British Restoration Era English Literature

London in the age of Goldsmith was entirely different from the London as we know today . Great social , political and economical changes were in the air when Goldsmith 's She Stoops to Conquer was enacted . These changes created a turning point of fortune of many families there by making some impoverished and many others prosper to become one among the middle class families of England . As a result , marriages and love affairs , instead of being the union of two people , the man and woman both physically and mentally , it became union of money

, land and titles .Hence the decreasing of wealth in the rural , old and titled families and an increase in the wealth in newly affluent commercial urban areas brought about various marriages of children from titled families , with those of untitled , cash-rich but land-poor commercial families . This balance is what Goldsmith tries to drive home in his famous play She Stoops to Conquer . Moreover , the play also offers three types of marriage . One possibility : a loveless , parentally-enforced marriage , as that arranged by Mrs . Hardcastle between Tony and Constance . Another option : marriage for love , but against parental wishes , as seen in Hastings 's plans for eloping with Constance . Finally , the best solution compromise between parent and child , as in Kate 's marriage with Marlow - a marriage based on affection but also sanctioned by paternal authority ' Schmidt , HYPERLINK "http /www .answers .com /she-stoops-to-conquer-play-7 http /www .answers .com /she-stoops-to-conquer-play-7

Passionate love existed definitely , but it was not directly linked to marriage . Love in those times is well explicated by Goldsmith through his varied characters as represented in the play . To start with , we have Mr . Hardcastle who loves everything that is old , including his wife He is a loving husband who loves his wife most intensely in spite of the fact that there is a lot of difference in their natures . He is a very home loving person as we see his wife complaining every now and then that they are not frequenting London to polish up their manners and acquire knowledge of the latest fashions . It is truly because of him that their life goes on uneventfully . He represents the gentle man of the society at that time . His good nature and generosity alone bring the two love stories to a happy end and the mistakes of the night are crowned with merry-making in the morning

Mrs . Hardcastle , greedy , self-centered , with no regard for the feeling likes and dislikes of others , sees love and marriage only in terms of monetary wealth . She truly represents the attitude of love and money of those times in the so-called aristocratic families . To retain her orphan niece 's (Constance Neville ) fortune in the form of jewellery in the family , she tries to get her married with her son , Tony Lumpkin , who is a person who cannot be spoiled more . She does not consider at all , that he is unworthy of his cousin and that he himself dislikes her and wants to...