SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER: THE THEMES OF THE PLAY

Themes

Class Bias

Until Kate teaches him a lesson, Marlow responds to women solely on the basis of their status in society. He looks down on women of the lower class but is wholly at ease around them; he esteems women of the upper class but is painfully shy around them. Like the London society in which he was brought up, he assumes that all women of a certain class think and act according to artificial and arbitrary standards expected of that class. As for Mrs. Hardcastle, she appears to assess a person by the value of his or her possessions.

 

Love Ignores Social Boundaries

Although prevailing attitudes among England’s elite classes frown on romance between one of their own and a person of humble origin, Marlow can’t help falling in love with a common “barmaid” (who is, of course, Kate in disguise).

 

Hope for Flawed Humanity

Although Marlow makes a fool of himself as a result of his upper- class biases, Kate has enough common sense to see through the London hauteur encasing him and to appreciate him for his genuinely good qualities—which are considerable, once he allows them to surface. Also, Mrs. Hardcastle, in spite of her misguided values, enjoys the love of her practical, down-to-earth husband. He, too, is willing to look beyond her foibles in favor of her good points.

 

Money Breeds Indolence

Tony Lumpkin will get 1,500 pounds a year when he comes of age. Thus, without financial worries, he devotes himself to ale and a do- nothing life.

 

ASSIGNMENT :

HOW ARE THE THEMES OF MONEY,CLASS,POWER,AND SOCIAL STATUS RELEVANT TO THE PRESENT DAY NIGERIA SOCIETY?

 

See also

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER: CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PLAY

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER STUDIES AND ANALYSIS OF ACT FIVE

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER STUDIES AND ANALYSIS OF ACT THREE AND FOUR

She Stoops to Conquer Summary and Analysis of Scene One

SHE STOOD TO CONQUER

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