The way of the world - Plot synopsis

The way of the world

Plot synopsis

Act 1 is set in a chocolate house where Mirabell and Fainall have just finished playing cards. A footman comes and tells Mirabell that Waitwell (Mirabell's male servant) and Foible (Lady Wishfort's female servant) were married that morning. Mirabell tells Fainall about his love of Millamant and is encouraged to marry her. Witwoud and Petulant appear and Mirabell is informed that should Lady Wishfort marry, he will lose £6000 of Millamant's inheritance. He will only get this money if he can make Lady Wishfort consent to his and Millamant's marriage.

Act 2 is set in St. James' Park. Mrs. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood are discussing their hatred of men. Fainall appears and accuses Mrs. Marwood (with whom he is having an affair) of loving Mirabell. Meanwhile, Mrs. Fainall tells Mirabell that she hates her husband, and they begin to plot about tricking Lady Wishfort to give her consent to the marriage. Millamant appears in the park, and angry about the previous night (where Mirabell was confronted by Lady Wishfort) she lets him know her displeasure in Mirabell's plan, which she only has a vague idea about. After she leaves, the newly wed servants appear and Mirabell reminds them of their roles in the plan.

Act 3, 4 and 5 are all set in the home of Lady Wishfort. We are introduced to Lady Wishfort who is encouraged to marry 'Sir Rowland' - Mirabell's supposed uncle - by Foible so that Mirabell will lose his inheritance. Sir Rowland is however Waitwell in disguise, the plan being to arrange a marriage with Lady Wishfort, which cannot go ahead because it would be bigamy, and Mirabell will offer to help her out of the embarrassing situation if she consents to his marriage. Later, Mrs. Fainall discusses this plan with Foible, but this is overheard by Mrs. Marwood. She later tells the plan to Fainall, who decides that he will take his wife's money and go away with Mrs. Marwood.

Mirabell proposes to Millamant and with Mrs. Fainall's encouragement, Millamant accepts. Mirabell leaves as Lady Wishfort arrives, and she lets it be known that she wants Millamant to marry her nephew, Sir Wilful, who has just arrived from the countryside. Lady Wishfort later gets a letter telling her about the Sir Rowland plot. Sir Rowland takes the letter and blames Mirabell of trying to sabotage their wedding. Lady Wishfort agrees to let Sir Rowland bring a marriage contract that night.

By Act 5, Lady Wishfort has found out the plot, and Fainall has had Waitwell arrested. Mrs. Fainall tells Foible that her previous affair with Mirabell is now public knowledge. Lady Wishfort appears with Mrs. Marwood, whom she's thanking for unveiling the plot. Fainall then appears and uses the information of Mrs. Fainall's previous affair with Mirabell and Millamant's contract to marry him to blackmail Lady Wishfort, telling that she should never marry and that she is to transfer all the money over to him. Lady Wishfort tells Mirabell that she will offer consent to the marriage if he can save her fortune and honour. Mirabell calls on Waitwell who brings a contract from the time before the marriage of the Fainalls in which Mrs. Fainall gives all her property to Mirabell. This neutralises the blackmail attempts, after which Mirabell restores Mrs. Fainall's property to her possession and then is free to marry Millmant with the full £6000 inheritance.

The Way of the World is not only the title but also one of the major themes of the play. Point out passions and obsessions by which characters of the play are obsessed, especially notice how the eye for advantage is common to all of them.

The play's social milieu is a world of worth. In addition to contributing to the sheer comedy of the play, wit is used as weapon of defense and attack, flirtation and deception. Find examples and explain them.

The basis of all the rhetorical figures (similes, conceits, epigrams, antitheses) in Act II, Scene 1, is comparison: characters find apt correspondences between unlike things and develop metaphors. Find examples and show how the metaphor works within the context of this scene.

Millimant and Mirabell differ from the other characters of the play whose end is sexual or economic advantage. These two are playing the social game for a more serious and nobler purpose. Find passages that support this statement. What is the aim of these two characters.

To Millimant and Mirabell wittiness is means to develop a definition of true marriage. Find the passage(s); what is their concept of marriage?

Millimant satirizes the marriages of convenience common in Restoration society. Find passages that support this statement and point out what she expects of a marriage partner. By criticizing feminine vices Mirabell indicates what he regards as feminine virtues; what are they?

The names of Congreve's characters are symbolic, linking each character with a specific idea or quality. Find passages that show how Witwoud 'would be witty,' Lady Wishfort is 'wishing for' favors from men, Fainall 'feigns all,' Mrs. Marwood 'would mar' etc.