Term Paper on Comparison of ‘The Beggar's
Opera’ by John Gay & ‘She Stoops To Conquer’ by Oliver Goldsmith
This piece compares two great literary works of 18th century. It discusses shows
a shift of characterization and quality of emotion within the two works. The
writers in the two works have emphasized on different things in different ways.
I have also tried to discuss a shift in class or gender issues. The two works
compared are ‘The Beggar's Opera’ by John Gay and ‘She Stoops To Conquer’ by
Oliver Goldsmith. The comparison especially entails the heroes, villains,
whores, rogues, love, confusion, sacrifices, betrayal, redemption, and humor of
The Beggar’s Opera with the interesting and equally matching characters of She
Stoops To Conquer. The era of these works is the enlightenment era that was an
intellectual movement that valued reason and asserted the equal rights of every
person. Enlightenment ideas led to advances in science and were incorporated
into the American Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
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The Beggar’s Opera is like a treasure mine, the more you read the more treasure
you are likely to find. Written in 18th century it appeared on the surface of
literary world in 1728 setting the stage for centuries to come. The second half
of the 18th-century musical taste was the inspiration for the work by John Gay.
The given form preferred music that was considered and still is a universal form
of appeal. Gay’s work is both noble and entertaining. expressive yet tasteful,
natural, simple, and immediately pleasing. It includes variety of aspects of the
human nature and takes one through the ups and downs of life in an ever so
interesting way. One feels drowned into the world of intertwined ideas the more
one reads the more the prior readings appear to make senses. Gay has based his
work on a variety of sources and produced this opera. The word Opera, by the
way, is Italian. Especially early-18th-century comic opera influenced what
became the standard Classical-era style. The era of John Gay’s The Beggar’s
Opera.
On the other hand, She Stoops to Die by Goldsmith is a drama, among the few
dramas, which are still being played today. The characters in this piece by
Goldsmith are contrasted with each other, and classes and attitudes towards
classes are examined. One can see the subtle movements in the emotions
especially when the elders Hardcastle and Sir Charles Marlow agreed to reconcile
with their conflicts because they both wanted their children to be happy. This
shift was in contrast with their prior encounters.
However, the most important contrasts are clearly between appearance and
reality, and between what people want to do and their 'duty'. For example, there
is a huge contrast in the reality and the nature of Tony Lumpkin. He provides an
obvious contrast to Marlow. Lumpkin appears to have given up all the social
values of his family and is happiest when with the low-life at the pub and
playing practical jokes. His family is not at all like this. His nature is shown
as carefree and jovial which is in contrast with the atmosphere at home.
Goldsmith has this quality of producing contrast within the characters spread
across and based upon their surroundings. But isn’t it also the same with the
drama by Gay. Gay has the capability to provide the humor in the play through
deception and exposure of the foolishness and snobbery of various individuals as
well and just like Goldsmith.
Goldsmith’s work carry a moral message that society in general is too quick to
judge people or places on appearances. This is wrong. The 'inn' was not an inn,
the 'barmaid' was not a barmaid. If the gentlemen of the town had not viewed the
place and its inhabitants with so many pre-judged bigoted ideas. the mistakes of
a night could undoubtedly have been avoided.
Gay’s work spans three Acts that include a day in London, the activities of a
highwayman, his passions and lovers, the families of these lovers and the rest
is the usual cushion of extras. There are songs, dances and the occasional
cheerfulness of musical settings. Gay has basically attempted a satire on
Italian opera, ballad opera, and on the musical comedy. Gay also includes and
revolves around what was the norm in the18th century. His work has all the
ingredients considered necessary in his time i.e. the heroes and the villains,
the whores and the saint, the love and the hate, the confusion and the clarity,
the sacrifices and the betrayal, the seriousness of the occasion and at the same
time the mocking humor of the same. Through the characters, one can also see the
contrasting characters the play has.
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The Beggar’s Opera starts with Peachum, a lawyer, sitting at a table in his
house studying a large book of accounts. This is Scene 1 of Act 1. The contrast
of characters is obvious through their thinking as the players say about the
cheats, ‘For ’tis but fitting that we should protect and encourage cheats, since
we live by ’em’ and ‘All professions be rogue one another’. The language of the
play is also rough as was needed for the commercialization of the play as when
Filch says that Tom Gagg was found guilty and Peach remarked Tom as a ‘lazy dog’
and the eventual blame was put on women as Filch remarked that ‘’Tis woman that
seduces all mankind’. The seduction of women was also there when Bob Booty was
to be charged and Mrs. Peach was the caring lady. Booty was to spend his life
among women and after its exhaustion, one or other of the ladies was supposed to
hang him for the reward. Peach has played the role of the wise and the worldly
man who is in charge. Someone who abhors the tricks of the women and the
laziness of men.
