogue who puts on a polite front in society,
or does his behavior have some other explanation? Support your arguments with specifics from the
play.
5. While Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer is a delightful comedy, it also contains
elements of social criticism. Discuss the treatment of social class distinctions in the play,
especially with regard to the character of Charles Marlow and his romance with Kate Hardcastle.
Does the playwright reject the legitimacy of all social distinctions or simply satirize the extent
to which people behave differently in different social contexts? Support your conclusion with
specifics from the play.
6. In Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer, many characters engage in pretense of one
kind or another. Choose three examples of characters who pretend, either to be someone they are
not or to believe something they know not to be true. How do these instances of pretense drive the
plot? How do they reveal the nature of the characters who engage in them and those who are
deceived as a result?
7. In Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer, Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastle are clearly
pictured as opposites from the opening scene of the play. In what ways are they opposites? Choose
three qualities that emphasize their opposing natures and discuss how these three serve to develop
the themes of the play. Be sure to use specific situations and quotations in developing your
argument.
8. Discuss the role of Tony Lumpkin in Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer. He is
unlike any other character in the play, yet he winds up having an impact of one kind or another on
most of them. How do his unique qualities enable him to bring out salient characteristics in the
other principal figures in the story?
9. A number of characters in Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer are torn between what
they want to do and what society expects of them. Choose three such characters and analyze how
they resolve this conflict. What do these resolutions indicate about the position of the
playwright with regard to primacy of social obligations versus personal preferences?
10. A number of characters in Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer make erroneous snap
judgments based on first impressions. Choose three such instances and discuss what they say about
the danger of judging people and places by appearances. Is the playwright’s position on this issue
compatible with the teachings of Scripture? Why or why not?
11. In Act II of Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer, Marlow says, “An impudent fellow
may counterfeit modesty, but I’ll be hanged if a modest man can ever counterfeit impudence.”
Analyze the irony of this statement. Is Marlow right in his assessment, both regarding himself and
others? Why or why not?
12. In Act II of Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer, Marlow says, “I’m doomed to adore
the sex, and yet to converse with the only part of it I despise.” To what extent is this bit of
self-analysis accurate? What incidents in the play support his assessment of his own character and
which contradict it? In the end, is the statement true or false?
13. In Act III of Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer, Kate Hardcastle says of Marlow,
“He has only the faults that will pass off with time, and the virtues that will improve with age.”
Is her assessment of her prospective lover an accurate one? How can she be sure that his virtues
are permanent while his flaws are temporary? Is this wishful thinking on her part, or does the
play give some indication that her judgment is an accurate one? Support your conclusion with
specific quotations and incidents from the play.
14. Throughout Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer, Constance Neville and Tony Lumpkin,
who are intended to marry by Mrs. Hardcastle, who is her guardian and his mother, are presented as
cordially detesting one another. Is their attitude supported by the script itself or merely
asserted as a plot device? Support your conclusion with specifics from the play, in the process
analyzing the characters of the two.
15. Compare and contrast Mrs. Hardcastle in Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer and Mrs.
Bennet in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice with regard to their attitudes toward the marriages of
their children. Consider the importance to both women of marriages arranged by parents along with
factors of wealth and social status. In what ways do the two authors mine the qualities of the
mothers for comic purposes? In what ways do they help develop the main themes of the stories?
16. Analyze the view of marriage presented in Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer. To
what extent is the picture presented in the play indicative of the era in which it was written? To
what extent is it universal, transcending periods in history? To what extent is it biblical?
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