Summary
Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer (1773) is a classic comedy of manners that playfully examines class, courtship, and mistaken identity.
The story follows young Charles Marlow, a wealthy but painfully shy gentleman who is tongue-tied around women of his own class yet brazen with those he believes are of lower status. When he visits the countryside to court Kate Hardcastle, the daughter of a wealthy family, a mischievous trick leads him to believe her home is an inn and her father a mere innkeeper.
Kate, recognizing Marlow’s dilemma, decides to "stoop to conquer" by disguising herself as a barmaid in order to win his affection and reveal his true character. Through a series of misunderstandings, deceptions, and comic entanglements, the play satirizes social pretensions while celebrating wit, love, and sincerity.