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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Act 2
Explanation and Analysis—High to Describe the Low:
The use of grand concepts to describe the mundane forms a motif in She Stoops to Conquer. An example of this is when Marlow arrives and asks about the preparation of dinner:
HARDCASTLE. Entirely. By-the-bye, I believe they are in actual consultation upon what’s for supper this moment in the kitchen.
MARLOW. Then I beg they’ll admit me as one of their privy council. It’s a way I have got. When I travel, I always chose to regulate my own supper. Let the cook be called. No offence, I hope, sir.
The reference to the cook and Mrs Hardcastle as the “privy council”—a reference to the British monarch’s closest body of advisers—is a perfect example of this motif, with the overblown language transforming a simple domestic matter into one of the utmost grandeur and significance. The over-the-top nature of the metaphor adds humor while also feeding into the play’s satirical function, with instances like this poking fun at the pomposity and affectations of the upper classes.
Similarly, the play frequently indulges in military metaphors to describe social interactions, with matters of love and courtship repeatedly spoken about in military terms. Marlow and Hastings, for example, when discussing the importance of their first impressions in order to woo the women they have come to see, talk about their outfits in terms of military strategy:
HASTINGS. I fancy, George, you’re right: the first blow is half the battle. I intend opening the campaign with the white and gold.
[...]
MARLOW. Yet, George, if we open the campaign too fiercely at first, we may want ammunition before it is over. I think to reserve the embroidery to secure a retreat.
Here, Marlow and Hastings play with the metaphor of love being like a military conquest, with their outfits being part of the weaponry that may secure them victory. Again, the clear mismatch between the drama of the metaphor and the domesticity of its subject matter creates humor while also encapsulating the heart of the comedy of manners genre, which is all about the drama of everyday life.
Related Themes:
