Contents

Write character sketch of Marlow and Miss Hardcastle.

Marlow

Marlow seems to have been drawn as a type. The chief qualities which we find in his character are as follows-

His Shyness Among Decent Women- He is shy in the company of decent women. He cannot speak to and look at them. He confesses that decent and respectable women freeze him.

His Frankness with Low Women-He is very frank with low women. He boasts before them. He does not at all feel shy among them.

His Fear of Formal Courtship- He fears formal courtship. He tells this thing to Hastings. He is sent by his father to court Miss Hardcastle. He tells Hastings that it is impossible for him to do so. He cannot go through the fears of a formal courtship.

His Desire for Courtship by Proxy-He has a desire for courtship by proxy. He wants to get a wife like an Eastern bridgroom. He does not want to be Introduced to a girl before his marriage with her.

His Dual Personality- He has a dual personality. He is shy and nervous in the presence of Miss Hardcastle. He constantly looks at the ground. He speaks in broken sentences. He leaves her with a bow. After sometime, he meets her as a bar-maid. Then, he becomes a totally changed man. All his shyness is gone. He boasts. He praises her beauty and eyes. He holds her hand. He even tries to kiss and embrace her.

His Vanity-He is full of vanity. He loves Miss Hardcastle as a barmaid. But he cannot marry her. There is a difference in their birth, fortune and education If he marries her, his father will be angry. His friends will laugh at him.

Conclusion-In conclusion, we can say that we find nothing impressive in him. He is certainly a good fellow, but he is very nervous. At times, he makes himself very ridiculous, He is hardly capable of thinking.

Miss Hardcastle

Miss Hardcastle is the harmonic of the play. We find the following traits in her character-

Her Love for fashion- Like all girls of her age, she has a love for French fashion so, her father is a little disturbed about her.

Her Obedience and Respect-She is very obedient to her father. To please him, she puts on a housewife’s plain dress in the evening. She is full of respect for him. He chooses Marlow for her husband. Mrs Hardcastle respects his choice. She agrees to marry Marlow.

Her Frankness with Neville-He is very frank with Neville, who tells her the strange character of Marlow. On hearing this Miss Hardcastle very frankly says: “I shall never be able to manage him.”

His Likes and Dislikes- She has her likes and dislikes. She makes them known to her father. She is pleasant to hear that Marlow is young and landsome. But she is not pleased to hear that Marlow is a reserved lover. She says to her father: “A reserved lover always makes a suspicious husband.”

Her Intelligence- She is a very intelligent girl. She shows her intelligence in her first meeting with Marlow. He is very nervous. He speaks in broken sentences. Miss Hardcastle covers up his nervousness. She fills up his broken sentences. By these two things, she shows the quickness of her mind.

Her Study of Marlow-She makes a very good study of Marlow in her first interview. She sees through her loving nature. She is fascinated by his modesty. She makes no secret of it. She says to het father: “I never saw anyone so modest.”

Her Hope to Reform Marlow-Her first interview with Marlow has been very dull. But she does not give up the hope of winning him. She says: “If I could teach him a little confidence, it would be doing him a place of service.”

Her Resourcefulness- The maid-servant tells her about Marlow. He saw her in her plain dress. So, he thought her to be a barmaid. Miss Hardcastle’s resourcefulness at once comes to her help. She makes up her mind to play the part of a barmaid.

Her Stooping to Conquer-She thinks that she can win Marlow’s love as a barmaid to conquer him. There is certainly a risk in it. But she fearlessly takes it.

Her Tactfulness- She is very tactful. Marlow asks her who she is. She calls herself a poor relation of the family. She does not tell who she really is. She knows its reason. If she tells about her own self, Marlow will not remain frank with her. As such, she will have to his declaration of love.

Her Daringness and Victory- She is a very daring girl. As such, she getsvictory over Marlow. She fails to convince Sir Charles that Marlow loves her. So, she asks him and her father to stand behind a screen. While they do so, she meets Marlow. She is dressed as a barmaid. She is able to make Marlow declare his love for her. This is her moment of victory.

Conclusion-In conclusion, we can say that we are very much impressed with Miss Hardcastle’s character. She is a brave and courageous girl. We wish with her father: “She should make as good a wife as she has made a daughter.”