Oliver Goldsmith’in She Stoops to Conquer, or the Mistakes of a Night Adlı Oyununda Aşk ve Evlilik İçin Zekice Bir Hile

Restorasyon döneminde bir tür olarak ortaya çıkan töre komedisi oyunları aşık çiftleri, türe özgü sahneleri, üst sınıf davranışlarına olan hicivsel yaklaşımı, maddi arayış, aşk ve evliliğe karşı kuşkucu yak- laşım gibi temalarıyla dikkat çeker. Ancak töre komedisi, ülkedeki sosyal, ekonomik ve politik değişik- liklerin göstergesi olarak ahlaki içeriği bakımından sorgulanınca, Restorasyon döneminden sonra sert eleştirel görüşlere maruz kalır. Özellikle 18. yüzyılın ikinci yarısı duygusal ülkülerin yükselişine tanıklık eder; şöyle ki, duygusallık dönem eserlerinin temelini oluşturur. Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) çağının yeni dinamiklerinin üzerine kafa yormuş edebi kişilerden biridir ve She Stoops to Conquer, or the Mistakes of a Night (1773) adlı oyununda Restorasyon dönemi töre komedisi özeliklerini yeni okuyu- cusu/izleyicisine uyarlar. Oyun yazarı, materyalizm, aşk ve evlilik temalarına değinirken aile onayı kavra- mını ve genç nesilde gerçek aşk ve yakınlık arayışını göz önüne serer. Bu ise Restorasyon töre komedisi özelliklerinin Goldsmith’in zamanında değiştiğini gösterir. Karakterleri aracılığıyla toplumsal yapıyı sor- gulamamasına rağmen, oyun yazarı duygusal fikirleri kullanır ve onları suistimal eder. Bu çalışma, She Stoops to Conquer adlı oyunun Restorasyon töre komedisinden farklılıklarını vurgularken, oyundaki ebe- veynler ve çocukları arasındaki ilişkilerde ve aşık çiftlerin ilişkilerinde Goldsmith’in kendi dönemindeki aşk ve evlilik kavramlarını nasıl değerlendirdiğini saptamayı amaçlar.

A Witty Stratagem for Love and Marriage: Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer, or the Mistakes of a Night

The plays of a comedy of manners, a genre which emerged in the Restoration period, drawattention through the presentation of colourful couples and pairs, set-scenes, the satirical approach toupper-class manners and certain themes such as material pursuit and a cynical attitude towards love andmarriage. This type of comedy, however, met severe critical remarks after the Restoration, as its moralcontext was questioned as a result of social, economic and governmental changes in the country.Effectively, the second half of the 18 th century is laced with the rise of sentimental ideals in thatsentimentalism formed the core of the works of the time. Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) is one of theliterary figures who dwelt upon the new dynamics of the age, and he adapts the conventions of thecomedy of manners to his new reader/audience in his play entitled She Stoops to Conquer, or theMistakes of a Night (1773). While he touches upon the themes of materialism, love, and marriage, heunfolds the idea of parental consent and the quest for true love and affection among the young generation.This propounds the view that the characteristics of the Restoration comedy of manners are meta-morphosed in Goldsmith’s age, and the playwright uses and abuses sentimental ideas, although he doesnot challenge the social norms by means of his characters. This paper sets out to determine the contexts oflove and marriage in Goldsmith’s age that he affirms in the relationships between parental figures andchildren and in the affairs of couples in She Stoops to Conquer while this play’s differences from theRestoration comedy of manners are emphasised.

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