The Way of The World
About author
William Congreve(1670–1729) was an English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. He is known for his clever, satirical dialogue and influence on the comedy of manners style of that period. He was also a minor political figure in the British Whig Party. He became a disciple of John Dryden. William Congreve shaped the English comedy of manners through his use of satire and well-written dialogue.
Major Works
(1) The Old Bachelor (1693)
(2) The Double Dealer (1694)
(3) Love for Love (1695)
(4) The Mourning Bride (1697)
The Way of the World as a Comedy of Manners
The Way of the World is a play written by the English playwright William Congreve. It premiered in early March 1700 in the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. It is divded into five acts. The play deals with the themes of love-inrigues & fun of marriage. Woman visits, conversations, wit manner, and love are the chief subjects or themes of comedy of manners. Gallantry was the most fashionable vocation of man and coquetry and flirtation of women. The main business of the play . centred round love-intrigues.
Love-Intrigues
In The way of the world', Congreve closely focuses on intrigues one of the aspects of London society. Everyone is engaged in intrigues. Mirabell intrigues to gain Lady wishfort's consent to his marrage with Millament. Fainall, Mrs. Marwood and the servants are also involved in intrigues. The intrigue of Mirabell is the most successful intrigue in the play. Certainly intrigues add-up to the ironic comments on the Restoration society as the title sugests- 'The way of the world. Thus the main theme of the comedy of manners - love intrigue - is the plot of "The way of the world'.
Fun of Marriage
Restoration dramatists made fun of marriage. Love is all right but marriage was dreaded calamity. Millament loves Mirabell but is most reluctant to get married. She can only agree to get married if Mirabell agrees to let her keep her individuality and liberty.
Gallantery and Sex
All these characters of ‘The Way of the World’ spend their time in the persuit of idle pleasure, wit or refined conversation, social visiting and sex intrigues were their chief activities. Gallantry is the most fashionable vocation and sex the most significant interest of them.
Brilliant Dialogues and Wit
The dialogues of "The Way of the World' sparkle with billiance, unforeseen in English drama. It is full of suggestion of scandal, and gossip but it is clothed in brilliant wit. Witwould puts, "A wit should no more be sincere, than a woman constant, one argues a decay of parts, at t'other of beauty." We can also see brilliant dialogues in speech of every character, like for instance Mirabell says, "... for I like her with all her faults; Nay, like her for her faults."
Hypocrisy and Vanity
"The Way of the World' acquaints us also with the vanities, affectations, hypocrisies and fashions of people. Women are presented to us in a ridiculous light. Mirabell's satirical remarks show that women were found of wearing masks, going to the theatre with or without their husband's knowledge. Mirabell ridicules pregnant women of the wearing light dresses. Thus maintaining their own figure but deforming the children in their wombs. Lady Wishfort's fastidiousness in her use of cosmetic to look attractive at the age of fifty five is also presented to us in comic light.
Settting of the Place
Like the other plays of this genre, the setting of "The Way of the World' is also in London. The play entirely deals with life in London. The scenes take place in London parks, Chocolate houses, St. James' Park, Clubs, Parlour or Lady Wishfort's bedroom.
Conclusion
To sum up, we can say that the main goal of the comedy of manners in the period of Restoration comedy is to mock society, or in other ways lift up society for scrutiny. The selfish, absurd and unbalanced manners of the characters are criticised clearly with the ironic and satiric usage of Congreve.
