Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer

Goldsmith's play is very interesting in its portrayal of what seems to be a highly unlikely couple, Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastle. Their differing values and interests seem to put the two at odds, yet their marriage manages to survive; these differences also fit with and point to the play's conclusion.

Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastle are already at odds as the play opens. Mrs. Hardcastle describes her boredom and her desire to "'take a trip to town... to rub off the rust a little'" (Goldsmith 1). She also condemns their "'old rumbling mansion'" where they "'never see company,'" and describes her husband's "'old stories, '" saying that "'[She] hates such old-fashioned trumpery'" (1). Mr. Hardcastle, on the other hand, "'[loves] everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine,'" and even his "'old wife'" (1). Even though his wife desires a visit to London, Mr. Hardcastle declines her request, claiming that to visit would be to "'bring back vanity and affectation'" from London, and describing its "'follies'" and "'fopperies'" (1). It is generally understood that compatibility in a romantic couple relies, at least in part, in shared interests and opinions; how can two people remain together for all of their lives if they cannot agree on what to do, and cannot share and enjoy experiences together? This valuing of action and novelty versus the valuing of antiquity and habit are obviously at odds with each other, making Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastle an unlikely wedded couple indeed.

While it doesn't seem possible to determine one definite factor that keeps the two harmoniously together, perhaps it lies within their duty as parents. Both seem completely wrapped up in the marrying away of their children, although for seemingly different motives. Mrs. Hardcastle works furiously in an attempt to set up her son, Tony, with her niece Miss Neville, apparently in order to secure Miss Neville's worthy inheritance within the family. Her husband, on the other hand, is busy arranging a meeting between their daughter Kate and a Charles Marlow; this is because he laments Kate's so-called infection by "'the fashions of the times'" and her taste for "'gauze and French frippery'" (3). He believes he can conquer this by setting her up with "'the son of [his] old friend'" who "'has been bred a scholar, and is designed for an employment in the service'" (4). Both of them are engaged in accomplishing these goals, which gives them something in common, and also something else to focus on when their differences in opinions and interests clash.

It's also worth taking a second look, however, at how different their motives are. Mr. Hardcastle's desire to stamp out Kate's "infection" by setting her up with Marlow is an extension of his fondness for the old and familiar. Marlow is related to an old and familiar friend, and is down-to-earth, holding traditional values like education and attaining and holding employment. While one may not fully advocate Hardcastle's embracing of old-fashionedness and denouncement of wealth and novelty, one must admit that in his own mind, he certainly has his daughter's best interests at heart. His wife, on the other hand, acts out of greed when trying to set her son Tony up with Miss Neville, wanting to keep the fortune close. This matchmaking may also serve as a means of novel entertainment for her, since her husband refuses her visits from exciting new company and trips to the city. Both of these motives are in her own self-interest, however, disregarding the wants and needs of Tony himself. In the end, Mr. Hardcastle's selfless attempt at matching Kate and Marlow is fulfilled, and the end up together and happy. Mrs. Hardcastle's disregard of Tony's feelings in favor of her own desires, however, ultimate results in the failure of her attempts of coupling Tony and Miss Neville. At the play's close, the two couples of Kate and Marlow and Miss Neville and Hastings are joyous in their unions; old Hardcastle is content at his daughter's security and well-being with Marlow; and Tony is content to be done with pestering regarding Miss Neville. Only Mrs. Hardcastle, the play's shallowest and most self-absorbed character, is unhappy with the results, moaning that it "'is all but the whining end of a modern novel'" (59).