She Stoops to Conquer Questions Answers Analysis
Though Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer is a fine example of Anti-sentimental Comedy, but it is not altogether free from the influence of Sentimental Comedy. So, the play is characterized by critic as, “mawkish drab of spurious breed”.
However, Goldsmith’s underlying purpose was certainly to bring back healthy humour on the English stage. In the play, She Stoops to Conquer, the intriguing situations are presented in the inn named ” The Three Pigeons ” is the pivotal.
Tony Lumpkin, the step-son of Mr. Hardcastle, misleads Young Marlow, the prospective suitor of Hardcastle’s daughter and Hastings, Marlow’s friend. Mistaking the old house of Mr. Hardcastle for an inn, a lot of funs go on. Hardcastle is taken as the inn-keeper and his daughter, Kate for a barmaid. Thus, the entire comedy is based on a contrived misunderstanding. Let’s see some important questions answers explanations from the olay She Stoops to Conquer.
She Stoops to Conquer important questions answers explanations
1. Is She Stoops to Conquer a farce or comedy?
Ans: A farce differs from a comedy by its improbable situations, chances and accidents and stock characters. In Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer, there are certainly some situations and characters which are apparently improbable and stereotyped respectively, but that does not prevent it from being a good comedy. When they are staged, the audience does not find them incredible at all because of the brisk action of the play and the broad and hearty humour pervading the whole play.
There is so much of vitality in characterization that all the deficiencies in such stock characters as Mrs. Hardcastle or stock situations as mistaken identity are easily overlooked by the audience. Moreover, the incidents are so prepared as not to seem improbable.
2. Consider She Stoops to Conquer an anti-sentimental comedy.
Ans: Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer is an anti-sentimental comedy in the sense that it is teeming with shy digs at the sentimental fashion of the time. The peculiar distaste of the gentle comedy for anything that is rustic has been effectively ridiculed by the ale-house scene when the low companions of Tony expresses their hearty contempt for anything. ‘that’s low’. In fact, the introduction of the scene where Mr. Hardcastle teaches table-manners to his servants would have been unthinkable in a sentimental comedy.
3. Bring out the appropriateness of the title She Stoops to Conquer.
Ans: The title She Stoops to Conquer reflects the main theme of the play, i.e. the stratagem of Miss Hardcastle who has fallen in love with Marlow and stoops to play the role of a barmaid in order to conquer him. Though Marlow is shy and awkward in the presence of ladies, he is quite bold with the barmaid and kneels down to beg her love. Thus, Miss Hardcastle conquers by stooping and this main story is suggested by the title.
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4. Bring out the appropriateness of the sub-title of the play She Stoops to Conquer.
Ans: The sub-title “Mistakes of a Night” refers to the mistake of Marlow and Hastings in taking Hardcastle’s house to be an inn. From the initial mistake follow the other two chief mistakes – Marlow’s taking of Mr. Hardcastle and Miss Hardcastle to be the landlord and the barmaid respectively. This is essential to provide time for Miss. Hardcastle to stoop and conquer Marlow as a lover and husband.
The dramatist is right in retaining ‘Mistakes of a Night’ as the sub-title as it stresses the mistakes of the night on which the play hinges, and it is not the main title as it is not so attractive and eye-catching.
5. Comment on the prologue of the play, She Stoops to Conquer.
Ans: The prologue is a piece of writing composed to introduce a literary work. In She Stoops to Conquer it is written by David Garrick and is spoken on the stage at the first night of the performance of the play by Woodward, an actor, who had refused the role of Tony Lumpkin which was afterwards offered to Quick. The prologue of the play is a satire on the sentimental school of playwrights. This, it foreshadows the kind of the play the audience had to expect.
6. What is epilogue? Comment on the epilogue of the play, She Stoops to Conquer.
Ans: An epilogue is a speech or a short poem recited by an actor at the end of the play to address the audience. The term ‘epilogue’ refers to a speech or short poem epitomizes the argument of what has gone before appeared at the end of a drama by way of a supplement. To Ben Jonson goes the credit, founding the tradition of epilogues in England.
The epilogue in She Stoops to Conquer was not occurred easily – as many as four epilogues were written one after the other and each of them was rejected. At last, the fifth epilogue written by Goldsmith himself was accepted. The play “She Stoops to Conquer” has two epilogues. The first epilogue was written by Goldsmith and spoken by Mrs Balkley as Mrs Hardcastle. The other epilogue was supplied by J. Cradock and was spoken by Quick into the character of Tony Lumpkin.
