The plot of she stoops to conquer

Goldsmith has shown a great skill in constructing the plot of she stoops to conquer. Its plot is made up of Marlow-Kate love-story, which is the main plot, Hastings-Constance love-story, which is the sub-plot, the casket-episode, and the intrigues of Tony which originate the action, and also bring it to a successful conclusion. The dramatist has shown great skill in inter-linking these separate actions into one organic whole.

In the main plot, the dramatist made Tony the one who originates the action of the play, and it is he who brings it to a successful close. It is he who inter-links the two stories. It is because Tony misdirects Marlow and Hastings to the house of Mr. Hard castle as to an inn, that all the complications of the main story arise. Marlow takes the house for an inn, and this initial mistake of Marlow leads to other mistakes which are his mistaking of Mr. hard Castle for the innkeeper and of Miss Hard Castle for the barmaid. The third mistake brings on the central situation of the play; Marlow falls in love with Miss Hard Castle, whom he has mistaken for the barmaid. The story then comes to a conclusion through a mistake; Marlow declares his love for Miss and begs her love on bended knees, under the delusion that she is a poor relation of Mr. Hard Castle. Miss Hard Castle has stooped to rise triumphantly in the end. Thus, the whole story begins, develops and ends through mistakes. And it is Tony who is responsible for all these mistakes.

In the sub-plot, Hastings-Constance love-story constitutes the sub-plot of the play and in it Tony’s role is even more crucial than in the main-plot. His intrigues develop the sub-plot, introduce complications in it, and then bring it to a successful conclusion. The episode of the Casket-which contains Miss Neville’s jewels-forms an integral part of the subsidiary story and is the source of much complications well as of much humor. Mrs. Hard Castle wants her niece Miss Neville to marry Tony, for the sake of her fortune. But neither Tony nor Miss Neville desire this marriage. For Tony wants to marry Bet Bouncer and Miss Neville wants to marry Hastings. But to deceive Mrs. Hard Castle, Miss Neville makes a pretence of loving Tony. When her lover Hastings arrives, Tony agrees to help him to carry off Miss Neville. He wouldn’t deprive Miss Neville of her jewels, though his mother wants to keep them for him. He steals the jewels, and hands them over to Hastings, but through the bungling of Marlow, they again fall in the hands of Mrs. Hard castle. The plan of elopement is just on the point of execution when it is discovered through a letter of Hastings, written to Tony. Hastings however accuses Tony of bungling the whole affair and calls him a ’’booby’’ and an ‘’insensible cub’’. But Tony doesn’t take offence; on the contrary he promises to help Hastings. As a punishment for Miss Neville’s disobedience, Mrs. Hard castle takes her to her aunt Pedigree. Here Tony drives them, but instead of driving it forward, he drives it round and round from their house. This trick of Tony, sets matters right. Hastings and Miss Neville are united, and Mrs. Hard castle is frustrated. Thus Tony is the central figure in the subsidiary story.

Another link that connects the main and sub plot is the part played by Mr. Hard castle at the end to resolve the tangle of Hastings-Neville affair. He declares that Tony is of age, and all the complications are resolved. At once Tony refuses to marry Constance; therefore she is free to marry Hastings, and get back her jewels.

The two love-stories are fused in to a single whole through an elaborate pattern of parallelisms and contrasts. In the main story there are Mr. Hard castle, miss hard castle and Marlow; in the other there are Mrs. Hard castle, Miss Neville and Hastings. Miss hard castle’s clever stratagem to win a husband a husband for herself is matched by the tricks of Tony to secure Hastings as miss Neville’s husband. In the main story we find Mr. Hard Castle trying to arrange a match between her son and Miss Neville, but Tony disapproving of Miss Neville, intrigues to get her married to Hastings. The main plot and the sub plot both deal with the same theme: both represents the story of a woman winning a husband. But in the former, it is the woman who chases the man, and in the latter it is the man who chases the woman. Thus the two love-stories and the two lovers are well-contrasted, and distinguished from each other.