She Stoops to Conquer is a ‘pure comedy’, for the dramatist aims only at the amusement of his readers and audience, and has no ulterior aims. It is not a comedy with some serious social message. The dramatist aims neither at satirizing human follies and weaknesses with a view to reforming them, like a writer of the Comedy of Manners, or the Comedy of Humours, nor does he aim at moving them to tears like the writers of the sentimental comedy of the day. There is no intrusion at all of such elements; it is a ‘pure comedy’, a ‘laughing comedy’ which aims at laughter, more laughter and nothing but laughter. It is one of the greatest comedies of the world and its appeal has been universal and enduring.
The comic
devices used by Goldsmith in She Stoops to Conquer are as follows:
Masterly
Use of Dramatic Irony: - The device called dramatic irony has been fully
exploited to increase the entertainment value of the comedy. Throughout the
play the audience knows the truth which is not known by the actors on the stage
who consequently act and talk at cross-purposes to the great amusement of the
readers and audience. In the contradictory impressions formed by Mr. Hardcastle
and his daughter about Marlow lies the crux of the comedy. To Mr. Hardcastle,
Marlow has appeared extremely rude and impudent, whereas his daughter has found
him to be awkward and bashful. The audience knows the real truth about him that
Marlow is neither so impudent as Hardcastle imagines nor so awkward as Miss
Hardcastle thinks.
The Humour of Character: - Nor is
the play lacking in the humour of character, the highest kind of humour. Humour
of character arises when there is a contrast or incongruity in the words and
actions of a character, when a character says one thing and does another or
when a character is not what we except to be. Marlow, for example, has come to
court and marry Kate Hardcastle but he is so shy and modest that he cannot look
her in the face, and has only a dull sentimental interview with her in which
the conversation is kept going with great difficulty. What is even more absurd
is his desire that Hastings should be there throughout to keep up his courage.
He collapses as soon as his friend is gone. Further this shy young man is very
bold and forward in the company of women of another sort, and is called,
‘agreeable Rattle’ by the ladies at the Ladies’ Club. This aspect of his
character is revealed when he proceeds to make love to the barmaid and tries to
kiss her by the use for force. This contrast in his nature is highly comic and
the dramatst has made good use of it.
