She Stoops to Conquer: Analysis of Setting
"She Stoops to Conquer" is a comedic play by Oliver Goldsmith that explores themes of identity and social class through its carefully crafted settings. The primary location, Hardcastle Mansion, is depicted as a sturdy yet unremarkable house, resembling a country inn more than a noble residence. This ambiguity in identity reflects a central theme of the play, highlighting the complexities of modern English identity, particularly for men navigating the expectations of tradition and modernity.
Another significant setting is the Three Pigeons Inn, a tavern where the characters, particularly Tony Lumpkin, engage in playful deception, further illustrating the theme of mistaken identity. The inn serves as a contrasting backdrop to the mansion, embodying a carefree lifestyle that may hint at societal changes in Goldsmith's time. Additionally, Feather-bed Lane features a chaotic ride that culminates in a comical mishap, symbolizing the blending of urban and rural values and the unpredictability of social interactions. Together, these settings enhance the play's exploration of identity and the evolving landscape of British society.
She Stoops to Conquer: Analysis of Setting
First published: 1773
First produced: 1773
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Comedy of manners
Time of work: Eighteenth century
Places Discussed
Hardcastle Mansion
Hardcastle Mansion. This village dwelling is a substantially built house, which nevertheless must have been timbered and devoid of the familiar medieval stone turrets and towers that marked the castles of the nobility and the upper class. The mansion can be easily mistaken for a country inn. This mistaken identity of place represents the major theme of the play. The Englishman, especially the male, is a modern person for whom identity is always a question; a satisfactory resolution of identity depends on a wise marriage of the old and the new, in which both the man and the woman are strong characters. The complex nature of the house in the play symbolizes this theme.
Three Pigeons Inn
Three Pigeons Inn. Tavern whose taproom is the location where the plot of mistaken identity is planned by Tony Lumpkin, who is even more innovative in his notions of identity than the marrying couple of the play. Drinking and the carefree life of the tavern may represent future social change for Goldsmith, or at least his mockery of it in the play.
Feather-bed Lane
Feather-bed Lane. Bumpy road on which the wild roundabout ride in the final act of the play begins only to end in the pond. The comic chase represents again how revolutionary Goldsmith is with his suggestions of a changing British society, in which town and country values are tossed together.
Bibliography
Dixon, Peter. Oliver Goldsmith Revisited. Boston: Twayne, 1991. Solid introduction to Goldsmith’s work in general and She Stoops to Conquer in particular. Details the biographical episode that inspired Goldsmith to write the comedy and ties the play to Goldsmith’s theories on dramatic writing.
Quintana, Ricardo. Oliver Goldsmith: A Georgian Study. New York: Macmillan, 1967. Enthusiastic and graceful study of Goldsmith’s work. Places less emphasis on the drama itself and more on the circumstances surrounding the play’s production and theatrical success.
Sells, A. Lytton. Oliver Goldsmith: His Life and Works. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1974. Examines Goldsmith’s life and offers a chapter on his writing the play and the problems he faced presenting it on the London stage. Offers two chapters on Goldsmith the dramatist and critically scrutinizes She Stoops to Conquer.
Swarbrick, Andrew, ed. The Art of Oliver Goldsmith. London: Vision Press, 1984. Ten essays touching on all aspects of Goldsmith’s writings. Contains Bernard Harris’ engaging “Goldsmith in the Theatre,” examining Goldsmith’s dramatic career, theater philosophy, and difficulties in staging She Stoops to Conquer.
Worth, Katharine. Sheridan and Goldsmith. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992. Intelligent investigation of the playwriting careers of Oliver Goldsmith and Richard Brinsley Sheridan, with special attention given to Goldsmith’s intense dislike of the prevailing sentimental comedy. Long chapter on She Stoops to Conquer is an excellent discussion of the boisterous play.