Significance of the prologue in Goldsmith's anti-sentimental comedy "She Stoops to Conquer"

Analyse the prologue and write down its significance./ What is a prologue? Is it necessary in “She Stoops to Conquer”?  Edited by--R.Mahanty.

A Prologue, as per rule, is the beginning of a play inaugurates the purpose and the motif of the play. The prologue of “She Stoops to Conquer” is not an exception. The main purpose of the prologue was to revive the vivacity and vitality of true and genuine comedy. As the contemporary audience had had their inclination on sentimental comedy, David Garrick, a contemporary actor wrote a prologue to rejuvenate true comedy in Goldsmith’s drama—“She stoops to conquer”. The prologue was delivered by Mr. Woodward, a contemporary actor. A person forgets to laugh due to the influence of sentimental comedy. Sentimental comedy generally plays with the human emotions and made them serious.

Mr. Woodward, ‘dressed in black, and holding a handkerchief to his eyes’ entered into the stage. The black dress is a actually a funeral dress and it also symbolizes the melancholy and gloominess. The actual goddess of comedy is now lying on the death-bed. He is melancholy because comic art is sick and dying. He means that comic art is dying due to the growing popularity of the sentimental comedy. Due to the popularity of sentimental comedy, he may lose his bread. He is a comic actor after all. He gives the reference of Edward Shuter, a contemporary actor, also will be jobless  due to the overgrowing popularity of sentimental comedy.

He considers sentimental comedy as a woman of lower birth having no slice of morality. It is such a comedy that plays with the trivial emotions of a human being. He never can support the frolicsome and the frivolousness of such a comedy.  Comic actors like the speaker and Shuter would find it impossible to utter sentiments. They try to look grave and woeful in their countenance and utter moral maxims, but they cannot do so.

There is a solution however for the problem. It is called a ray of hope in this dismal situation. A doctor like Goldsmith has come to revive the dying Comic Muse. “A Doctor comes this night to show his skull./ To cheer her heart, and give your muscles motion.” “She stoops to conquer” is a comedy in five acts is considered to be a medicine to revive the true spirit of a genuine comedy. The speaker does not know either they will appreciate the drama or not because they are accustomed with the sentimental scenes of sentimental comedy. However, if the medicine is taken, he would be considered as a doctor.

The prologue is really important as it points out how the sentimental comedy ruled in the 18^th century. Actually the characters in a sentimental comedy are always pathetic wooden. They are removed from real life. This comes to defect the necessary elements like—wit, fun, humor. These are the essential characteristics of a genuine comedy. The main purpose of the prologue of “She stoops to conquer” is to create a humorous atmosphere. It appeals to abandon the artificial pathos, which is unnecessary, and to welcome the bathos.