At the end of Oliver Goldsmith’s play She Stoops to Conquer, it is decided that Kate Hardcastle will marry Charles Marlow.

Kate Hardcastle is an upper-class woman. Her father wants her to marry a man from the same class named Charles Marlow, the son of one of his wealthy friends. When Marlow and Kate meet, Marlow is extremely shy, and Kate later reflects that she would like him a lot if she could break him out of his shell. Marlow also mistakes Kate for a barmaid because she is wearing an old-fashioned dress. Kate decides to use this to her advantage and try to get to know more about Marlow.

Although she lies about who she is, pretending to be of a lower social class does allow Kate to get close to Marlow. He is more comfortable talking to women who are not from the upper class, and he starts to like Kate the way she likes him. He becomes conflicted between his feelings for her and his desire to be with someone of the same social class. In the end, Marlow reveals he loves the barmaid for herself and wants to be with her despite her low social standing. Knowing he loves her for who she is, not for her money, Kate marries Marlow.