‘Why is your faithful slave disdained?’ and the answer given in the play was the
binding form of a marriage. Gay also highlights the tarnishing nature of a
relation when it said, ‘Stamped with the name of her spouse’. Emotions of love
and possession have played dominant roles in The Beggar’s Opera. The play also
answers the traditional question of a lover’s tension of proving his or her love
to the lover. This tension has been beautifully depicted by the line, ‘Near it
the bees in play flutter and cluster’ comparing the tension of the lover with
the flutter of the bees and their abrupt movements. Peach remarks in Act I to
Mrs. Peach not to let her anger break through the rules of decency. The comic
side of the actions by Filch has been characterized by Goldsmith as well in She
Stoops to Conquer marks which is a refreshing change in the realm of Eighteenth
Century Dramatic Comedy. Goldsmith has based his comedy on errors and focuses
not on humor borne of moral ideals or failings, but on that of the seemingly
inconsequential and often innocent mistakes of distinctively human characters.
The drama also has the feelings of suspicion as when Lock expressed his
suspicions of Lucy’s involvement in the escape of Peach and his daughter Polly.
There was a sudden outcry from Lucy stating they knew the ways to Newgate pretty
well and can move around without anyone’s help. Lucy then suddenly says ‘I wish
I may be burnt’. She has a poor temper. The character of Lucy is also very
deceitful based on the feelings of love and caring. She later on accepts her
part in the escape of the two and says,
‘I was kissed by the parson, the squire, and the sot;
When the guest was departed, the kiss was forgot.
But his kiss was so sweet, and so closely he pressed,
That I languished and pined till I granted the rest’
One gets the impression that Lucy would hold the passion evoked within her
forever. And then she asks for forgiveness.
There is also a lack of a decisive character as when the Coronation account was
considered not being able to be solved. Though the matter was of a variety of
articles, there was a need for a strong character to reconcile. There is a sort
of enjoyment when things are settled and a fight when not. Lock wanted to drink
more liquor as he wanted pleasure but was not unaware of the pending business
tomorrow. People in the era did things as the time and the situation required.
Pleasure when pleasure was needed and business when business was.
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The life of Polly was full of intricate engagements as well as miserable truths.
As she says, ‘A curse attends that woman’s love, Who always would be pleasing’.
There is complaint in her voice and sadness in her speech. Polly has been
characterized in Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops To Conquer who felt her beauty
attracting Richard Marlow, a suitor to Kate and friend of George, she is
figuratively stooping to conquer.
‘Among the men coquettes we find
Who court by turns all womankind,
And we grant all their hearts desired,
When they are flattered and admired’
Hardcastle residence is shown like the Peach house as a decent one inhabiting
social gatherers. His house is not an inn as was perceived by the travelers.
This is the mistake that Marlow and Hastings made by treating his house and
servants badly. The lover, Richard Marlow meets Kate in a very awkward
situation. Miss Hardcastle though covers this situation by introducing herself
again as a barmaid. She hoped him to be more candid about his feelings for her.
The filth in the minds as in The Beggar’s Opera is obvious when the drama
reveals the kind of ill respect of a barmaid was perceived by the society.
There are conflicts among the characters as well. As when Neville and Hastings
face a conflict when they experience difficulties with the sanctions of
marriage. Together, their relationship represented negative attitudes towards
arranged marriages and the strict laws that govern who might join in holy
matrimony. On the other hand, the conflict among Kate and Marlow is the hiding
of the true identity of Kate and the misunderstanding of Marlow about the fact
that the place was not an ‘inn’ but a mansion.
All the mistaken identities and schemes are revealed as a climax and this is a
shift in conditions from The Beggar’s Opera. Marlow is finally confronted with
the truth about this "inn." Kate, though, reveals herself later, meanwhile,
enjoying her alias. There are practical jokes in this drama whereas there is
more focus on the mindful and non-practical jokes in The Beggar’s Opera.
In many works of literature contrast between the different social classes is
employed and same is the case with both works by Gay and Goldsmith. In She
Stoops To Conquer this play it is not so much the difference between classes
which is explored, but rather the extremely different ways in which certain
characters treat people according to which class they belong to. It is the
stereotyping and characterizing of people that is more expressive. Kate when as
barmaid was considered bad but later upon revealing her identity she became
good. Marlow's behavior is a fluctuating one like that of the Lucy’s in The
Beggar’s Opera. Like her, he behaves differently at different times as well as
among different people’s gatherings.
The two plays of the 18th century are great readings as well as moral lessons
for the readers. An important message that appears to be common in the two works
is that the when the younger generation make their own choices like Polly and
Kate, they are assumed to be happy in the present as well as in the future. No
one is forced to do something in the two works. Another similarity appears that
in She Stoops To Conquer, Mrs. Hardcastle was continually trying to pair up Tony
and Constance. Whereas Peach has played this role for patching up Polly’s life
in The Beggar’s Opera.
Works Cited
Gay, John The Beggar’s Opera Transcribed, with an Introduction, Notes, and
Bibliography, by Richard Bear, University of Oregon, August 1992; html version
created November 1995.
Goldsmith, Oliver (1730?–1774). She Stoops to Conquer The Harvard
Classics.1909–14.
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