I have shown the mentality of high class people here with the reference of She Stoops to Conquer by Sheridan and Goldsmith.

1. Neo Classical Literature
Parmar Dipali K.
Roll No: 30
Topic: Unit 4 ‘She Stoops To Conquer’
M.A. Sem. 1
Batch: 2015-’17
Email Id: dipaliparmar247@gmail.com
Department of English (M.K.B.U.)

2. She stoops to Conquer (Reflecting the reality of the
upper class)
Removing the Mask

3. Marriage Policy

4. Appearance/Behavior
 One of the elements that Goldsmith highlights
is appearance or behavior.
 Today we believe that one’s behavior does not
indicate who someone is yet many characters
in the play are blinded to a character’s
behavior.
 Marlowe and Hasting treat Mr. Hardcastle
cruelly because they think him the landlord of
an inn, and confused by his behavior, which
seems forward.
 Throughout the play the characters assume
that they understood someone’s behavior but
actually it’s not like that.

5. Class Based Mentality
 The Play is not exactly focusing on the
class, yet the theme is based upon it.
 The decisions that the characters make
are based on what class they are.
 i.e. Tony openly loves a low class people
but Marlow must hide his love for Kate
as he thinks she is a poor barmaid who
belongs to good family but no fortune.

6.  There are several characters who are money conscious.
 i.e. Marlow, Constance & Mrs. Hardcastle.
 Marlow doesn’t reveal his feelings for Kate because of her poverty
and her lack of dowry if he marries her.
 Constance doesn’t want to ran away with her admirer because she
knows if she will ran away , she will not be given her heritage.
 Mrs. Hardcastle doesn’t want to let Constance marry except her
own son Tony, so that she keep the jewels of Constance to herself.
Importance of Money

7. Writer’s Aim
 This play shows Goldsmith’s desire to
reintroduce the audience to the “Laughing
Comedy” that derived from a long history of
comedy which laughs at the human vices.
 This type of comedy stands in contrast with
the “Sentimental Comedy” of his time which
praised virtues and reinforced bourgeois
mentality.
 Goldsmith and Sheridan were first who wrote
against sentimental comedy.
 Their main aim is to give a pure laughter to
their audience.

8. Highlight

9. References
 http://www.google.co.in/search/ie=ISO-8859-
1&tbm=isch&q=she+stoops+to+conquer&btnG=Search+Images
 http://www.gradesaver.com/she-stoops-to-conquer/study-
guide/themes
 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JAp2ba4dkk
 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BcuS6gboXCw