She stoops to conquer ... origin/meaning?
Posted by Bruce Kahl on February 28, 2000
In Reply to: She stoops to conquer ... origin/meaning? posted by Patty on February 28, 2000
:
people sometimes use the phrase these days in essays and books,
and I wonder just what they mean by it.
Gotcha!
Okay!
The play has a theme of socio-economic class differences and one
of the main characters is in love with a man who is a couple of
layers below her status. So she "stoops" down class-wise to "conquer"
her love interest by disguising herself. Determined to win his heart,
she casts off her finery and dons the dress of a serving girl/waitress/barmaid.
The work reminds me a bit of "The Importance of Being Earnest",
another comedy of manners, class differences and mistaken identity.