Mr Hardcastle is a very genuine and easy going character, it is his allowance of Kate to come to her own decision about Marlow which eventually results in his original desire of the two marrying. While the opening scene highlights his irritation with the actions of Tony, he is not spiteful, nor when he argues with his wife. Even with Marlow's disrespectful address to him throughout he quickly forgives and forgets on realising the reasons, indeed when Hastings enquires after Sir Charles a servant remarks “He and the old gentleman of the house have been laughing at Mr Marlow’s mistake this half hour”. This side of Hardcastle’s nature is also shown as Marlow comes to him to “ask pardon” for his “strange conduct”, Hardcastle says “you take it to gravely”, this to someone who he earlier referred to as “a coxcomb and a bully”.
In the final scene it is the good nature of Hardcastle, both in respects to Marlow and Kate that allows for their marriage.
Despite serious misgivings about Marlow's character after meeting him he trusts Kate’s judgement and forgives Marlow. He then reveals Tony’s true age to him, despite not particularly liking him, as he believes his wife to be using the knowledge of his coming of age in order to retain Miss Neville’s fortune “”I find she turns it to a wrong use, I must now declare you have been of age these last thee months”. Such actions really highlight his good nature, and it may be said that his good nature results in the sentimental theme of redemption manifesting in the final scene with what he describes to Sir Charles as “union of our families will make our personal friendship hereditary”.
George Hastings, like Hardcastle, is another character who is genuinely good natured throughout the play. He is friend and confidante to Marlow and is described as “as worthy a fellow as lives” by Sir Charles. He is the lover of Miss Neville, but is concerned with her character, not her fortune which Mrs Hardcastle covets. There are many examples of Hastings’ lack of concern for her wealth, as he is more concerned with whisking her off to France with little thought of her money which they would lose. Hastings also stands out as a supportive character, both for Marlow (in the scene where he constantly gives support during the comedic conversation between Kate and Marlow), and for Miss Constance Neville. When she decides that she cannot leave without the money, choosing to think with her head rather than her heart- “In the moment of passion, fortune may be despised, but it ever produces a lasting repentance”, Hastings stands by her and returns to the Hardcastle family home. By agreeing to this he risks having to wait three years but respects Constance’s decision nonetheless. It is this good nature that once again finds him rewarded in the final scene, as Hardcastle reveals Tony is of the age to refuse Miss Neville, so he gets both Constance Neville and her jewels.
Tony is portrayed as the incorrigible rogue of the household, the comedy elements of the play often involve him and the ‘mistakes of the night’ are directly related to his initial ruse. Despite the household, with the exception of Mrs Hardcastle, holding Tony fairly lowly in their esteem his tricks and jokes are never spiteful. While Tony is portrayed as a playful buffoon his comments on Hastings’ about turn, from foe to friend, are surprisingly astute. After the help received from Tony Hastings says “I now find you a man of your word. This looks like friendship.” To which Tony retorts “Ay now its dear friend, noble squire. Just now, it was all idiot, cub, and run me though the guts. Damn your way of fighting, I say. After we take a knock in this part of the country, we kiss and be friends. But if you had run me through the guts, then I should be dead, and you might go kiss the hangman” Hastings acknowledges the truth in his words. “The rebuke is just”. Such insightful thought does not last long however, Tony quickly returns to tormenting his long-suffering mother “ Do you see anything like a black hat moving behind the thicket”. Tony achieves redemption of his own at the end of the play as Mr Hardcastle reveals that he is indeed of age “…Tony Lumpkin is his own man again”
Mrs Hardcastle is perhaps the only character who does not enjoy a happy ending to the night. Her devout belief in Tony is evident from the first scene, though it is more a mothers love than any real sense of pride in her son- “My son is not to live by his learning. I don’t think a boy wants much learning to spend fifteen hundred a year”. In the sense of her matchmaking of Tony and Miss Neville it is more by ulterior motive. By the connection of Tony and Miss Neville she would gain socially, something that is very much a driving force in her life. While Mrs Hardcastle displays a solid redeeming feature in her willingness to lay her life down to save her son when she falsely believes Mr Hardcastle to be a highwayman- “O Lud, he’ll murder my poor boy, my darling. Here, good gentleman, whet your rage upon me. Take my money, my life, but spare that young gentleman, spare my child if you have any mercy”. This is one of few selfless acts from Mrs Hardcastle throughout the course of the play.
Ultimately it is Mrs Hardcastle’s devotion to elevation in social standing and wealth which leads her to an unhappy end. She is the only character who doesn’t enjoy a happy ending and it is likely to be her single-mindedness in the pursuit of wealth which is the cause her downfall.
The heroine of ‘She stoops to conquer’, Kate, begins the play with some trepidation at the description man her father wishes her to marry, Charles Marlow Jr. Upon learning of his penchant for “creatures of another stamp” as Miss Neville puts it, she ‘stoops’ to a lower class to better understand the man. By adopting the character of the barmaid she can see the character of Marlow without act or social class being a factor, though social class is clearly a factor to Marlow as his actions prove! Kate reveals herself to be quite shrewd and clever in her questioning of Marlow when in the guise of a poor relative in the final act- “I must remain contented with the slight approbation of imputed merit; I must have only the mockery of your addresses, while all your serious aims are fixed on fortune”. When Marlow replies “By heavens madam, fortune was ever my smallest consideration” his true nature may be scene more clearly, by both the reader and Kate. It is the intelligence of Kate and her ability to see through Marlow’s initially shy nature that results in her eventually marrying him.
“She stoops to conquer” presents the theme of redemption and reward very well. Each character with the exception of Mrs Hardcastle ends the play having gained something from the mistakes of the night. Marlow is the character which achieves redemption as he is initially portrayed din a bad light yet through showing his true nature reveals more depth than we would of thought. Each of the other characters is rewarded for their good nature or good deed, Hastings, Hardcastle and Constance Neville all achieve what they hoped to and gained it through the nature of their characters whilst Tony showed his underlying good nature in his helping of Constance and Hastings. Kate achieved what she did through the intelligent manipulation of the situation.