7. Discuss She Stoops to Conquer as a comedy of intrigue.
Ans: There are number of intrigues in the play, She Stoops to Conquer. These intrigues may be enumerated as follows – i. Tony’s trick played upon Marlow and Hastings Hastings – collusion with the landlord of The Three Pigeons. ii. The intrigue of Kate to conquer the heart of Marlow. iii. Constance Neville – Tony intrigue to delude Mrs. Hardcastle into thinking that they are in love, so that she may be made to part with the fortune of her niece Constance. iv. Constance – Hastings intrigue against Marlow v. Hardcastle -Mrs. Hardcastle intrigue to keep Tony under the illusion that he has not yet grown up enough.
8. Write a short note on the paradoxes in the play, She Stoops to Conquer.
Ans: The play is a paradox. Its characters are all as natural as were ever drawn yet they do nothing probable nor possible from the beginning of the play to the end. No house of gentleman was ever thus mistaken for an inn; nor did any change of dress ever disguise the acquaintance of the morning into a strange in the evening.
9. What was the occasion of writing She Stoops to Conquer?
Ans: Goldsmith was very much worried about the standard of plays being written at his time. He felt that they were of no taste and comedy. Comedy was about to die. It is then he had an idea to revive the real comedy and following the path of Ben Jonson, William Congreve he decided to write She Stoops to Conquer.
10. Which scene in She Stoops to Conquer is the turning point?
Ans: it is in Act IV, when Marlow realises to his utter surprise that what he supposed to be an innis actually the house of Mr. Hardcastle, and on top of all, the barmaid is none other than Miss Kate Hardcastle, the beloved daughter of Mr. Hardcastle, his father’s intimate friend.
11. What part does the jewel box of Miss Naville Constance play in the play She Stoops to Conquer?
Ans: A good deal of action of Goldsmith’s play centres on Miss Naville Constance’s casket of jewels. Miss Neville is the niece of Mrs. Hardcastle. Her jewel box, all her fortune, is in the keeping of her aunt. To keep the jewel for ever with her, Mrs Hardcastle plans to get her son, Tony married to Neville. But Tony is not interested in Miss Neville. Thus, a knotty problem is created over the costly casket of jewels. Besides, Miss Neville is in love with another youngman, named Hastings. To be free from obligations Tony arranges for the elopement of Miss Neville with Hastings.
But Miss Neville will not leave Mrs. Hardcastle’s house without her jewel box. So Tony steals that jewel box from his mother. He keeps it in the custody of young Marlow. But Marlow, under the mistaken notion that Mrs. Hardcastle is the land lady hands it over to her. Here Goldsmith has skilfully exposed through the words of Hastings how deeply attached and fascinated womenfolk are to jewels and ornaments.
Thus, in this drama, the casket of jewels is like the football in a game of football. For this possession the play rolls on for a good length of time and distance.
12 Whom we may consider to be the central figure in Goldsmith’s comedy She Stoops to Conquer?
Ans: Admittedly, Tony Lumpkin is the central figure in this comedy, She Stoops to Conquer. For he serves as the king-pin, the main pivot or co-ordinator, connecting all the characters. It is he who misdirects Marlow and Hastings. Again, it is Tony who fails his mother’s plan of getting him married to Miss Neville and thereby gain the permanent possession of Neville’s casket of jewels. Finally, it is Tony who arranges successfully the elopement and marriage of Miss Neville with Hastings.
13. Why was Mrs. Hardcastle so very willing to go to London?
Ans: Mrs. Hardcastle wanted very much to be a fine, fashionable lady. She liked to show off her refined taste, as one conversant with latest fashions in talks and clothes. So she wanted to pay a visit to London to know and see things urbane at first hand. Later on, Mrs. Hardcastle confessed to Hastings that she knew London at second hand only, studying fashion magazines etc.
Another factor that impelled Mrs. Hardcastle to go to London on a trip was her dislike for the neighbours and the boring village life. She felt impatient with village life. So she wanted to have a sort of refreshing change.
