Explore the view that, in She Stoops to Conquer, barmaids are not simply figures of fun, they are positively celebrated - Sample script (AS paper 1, Section B)

Oct 20, 2026

Sample response and examiner commentary for an AS Paper 1 Section B question. The candidate argues that, despite apparent comedy, Goldsmith does not truly celebrate barmaids as positive figures; instead, they function as comedic objects of ridicule alongside other lower-class characters. The response highlights Kate Hardcastle’s disguise and trickster intelligence, examines language and mispronunciation comedy, and critiques how Marlow behaves toward the pretending barmaid and how Bet Bouncer is admired more than theatrically validated.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Question prompt

View on barmaids in She Stoops to Conquer

Candidate response

Argument: barmaids as figures of fun, not celebration

Kate Hardcastle’s disguise and dramatic methods

Marlow’s behaviour and counter-evidence

Bet Bouncer: admiration without clear “barmaid” status

Examiner commentary

Aspects of comedy: Exemplar student response and commentary (AS paper 1, Section B) Below you will find an exemplar student response to a Section B question in the specimen assessment materials for AS Paper 1, followed by an examiner commentary on the response. Sample script-Paper 1B, Section B, band 4/5 response Explore the view that, in She Stoops to Conquer, barmaids are not simply figures of fun, they are positively celebrated. Remember to include in your answer relevant comment on Goldsmith's dramatic methods. Given the high ‘laughing’ comedy of Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer it is hard to see any character or character type being celebrated. While it is true that Tony Lumpkin adores Bet Bouncer and in performance s he is often portrayed asa barmaid, it is not the case that the play ‘celebrates’ barmaids since no-one is really celebrated. In this play, Goldsmith mocks the townsfolk and the country folk, the lower class drinking males and the women who serve them their beer – whether this is the disguised Kate Hardcastle or the lusty Bet Bouncer. I would therefore argue that barmaids are simply figures of fun – just as the gentry are and the gentlemen from the town. There is not anyone in the play who is not portrayed as ridiculous – a figure of fun – at some point in the play. If anyone is celebrated in this play though, it is Kate Hardcastle – not because she is a barmaid, because she isn’t, but because she is an intelligent trickster who dons the trappings of a barmaid to teach Marlow ‘a little confidence’. She‘stoops’ to conquer him. (The word stoops is important here as it does not suggest that barmaids are figures to be celebrated) . When she meets her prospective husband she finds his bashfulness tedious but as becomes a comedy, she believes he may have many ‘good qualities under his first appearance’. It is Kate’s maid who gives her the idea of ‘becoming’ a barmaid as she tells Kate that Marlow asked her if Kate were a barmaid of the inn (which Tony has tricked him into believing is the Hardcastle’s mansion) . Kate then seizes the opportunity of using her acting skills to take Marlow off his guard and become an ‘invisible champion of romance’. The encounter between Kate as barmaid and Marlow is funny. Even though she has the upper hand she surely makes barmaids figures of fun when she speaks in a common tongue ‘O la, sir, you’ll make one ashamed’, when she mispronounces words – ‘obstropalous’ for obstreperous and when she tries to evade the advances of Marlow’s lips as he tries to kiss her by comparing herself to a horse, ‘One would think you wanted to know one’s age as they do horses, by mark of mouth’. When Marlow is talking to Hastings about his nervousness around sophisticated women, he admits that he is completely different among lower class women. He confesses that fine women freeze him but barmaids and college bed-makers make him feel relaxed. This is not, however, proof that barmaids are celebrated in Goldsmith’s play. After all, Marlow cuts a comic figure when he stammers in front of Kate and he is somewhat rude and ill-mannered when talking about the lower classes – and barmaids in particular. He doesn’t celebrate them, he demeans them with his coarse behaviour. This can be seen when he is first with Kate the pretending barmaid. He has barely exchanged half a dozen sentences with her before he makes passes at her and then tries to kiss her. Though it maybe a comedy, this is hardly a way of ‘celebrating’ the barmaid. The other possible way it could be argued that barmaids are celebrated is through the character of Bet Bouncer and Goldsmith’s choice of her name perhaps gives her celebrity status of a sort. Whether she is a barmaid though is debatable. Although many readers assume that she is a barmaid in The Three Pigeons, there is no specific evidence for this and Bet is not given a speaking part so she is certainly not celebrated through her own voice. However, she is certainly admir

FAQs

What is the Section B question asking about barmaids in She Stoops to Conquer?

The question explores whether barmaids are not merely comic figures but are positively celebrated in the play.

How does the response treat Goldsmith’s depiction of barmaids?

It argues barmaids are primarily figures of fun and ridicule rather than genuinely celebrated, even when characters appear confident or admired.

Why does the response claim Kate Hardcastle is different from barmaids?

Because Kate is an intelligent trickster who uses the trappings of a barmaid to influence Marlow, so any “celebration” is tied to her disguise and strategy rather than the barmaid role itself.

Oct 20, 2026

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