Good-Natured Man - Oliver Goldsmith
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[alert-primary] Short Summary [/alert-primary]
Goldsmith in Good-Natured Man created ironic, farcical, or witty scenes. He ridiculed a popular culture hero, the "good-natured man." The good-natured man is the sentimental hero, the one who thinks with his heart and helps solve life's smallest problems. Goldsmith's good-natured man learns that a generous instinct can lead to self-destruction. Literal and moral purposes work together because laughter makes the lesson easier to accept.
Sir William Honeywood tries to test and reform his nephew and heir, whose good nature has led him to extravagance and foolishness. Sir William plans to create enough fictitious troubles for young Honeywood to be jailed for debt. Uncle Honeywood thinks young Honeywood will learn a valuable lesson by seeing which friends help him and which take advantage of him. Sir William admits his nephew's universal benevolence is "a fault near allied to excellence," but he wants to correct it.
Sir William's plot and most of the play's other characters show the sentimental, good-natured man his follies. Sir William is the dramatist's not-so-subtle mouthpiece, expounding on the hero's errors. Croaker, Honeywood's gloomy and selfish friend, shows the audience the other extreme's flaws. Lofty fakes benevolence (pretending to use court influence for his friends) to puff himself up in the world's eyes. Lofty is a conscious pretender, while Honeywood is sincere, but he realises he "fed his vanity" by trying to please everyone.
Sir William is happy to learn that Miss Richland, a wealthy friend, has secured Honeywood's release. Honeywood doesn't need his uncle's schemes to get in trouble. His benevolence, good nature, and sensibility cause other problems, especially with Miss Richland. Honeywood loves her, but he's only a friend. "Never let me think of making her unhappy by a relationship with someone as unworthy of her as I am," he says sentimentally. Honeywood fears he can't please her guardians, Mr. and Mrs. Croaker. Honeywood sighs and wrings his hands in distress rather than tackling obstacles directly like a Restoration comedy hero.
Honeywood's involvement is forced by circumstances. Honeywood must watch as Croaker tries to marry his son, Leontine, to Miss Richland, even though Leontine is in love with Olivia, an orphan he brought from France to replace Leontine's long-absent sister. Honeywood must watch Croaker's matchmaking and help Lofty woo Miss Richland. Lofty asks Honeywood to court the heiress for him, feigning sentimentality. Honeywood is torn between wanting to please a friend and speaking love in another's name. A deserving friend, love, a hopeless passion Seeing her in another's possession! Inconvenient! Worse, worse!—Betray a generous, trusting friend.”
In the last two acts, Honeywood's problems are solved by accident and Sir William. Honeywood lends Leontine and Olivia money so they can elope, but when Croaker intercepts a blackmail letter, he sends him to the inn where the lovers are hiding. Croaker praises Honeywood for catching his son and "daughter," but Leontine condemns him for betrayal. Honeywood woos Miss Richland on Lofty's behalf. Honeywood decides "nothing remains for me but solitude and repentance" after confessing to loving herself.
Sir William sets things right for his nephew during the final act at the inn. First, he convinces Croaker to accept Olivia as Leontine's bride. She's the daughter of an old acquaintance, from a good family, and a wealthy orphan. Sir William exposes Lofty's pretensions, showing Honeywood he's no friend. Honeywood receives Miss Richland's hand in marriage after realising his love-versus-friendship dilemma was unfounded. The events have taught the good-natured man to reserve pity for real distress, friendship for true merit, and love for her, who taught him what it is to be happy.
Goldsmith creates "laughing comedy" in the play with a farcical scene in which a bailiff and his deputy dress as gentlemen, humorous characters like Croaker and Lofty, and cross-purpose dialogue. Goldsmith's Restoration comedy of manners is rich in wit thanks to his use of cross-purpose dialogue. When characters speak at cross-purposes, they hold a logical conversation despite talking about different subjects. The ironic interplay of one attitude with another causes confusion onstage and delight for the audience.
Leontine's marriage proposal to Miss Richland in act 1, Honeywood's plea for Lofty in act 4, and Honeywood's interview with the Croakers in act 4 are the best. Leontine twists himself into verbal knots as he tries to convince his father of his ardent proposal and make it lukewarm enough for Miss Richland to reject it. Honeywood pleads so eloquently for another that Miss Richland thinks he speaks for himself. Honeywood advises Croaker on how to forgive the eloping lovers, which he misinterprets as advice on how to treat a blackmailer.
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