14. Why was Mr. Hardcastle disinterested about London and latest fashion?
Ans: Mr. Hardcastle was somewhat conservative by taste and temperament. He had special fascination for old things, that stood the test of time. He liked old friends, old manners, old books, old wine and even old stones and jokes. He frankly put it that he loved Dorothy, his second wife, as she was an old lady. However, Mr. Hardcastle at his age liked to stay at home happy in familiar circumstances. He does not like the snobbish ideas regarding new fashion in London.
15. How many improbabilities can we find in the play She Stoops to Conquer?
Ans: There are as many as three distinct improbabilities in the play, She Stoops to Conquer. The first one is Marlow and Hastings’s misconception about the house of Hardcastle as an inn. The second one is taking Miss Kate Hardcastle as a barmaid. The last one is false drive in which Mrs. Hardcastle is duped.
16. “In my times the follies of the town crept slowly among us but they now travel faster than a stage coach.” – Who says it and what does the speaker want to say here?
Ans: Mr. Hardcastle says this to his wife, Mrs Hardcastle. Mrs. Hardcastle wants to be a fine, fashionable lady and seeks to imitate the current fashions of London city. But, Mr. Hardcastle is conservative and old-fashioned. He remarks that when he was young, fashions and follies of London entered quietly but deeply down to village society.
But the speed of the inroads of fopperies of town life has gone fast. This is compared to the speed of horse-drawn luxury carriages that were much available in those days. The town fashions are large in number like plenty of seats in a stage coach. But often for want of accommodation luggage had to be kept in the outer part of the stage coach. Similarly, the metro-city fashions seem to burst out, being too many.
17. “An impudent fellow may counterfeit modesty; but I’ll be hanged if a modest man can ever counterfeit impudence.” – Who is the speaker and what does the speaker want to say here?
Ans: These lines have been taken from Act -II of Oliver Goldsmith’s comedy She Stoops to. Marlow here speaks openly of his own nature when he is carrying a conversation with his close friend Hastings. Marlow often strongly feels diffident, stiff and shy when he is in company with decent ladies of high society. All his determination is shaken and upset the moment when he faces the glance of lovely young lady of high society.
Indeed, Marlow can not strike a pose or dissemble in the presence of a fine lady. An idiotic or wicked fellow may feign to be polite and courteous. But Marlow is perfectly sure that a truly honest and polite man like him can not imitate or show immodesty or impertinence.
So Marlow can not show what he is actually not, when he faces a young lady like Miss Kate Hardcastle. This shows Marlow’s nature when he feels embarrassed and tongue-tied in the company of decent ladies but not so in talking to young women of lower status.
18. “An Englishman’s malady.” – What is Englishman’s malady?
Ans: While speaking with Marlow, Hastings complains against Marlow’s reserved nature in the company of young decent ladies of high society. Hastings feels that it is very amazing how Marlow can be so shy after travelling so much in the world. Marlow then replies to his friend that it is very common to the Englishman who can not be frank in nature. They don’t have the quality of self-confidence due to the little opportunity of mixing with women. This shyness or reserveness is referred to here Englishman’s Malady.
19. “… a modest woman, drest out in all finery, is the modest tremendous object of the whole creation.” – Who says this and what does the speaker want to express in the lines?
Ans: These lines are spoken by Marlow in Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer, in course of his conversation with his friend, Hastings. The appearance of a comet in the sky and the volcanic eruption are admittedly big events and supernatural phenomenon. But to Marlow these are only insignificant matters to him. What upsets him the most is the presence of a modest woman attired in her best clothes. Such a woman has no parallel to him anywhere under the sun.
This reference shows Marlow’s utter awkwardness and shyness in the presence of high society young woman. He becomes dumb and feels frozen, as if rooted to the spot or turned into stone.
20. “The first blow us half the battle.” – Who is the speaker and what does the speaker want to express in this line?
Ans: This line is spoken by Hastings, close friend of Marlow while advises Marlow about the approach of love-making. Hastings thinks that the love-affair is to be started with a bang. A good beginning in love-affair means half the game is done and success is sure to come. The first impression in the hearts of beloved often makes the last impression. So he proposes to wear costly garments embroidered with white lines of golden threads.
21. “Dullissimo Maccaroni” – What does the expression mean?
Ans: “Dullissimo Maccaroni” is an Italian phrase meaning foolish character who are often ridiculed for their foolishness. Marlow after discovering that he mistook Mr. Hardcastle’s house to be an inn, became sure that he would be considered a silly fellow. Marlow now thinks that people will ridicule him and his picture will be hung in shops. He will be regarded as the most stupid of the stupid class known as Maccaroni.
