The Way of the WorldWilliam CongreveOmniClassics · Literature
The Way of the World
William CongreveA proposed marriage must pass through a social world where affection, money, reputation, and strategic deception are closely connected.
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About the book
Mirabell and Millamant wish to marry, but the consent and financial power of Lady Wishfort create an obstacle that cannot be solved by declaring their feelings. Plans involving servants, disguises, past attachments, and threatened exposure draw a larger circle of characters into the contest. Congreve gives conversation a practical function: a polished remark may conceal a proposal, establish an advantage, or test how much another person knows. The celebrated negotiation between the prospective couple makes room for the question of what independence can survive within marriage. Around it, less generous arrangements expose the material stakes behind fashionable manners. The comedy rewards close attention to relationships and information, since the apparent elegance of this world depends on people keeping track of obligations they would often prefer to disguise.
- Marriage and negotiation
- Money and power
- Social performance
Why read it
For a comedy whose intricate plotting and verbal precision make the terms of marriage a serious matter beneath fashionable wit.
Comedy · English text