Ready Reference Treatise: The Way of the World

By Raja Sharma

“The Way of the World” by the English playwright William Congreve is considered as one of the best Restoration comedies. It first premiered in March 1700 in the theatre in Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

When the play was first launched, it was not very well received by the audience. However, it is still occasionally performed in the different parts of the world.

Having seen the premier show of the play, the audiences concluded that “The Way of the World” continued the immorality of the previous decades.

Ready Reference Treatise: The Way of the World
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Major Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Oct 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310464201

Raja Sharma

Raja Sharma is a retired college lecturer.He has taught English Literature to University students for more than two decades.His students are scattered all over the world, and it is noticeable that he is in contact with more than ninety thousand of his students.

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Ready Reference Treatise: The Way of the World

Copyright

Ready Reference Treatise: The Way of the World

Raja Sharma

Copyright@2015 Raja Sharma

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Chapter One: Introduction

The Way of the World by the English playwright William Congreve is considered as one of the best Restoration comedies. It first premiered in March 1700 in the theatre in Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

When the play was first launched, it was not very well received by the audience. However, it is still occasionally performed in the different parts of the world.

Having seen the premier show of the play, the audiences concluded that The Way of the World continued the immorality of the previous decades.

It is noticeable that in 1700, the audiences who loved going to theatre had significantly changed. The plays of the earlier decades, which provided licentiousness and opulence, were no longer in vogue. Serious plays with contemporary themes and subject matters had begun to be accepted by the contemporary audiences.

Several Restoration comedies used to have the political instabilities under the surface. Such comedies were still present in the 1700s but the change in the taste of the audiences was inevitable.

Chapter Two: Plot Overview

The opening act of the play is set in a chocolate house. Fainall and Mirabell have just ended their game of cards.

As the card-playing ends, a footman enters the room and informs Mirabell that Mirabell’s male servant Waitwell and Lady Wishfort’s female servant Foible got married that morning.

Mirabell informs Fainall about his love of Millamant. It transpires that Mirabell is encouraged to marry her. In the meantime, Witwoud and Petulant enter the room.

They inform Mirabell that if Lady Wishfort gets married, he will lose six thousand pounds of Millamant’s inheritance. He is further informed that he will get the inheritance if he is able to make Lady Wishfort agree to his and Millamant’s marriage.

The second act of the play is set in St. James. Mrs. Fainall and