She Stoops to Conquer: who's who, timeline and places
Everyone in She Stoops to Conquer, what happens when, and where, without spoilers: tell us how far you have read and we show only what you already know.
- KateKate is Hardcastle’s daughter, who learns that the shy Marlow is coming as a possible husband.First seen in act 3
- MarlowMarlow is Kate’s proposed husband, whose manners differ with different women.First seen in act 3
- TonyTony is Hardcastle’s stepson, who tricks two lost visitors into mistaking his stepfather’s house for an inn.First seen in act 3
- HastingsHastings travels with Marlow and is the object of Constance’s concealed attachment.First seen in act 3
- ConstanceConstance hides her attachment to Hastings from her aunt and resists marrying Tony.First seen in act 3
- Mrs. HardcastleMrs. Hardcastle disputes town fashions, old customs, and Tony’s conduct with her husband.First seen in act 3
- Sir CharlesSir Charles is an expected visitor whose arrival threatens Hastings’s escape plans.First seen in act 6
- Act 1
Oliver Goldsmith dedicates his play to Samuel Johnson and thanks him for supporting a comedy beyond sentiment.
- Act 2
Mr. Woodward mourns the threatened death of comedy and asks the audience to judge a proposed remedy.
- Act 3
Hardcastle tells Kate that Marlow is coming as a possible husband.
- Act 3
Constance reveals her attachment to Hastings and her resistance to marrying Tony.
- Act 3
Tony directs the lost Marlow and Hastings to Hardcastle’s house, telling them it is an inn.
- Act 4
Marlow and Hastings offend Hardcastle by treating him as an innkeeper.
- Act 4
Hastings learns the truth from Constance but keeps Marlow deceived to protect their escape plans.
- Act 4
Kate observes Marlow’s shyness, while Tony agrees to help Hastings escape with Constance.
- Act 5
Tony takes Constance’s jewels from his mother’s desk and gives them to Hastings.
- Act 5
Kate tests Marlow by allowing him to mistake her for a barmaid.
- Act 5
Hardcastle sees Marlow seize Kate’s hand, but she gains an hour to defend him.
- Act 6
Marlow gives the jewels to Mrs. Hardcastle, believing her an innkeeper.
- Act 6
Kate tells Marlow whose house he is visiting while continuing to pose as a poor relation.
- Act 6
The escape plan is exposed, and Mrs. Hardcastle orders Constance away before Tony offers fresh help.
- Act 7
Tony brings his mother and Constance home after driving them around the surrounding countryside.
- Act 7
Mrs. Hardcastle mistakes her husband for a robber before discovering that she is near her own house.
- Act 7
Hardcastle reveals Tony is already of age, allowing him to refuse Constance and leave both couples free to marry.
Hidden until you have read that far.
- Hardcastle’s houseHardcastle’s house is the home Tony falsely presents to Marlow and Hastings as an inn.First seen in act 3
Free for 3 months
Read the whole of She Stoops to Conquer; Or, The Mistakes of a Night: A Comedy, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Start freeBack to the She Stoops to Conquer study guide · Quiz and flashcards