22. “A mere sprinkling, Tony, upon the flame, only to make it burn brighter.” – Who is the speaker and what does the speaker try to imply?
Ans: In course of a conversation that goes on between Mrs. Hardcastle and her son, Tony, Mrs. Hardcastle says this. Miss Neville always poses before Mrs. Hardcastle that she heartily loves Tony and Tiny also loves her to impress upon Mrs. Hardcastle. Mrs. Hardcastle, too, is easily taken in by their false show of love making.
Tony, to mislead his mother further, pronounces that inspite of occasional tiffs, he has an abundant love for Miss Neville. This provokes the self-satisfying comment of Mrs. Hardcastle. In her opinion, a quarrel now and then between a loving-pair is only a healthy sign which tells that there exists at heart profound love between them.
In fact, such a tiff is the sauce of love. Just as the flame of the lamp is more effulgent or brighter as some drops of oil are poured into it, similarly, a minor quarrel only intensifies the love between two real lovers.
23. What are the reasons that Miss Kate Hardcastle takes on the guise of a barmaid?Or, Why does Miss Kate Hardcastle take the role of a barmaid?
Ans: In Oliver Goldsmith’s play She Stoops to Conquer, Miss Kate Hardcastle took the disguise of a barmaid in order to win the heart of Young Marlow. Kate would have the advantages out of her barmaid disguise. First, the shy Marlow would then look directly at her face and get attracted to her very easily because he is quite comfortable in the company of young women of lower status. Secondly, Marlow would talk more freely with her and she would be able to learn more about Marlow. And thirdly, Kate would catch Marlow off guard and like the heroes of popular romantics of that time, offer a struggle after knowing all his weakness.
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24. “Latin for him? A cat and fiddle.” – What is the meaning of the expression? What does the speaker want to convey with the expression?
Ans: The above expression literally means what nonsense. Here ‘Latin’ stands for education or learning. Mr. Hardcastle in course of conversation with Mrs. Hardcastle about Tony’s education says it. He wants to mean that it would be nonsensical thinking that a child like Tony would go to school for learning. He was never bothering about learning. Only knowledge that would help him to lead his life is gathered from the ale-house and stable.
25. Explain She Stoops to Conquer as a dramatic irony.
Ans: Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer is full of dramatic irony. In this anti-sentimental comedy humorous situations are created by humorous characters. Even in doing so some improbabilities are found but the readers accept it gladly for ingrained humour. From the beginning to the end of She Stoops to Conquer dramatic ironies are at random. Marlow’s mistakes of Hardcastle’s house as an inn, Kate as a barmaid, Mrs. Hardcastle’s robbing of jewels and Tony’s pranks are some glaring examples of dramatic irony.
26. Discuss how far Miss Neville is a foil to Miss Kate.
Ans: A foil is a character that sets off the brilliance of the main character by suggesting a running comparison and contrast. Miss Neville, by her action and reaction shows how unquestionably Miss Kate is superior to her as a loving lady. Miss Kate Hardcastle is, of course, the heroine of the play, She Stoops to Conquer. As the only daughter of the well-to-do country squire, she spends a happy, butterfly life. By her ready wit and Intelligence, she finally reforms and wins her future husband, Marlow.
But Miss Neville, living under the same roof with Miss Kate, is a different type of woman. Both Kate and Constance are in love. Miss Neville wants to run away with Hastings while Kate appears more active and intelligence to have her lover. In fact, Kate has more forceful personality than Constance Neville. Constance remains passive and foil to Kate throughout the play.
27. Discuss the comparison between the characters of Marlow and Hastings.
Ans: The portrayal of Marlow and Hastings side by side in the play, She Stoops to Conquer is just like a painting of two opposite colours. Marlow is definitely the hero of the play and Hastings is the close friend of young Marlow. Hastings plays a supporting role and a foil to young Marlow. Unlike Marlow, Hastings has the dash and daring in dealing with ladies of high society.
There are some common and something differences in the character of Marlow and Hastings. Both of them are of aristocrat families, well educated and dutiful sons. But Marlow is shy and reserve in the company of decent ladies. Hastings is active while Marlow is passive. So Hastings always helps Marlow to make him smart and take things easy in dealing with young women.
Thus, Hastings plays a good part in forcing Marlow to come out of his shell. Marlow is not morally sound as Hastings who is upright also.
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