Introduction: ”She Stoops to Conquer” (1771) is a famous comedy by Oliver Goldsmith (1728 – 1774). Another name of the comedy of intrigue is the comedy of situation. This is a fantastic comedy of intrigues. After scanning the play, we get sundry features of comedy of intrigues which are discussed below:
The definition of comedy of intrigue
The comedy of intrigue is a type of comedy in which wicked characters, complicated conspiracy, satirical situations, farcical humour, dual identity of character and dramatic irony are discussed properly.
Wicked characters
Wicked characters are the fundamental feature of a comedy of intrigue. In the play, we get sundry wicked characters. Without the hero of the play, Charles Marlow almost all the characters are wicked. The best example of a wicked character is Tony Lumpkin.
Read More: She Stoops to Conquer as an Anti Sentimental Comedy
Complicated conspiracy
Complicated conspiracy is also a feature of a comedy of intrigue. In the play, we get a lot of conspiracies against each other. As for example: Tony plots against his own mother more than one time. Mrs. Hardcastle and Mr. Hardcastle plot against Tony.
Farcical humour
Farcical humour is one of the major features of a comedy of intrigue. In the play, we get sundry farcical humours. As for example: Tony’s misdirection of Marlow and his friend Hastings for the house Mr. Hardcastle. Tony steals jewels of Neville from his mother’s almirah to help eloping them, Neville and Hastings. After stealing, Tony gives the jewel to Hastings then Hastings keeps the jewel to Marlow for safety then Marlow keeps the jewel to Mrs. Hardcastle for safety. This type of situations makes the audience laughing a lot.
Dual identities
Dual identity is also a feature of a comedy of intrigue. In the play, we get sundry characters of dual identities. Marlow has dual identity as strange type of man with upper class women and shy with common women. Kate Hardcastle has dual identity as barmaid and real juicy lady. Kate Hardcastle expresses that:
“But I vow I’m disposing of the husband before I have secured the lover!”
Tony and Neville have also dual identity. Firstly, they are real of their nature and secondly, they are pretence as they do not know anything about Neville’s jewel after stealing jewel from the almirah in front of Mrs. Hardcastle.
Conclusion: From the light of the above discussion, we may assert that ”She Stoops to Conquer” is fantastic comedy of intrigue. All the features of comedy of intrigues are discussed purely by the writer in the play.
