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Soliloquy
Style
Explanation and Analysis:
She Stoops to Conquer is written in a lively, conversational style that relies on quick, witty exchanges between characters. Divided into 5 acts, the play is fast-paced with frequent turn-taking by characters and no lengthy speeches or soliloquies. The language used is mostly straightforward and easy to understand, in a way that mimics the realism of everyday conversation. In this way, the play is able to appeal to a wide audience and conforms to the conventions of laughing comedies, which use everyday life as their subject matter. The use of contemporary references and idioms also aids this appeal, giving the play a colloquial feel that is relatable for the audience.
While figurative language and more flowery metaphors do occur in the play, they are largely used for comic effect, with their occurrence usually notable for their contrast with the otherwise casual language. Marlow’s use of figurative language when trying to woo Kate as a barmaid, for example, aims partially to mock romantic sentimentalism. Likewise, Hastings and Marlow’s military metaphor when discussing what outfits they should wear pokes fun at their foppish frippery while emphasizing the contrast between the diction of the city and the countryside. The style of the prologue and epilogues, written in verse, also intentionally stands out from the rest of the play, with these sections also distinct in their function. Unlike the body of the play, the prologue and epilogues offer more insight into the actual mechanics of the play, with their self-referentiality giving them a loftier feel that resonates with their more elegant style.
Related Themes:
