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She Stoops to Conquer Essay

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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, …show more content…

And Tony Lumpkin represents the stereotypical spoiled brat who can do no wrong in his mother's eyes.

The unrealistic situations that carry this play remind me of modern day soap operas. The perpetual confusion and conniving on everyone's part (including the "good" characters) drives the plot forward and is reminiscent of the soaps that I watch every day. One of the more familiar stories is that of the woman who is "stooping to conquer". Whether it is a little lie about her age or a faked pregnancy, this situation is a timeless one that will carry plots for many years to come.

I believe that a large portion of the success of She Stoops to Conquer lies in the fact that it is just plain silly. The tomfoolery of the character of Tony Lumpkin kept me laughing throughout the play. Though he seemed simple at the beginning, Tony grows to be one of the most sharp, scheming characters of the play. Two of my favorite scenes involve Tony and his trickery. I love the way he tricks his mother into telling Constance that her jewels have been lost, when in actuality, he had stolen them away from his mother and already delivered them into the hands of Constance's lover, Hastings. And I was in stitches as Mrs. Hardcastle tried to explain to him that she believed the jewels had really been stolen as he foolishly continued to reply "I can bear witness to

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