Learner Resource 4
She Stoops to Conquer – Deception and misconception
Deception/Misconception / What kind of deception or misconception is this? / What does it tell us about the deceiver? What motivates them? / What does it tell us about the deceived? / Who does the audience sympathise with here? Why? / What central concerns are revealed here?
Tony sends Hastings and Marlow to the old Buck’s Head.
Hardcastle gets his servants to pretend to be used to good company.
Version 11© OCR 2016
She stoops to conquer
Deception/Misconception / What kind of deception or misconception is this? / What does it tell us about the deceiver? What motivates them? / What does it tell us about the deceived? / Who does the audience sympathise with here? Why? / What central concerns are revealed here?
Marlowe and Hastings treat Hardcastle like a landlord.
Constance and Hastings allow Marlow to continue in the mistaken belief that they are at an inn.
Constance encourages her aunt to believe she is interested in Tony.
Deception/
Misconception / What kind of deception or misconception is this? / What does it tell us about the deceiver? What motivates them? / What does it tell us about the deceived? / Who does the audience sympathise with here? Why? / What central concerns are revealed here?
Hastings hides his true intentions from Mrs Hardcastle.
Tony deceives his mother and steals Constance’s jewels. He tells her to say they are lost and then pretends he thinks she is acting when she discovers their disappearance.
Kate decides to let Marlow continue in the delusion that they are at an inn and develops the trick by pretending to be a barmaid.
Deception/
Misconception / What kind of deception or misconception is this? / What does it tell us about the deceiver? What motivates them? / What does it tell us about the deceived? / Who does the audience sympathise with here? Why? / What central concerns are revealed here?
Because of Hastings’s misconception he gives the casket of jewels back to Mrs Hardcastle for safekeeping.
Even when Marlow realises his mistake about the inn, Kate does not reveal her true identity and allows him to think she is poor.
Tony can’t read the letter from Hastings and unwittingly gives away the elopement plan.
Deception/
Misconception / What kind of deception or misconception is this? / What does it tell us about the deceiver? What motivates them? / What does it tell us about the deceived? / Who does the audience sympathise with here? Why? / What central concerns are revealed here?
Tony deceives his mother into thinking that she has travelled away through the night when really they have gone around on the spot.
Mrs Hardcastle has deceived her son about being of age.
Version 11© OCR 2016
She stoops to conquer