How does Miss Hardcastle stoop to Conquer Marlow in She Stoops to Conquer
Analysis of She Stoops to Conquer
How does Miss Hardcastle stoop to Conquer young Marlow in Oliver Goldsmith’s anti-sentimental comedy She Stoops to Conquer?
Mr. Hardcastle has invited Marlow, the son of his old friend Sir Charles Marlow to his house. His purpose is to marry his daughter, Miss Hardcastle to Marlow. He gives to her a description of Marlow as being a brave, generous, handsome young man but one of the “most bashful and reserved young fellows in all the world”.
Miss Hardcastle had got from her cousin, Neville a contrary Report about Marlow’s character. It is that among women of reputation and virtue, he is the modest man alive but among women of low class he is a self-confident rake. Thus, Miss Hardcastle has come to know about the double characters of young Marlow and she now proceeds to find out for herself what sort of lover Mr. Marlow is.
Thus, Miss Hardcastle is furnished with a full description of the young man whom her father has chosen as her husband. She is, therefore, quite prepared for his behaviour when he meets her.
Marlow loses his way in the dark night. He has been imposed upon by Tony Lumpkin. It is Tony who directs them to the house of his stepfather, as if, it were an inn. Marlow’s friend further deceives him by saying that Miss. Hardcastle has taken shelter at the inn on her way back home after visiting some friends at the countryside and she wishes to meet young Marlow. At this Marlow feels terribly embarrassed and tries to avoid that interview.
Presently, Miss. Hardcastle in her plain evening dress arrives in the scene and a sober, sentimental interview follows. Marlow is petrified at the sight of Miss. Hardcastle and scarcely looks at her in the face. He stammeres a few halting remarks with great difficulty and at last cut off the interview by walking out of the room.
This short sentimental interview convinces Miss. Hardcastle that Marlow is a sensible, modest young man and his acquaintance is worth cultivating. But this is quite impossible because of Marlow’s extreme bashfulness. She then decides to stoop to conquer him. She would play the barmaid of the inn and in that person, she would test the young man. Her device succeeds because Marlow takes her for a barmaid as she pretends to be.
In the second interview, Marlow turns out to be a forward, voluble braggart. He is no longer the bashful young man of the earlier scene. Now he is captivated by the charms of the supposed barmaid and would taste the nectar of her lips.
At last, he drags her in order to kiss her. Just then Mr. Hardcastle enters and he is shocked at the manners of the swaggering puppy. He would drive him out of his house but the girl submits that he is a promising lover and she wants further time to convince him of Marlow’s modesty. The father agrees to this but he would not tolerate any trifling with him.
Now, from the word of Mr. Hardcastle, Marlow has the hint that he has probably mistaken the house. Everything looks like an inn. Then he asks the supposed barmaid what she is and what her business in the house is. The girl replies that she is a poor relation of the family and her duty is to look after the guests. The girl deceives him by saying that it is the house of Mr. Hardcastle.
The revelation puts the young man to shame and decides to leave the house at once. But the girl implores him to stay on and not to leave the family on her account. Marlow is fascinated by her good sense and simplicity but the disparity in their rank, wealth and education, and more than that the fear of offending his father make him decide to quit the place immediately. But Miss. Hardcastle is determined not to let him go.
In the third and last interview when the young man meets her again, he finds it impossible to resist the charm of her appearance and manners. Now he is completely conquered by her. All the considerations of prudence melts before the warmth of his feelings and sincerity of his emotions. Marlow declares that her beauty has filled him with emotion, that her fortune was ever his smallest consideration.
He would stay on in the house. He kneels down before Miss. Hardcastle and proposes to her with humility. Thus, Miss. Hardcastle conquers Marlow by stooping to be a barmaid and a poor relation of her father.
Therefore, it is found that the three successive interviews help Miss. Hardcastle to study her lover from close quarters and at last she conquers his heart. In the first interview she is convinced that he is a sensible man but he has excessive shyness. So she fails to get any tangible result from him and therefore it is worthwhile to know him more coming in close contact.
In their second interview he appreciates her beauty and vivacity. In the last interview his feelings towards her become more tender because of the fascination exerted by her good sense and simplicity, and so he finally decides on proposing to her inspite of her supposed poverty and inferior social position. It is found that the good opinion that she has first formed about him is strengthened by her last two interviews.
Thus Miss. Hardcastle stoops slow to conquer young Marlow and ultimately they are married happily in the midst of pure joy and celebration.
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