OCR A-Level English Literature: She Stoops to Conquer Revision Guide
Genre
• She Stoops to Conquer is a farcical play – a genre of comedy characterised by
highly improbable situations, exaggerated characters, fast-paced plots and central
misunderstandings.
• The play was originally classed as a laughing comedy, as it was designed by
Goldsmith to provoke laughter in the audience, rather than create sympathy and
moral reflection, distinguishing it from the genre of sentimental comedy which
dominated the stage of the 18th century.
• Goldsmith uses humour through the exposure of human folly to generate laughter
and social critique.
• The play can also be categorised as a comedy of manners, as it satirises the social
conventions of the 18th-century upper class, preoccupied with class performance,
gender binaries, and politeness ideology.
Context
• She Stoops to Conquer was written by Oliver Goldsmith during the Georgian era in
1773.
• Goldsmith himself experienced both comfortable wealth, as the son of a clergyman,
and infrequent bouts of poverty in his adult life. His fluctuating position between
classes may explain his sensitivity towards the lower class and his satirical treatment of
the upper class in the play.
• Although the play was written over sixty years after the Restoration era, She Stoops to
Conquer reflects the era’s popular comedy of manners, as Goldsmith uses comic
misunderstandings and deception to satirise 18th-century class conduct, social
hierarchy, and politeness ideology.
• The 18th century was also known as the ‘Age of Politeness’, as the upper and middle
classes adhered to strict rules of conduct to distinguish themselves from people of a
lower social standing. However, rather than reflecting virtue and manners, politeness
became a pervasive social ideology that often served as a marker of gentility, education,
and status, reinforcing the rigid social hierarchies of the Georgian era.
• In the 18th century, courtship etiquette became extremely popular, as strict social
rules governed social interaction. This limited people’s ability to form relationships, as
they were often founded on social performance, class, and reputation, rather than
genuine attraction and connection.
• In the 1700s, marriage acted as a formal and transactional patriarchal institution,
designed to secure status, wealth, and family alliances. It required public social
performance, strict etiquette, and family approval to preserve reputation and honour.
Social Class
Genre
• She Stoops to Conquer is a farcical play – a genre of comedy characterised by
highly improbable situations, exaggerated characters, fast-paced plots and central
misunderstandings.
• The play was originally classed as a laughing comedy, as it was designed by
Goldsmith to provoke laughter in the audience, rather than create sympathy and
moral reflection, distinguishing it from the genre of sentimental comedy which
dominated the stage of the 18th century.
• Goldsmith uses humour through the exposure of human folly to generate laughter
and social critique.
• The play can also be categorised as a comedy of manners, as it satirises the social
conventions of the 18th-century upper class, preoccupied with class performance,
gender binaries, and politeness ideology.
Context
• She Stoops to Conquer was written by Oliver Goldsmith during the Georgian era in
1773.
• Goldsmith himself experienced both comfortable wealth, as the son of a clergyman,
and infrequent bouts of poverty in his adult life. His fluctuating position between
classes may explain his sensitivity towards the lower class and his satirical treatment of
the upper class in the play.
• Although the play was written over sixty years after the Restoration era, She Stoops to
Conquer reflects the era’s popular comedy of manners, as Goldsmith uses comic
misunderstandings and deception to satirise 18th-century class conduct, social
hierarchy, and politeness ideology.
• The 18th century was also known as the ‘Age of Politeness’, as the upper and middle
classes adhered to strict rules of conduct to distinguish themselves from people of a
lower social standing. However, rather than reflecting virtue and manners, politeness
became a pervasive social ideology that often served as a marker of gentility, education,
and status, reinforcing the rigid social hierarchies of the Georgian era.
• In the 18th century, courtship etiquette became extremely popular, as strict social
rules governed social interaction. This limited people’s ability to form relationships, as
they were often founded on social performance, class, and reputation, rather than
genuine attraction and connection.
• In the 1700s, marriage acted as a formal and transactional patriarchal institution,
designed to secure status, wealth, and family alliances. It required public social
performance, strict etiquette, and family approval to preserve reputation and honour.
Social Class
