Page "She Stoops to Conquer" Paragraph 28

* Mrs. Hardcastle-Wife to Mr. Hardcastle and mother to Tony, Mrs. Hardcastle is a corrupt and eccentric character.

She is an over-protective mother to Tony, whom she loves, but fails to tell him he's of age so that he is eligible to receive £ 1, 500 a year.

Her behaviour is either over-the-top or far-fetched, providing some of the play's comedy.

She is also partly selfish, wanting Neville to marry her son to keep the jewels in the family ; she's blissfully unaware however, that Tony and Neville despise each other, and that Constance is in fact planning to flee to France with Hastings.

Mrs. Hardcastle is a contrast to her husband, which provides the humour in the play's opening.

She loves the town, and is the only character who's not happy at the end of the play.