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The Way of The World

1) Congreve's play The Way of the World was not initially successful but is now considered his masterpiece. 2) The play examines how society is endangered by fools who pretend to be something they are not and by those who exploit others. 3) The complicated plot involves many pairs of lovers with shifting relationships and alliances that cause near disasters until responsible actions help resolve the situations.

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976 views

The Way of The World

1) Congreve's play The Way of the World was not initially successful but is now considered his masterpiece. 2) The play examines how society is endangered by fools who pretend to be something they are not and by those who exploit others. 3) The complicated plot involves many pairs of lovers with shifting relationships and alliances that cause near disasters until responsible actions help resolve the situations.

Uploaded by

Phantom
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Congreve’s The Way of The World

Congreve’s play The Way of the World was first performed in


1700 but it did not meet with resounding success of his first play, The
Old Bachelor.But ,as E.Albert writes,

‘ It is ironical that this play should be singled out by posterity


as his masterpiece”

It is free from the occasional at sentimental touches. It is the best


example of the Comedy of Manners.
The theme of the play is established by the title The Way of the
World,is repeated several times in the course of the play. Congreve,thus
makes it clear that his play is concerned with the problem of social living.
The people who endanger the well being of society fall primarily into two
categories—the sub intellectuals or fools who by pretending to be what
they are not.They spread the germ of affectation and artificiality on the
other hand they are the anti socials , who exploit their environment . The
fools in this play are Petulant and Witwoud,each outbidding the other in
affectation.

In Mr.Fainall and Mrs Marwood we see a pair of lovers who used


every means in their power to gain their objective.The story presents
many pairs of lovers, but at no point does it show the first stages of love.
Mrs Fainall ’s love with Mirabell is a thing of the past. Mr Fainall’s extra
marital affair with Mrs Marwood has resulted into making them joint
conspirators .Mirabell after making love to Mrs Fainall and Mrs
Marwood has come to love Millamant.

But the real theme of the play is not with the falling in love, but with
the more fundamental question of working out a permanent and
satisfactory relationship between the people who are already in love. In
other words ,it is a play about human adjustment and human
responsibilities after the acts of folly and wrong doing. Mrs. Fainall’s past
affair with Mirabell brings near disaster on her and her husband’s
adulterous union with Mrs Marwood comes back full circle upon him. At
the same time ,Mirabell’s responsible action of safeguarding his former
mistress’s wealth helps to save the situation.
The plot construction of the play is complicated. The most difficult
thing is to discover the relationships of all the characters involved at the
moment the curtain rises.There is some justification in the complain that
The way of the world is a series of still life pictures .Large number of
characters, quickly shifting scenes, complicated relationships etc make
the plot entangled.That may be the reason for its not meeting success
on the stage.
E.Albert pays rich compliments to this play for its skillful in
characterisation .Apart from the fools and rogues the character sketches
of Mirabell and Millamant and Lady Wishfort are well drawn. Mirabell
possesses all the external characterisation of the urbane gentleman. He
has wit, the polish and grace, that the sophisticated society of his age
demands. Millamant’s gaiety and wit is a perfect match for Mirabell.
Lady Wishfort is a butt for ridicule. She is fifty five years old, desperately
trying to look young with the help of paints. She is in search of a young
lover to make her husband. Mirabell takes full advantage of it.

Humour and witty dialogues are the strongest trait of the play.
there are three humour characters in the manner of Ben Jonson.——-
Lady Wishfort, Sir Wilful and Petulant.The eccentricities of their
behaviour make us laugh.Sir Wilful’s humour stems from his rural
background and Lady wish fort believes that she is young and
beautiful.Witty dialogues sparkle on every page. She puts her conditions
before marriage to Mirabell in a brilliant manner. Millamant’s one of the
wittiest speeches is when she defines a lover.

In the end, whatever charged are levied against the


Restoration comedies ,The Way of the World is above those
accusations i.e. want of action and complications in the plot are the only
weak points of this play.L.C.Knight’s charge that these comedies are
trivial ,gross and dull.

In the words of Lamb it is the utopia of gallantry .It is a


fascinating play ,and one of the masterpieces of not only of the
Restoration Age ,but in the entire range of English comedies.

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