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.