The way of the world

Dramas staged between 1660 and 1700 are called ‘Restoration Dramas’. The dramatic literature of the period was dominated by comedies called ‘Comedy of manners’. Actually ‘Restoration Comedy’ is used as a synonym for “Comedy of Manners”. The plot of the comedy, often concerned with scandal, was traditionally less important than its witty dialogues.
The comedy of manners was first developed in the new comedy of the Ancient Greek Playwright Menander. His style, elaborate plots, and stock characters were imitated by the Roman playwrights Plautus and Terence, whose comedies were widely known and copied during the Renaissance. The best-known comedies of manners, however, may well be those of the French playwright Moliere.
Oscar Wilde and William Congreve are the most celebrated authors of ‘Comedy of Manners’.

1. By William Congreve The Way of the World Indranil Sarkar Sapatgram/India Contact-09859945270

2. The Way of the World

3. The Way of the World Charles-II and the Restoration Charles–II was 19 when he fled from England in 1649 and took shelter in France. He restored his father’s crown in 1660 with a mind enlivened with French cultural heritage and shaped by French education system. He borrowed with him all the virtues and vices of French society with him. Restoring his Father’s crown, he vowed to reform all the deficiencies of his countrymen with the good qualities of French cultural heritage. He was very interested in fashion,theatre,entertainmentand women. A new middle class emerged with interest in all the aforementioned qualities. England was becoming ‘a nation of the shop-keepers. The theatre houses that were closed by the puritans started re-opening.

4. The Way of the World Samuel Pepys PRS,MP,JP ( 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the dairy he kept for a decade as a young man. Samuel Pepys account kept from 1660 until 1669 was first published in the 19th century and is one of the most important primary source for the English Restoration period. It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events. Samuel Pepys

5. The Way of the World Restoration London Society: In 1660, London seethed with a population of 300,000. In Europe only Paris and Constantinople were larger. King Charles II – a lover of women and of good living – was on the throne, and the streets were crowded with velvet-clad noblemen making their way to the reopened theatres. Watermen plied their trade along the River Thames between the Palace of Westminster and the City, and in the newly fashionable St James's Park, Londoners took the air by day and sought other – illicit – pleasures at night. The sense of morality was banished from England. Immorality ,foppishness, frivolity and licentiousness became the order of the day. Extra-marital relationship became a criteria for social –recognition.

6. The Way of the World Comedy of Manners Dramas staged between 1660 and 1700 are called ‘Restoration Dramas’. The dramatic literature of the period was dominated by comedies called ‘Comedy of manners’. Actually ‘Restoration Comedy’ is used as a synonym for “Comedy of Manners”. The plot of the comedy, often concerned with scandal, was traditionally less important than its witty dialogues. The comedy of manners was first developed in the new comedy of the Ancient Greek Playwright Menander. His style, elaborate plots, and stock characters were imitated by the Roman playwrights Plautus and Terence, whose comedies were widely known and copied during the Renaissance. The best-known comedies of manners, however, may well be those of the French playwright Moliere. Oscar Wilde and William Congreve are the most celebrated authors of ‘Comedy of Manners’.

7. The Way of the World Some of the  important features of the 'Comedy of Manners' are as follows: 1. The action always takes place in London. 2. There is always a contrast between the rural and the urban. For example in Congreve's "The Way of the World" Squire Witwoud is from the county of Shropshire and his arrival in London results in a lot of amusement and humour. 3. The presence of at least one pair of very intelligent young lovers. 4. Witty dialogue is perhaps the most important feature of the Comedy of Manners. 5. All the other aspects of the play are usually sacrificed for the sake of contriving a situation which would give rise to 'witty' dialogue. 6. The appeal of the Comedy of Manners is to the intelligence of the audience/reader and not to the emotions. 7. The 'witty' dialogue was usually obscene, for the theatres had just reopened after the Restoration. 8.The women in these plays were very emancipated and bold and independent, unlike the heroines of the Sentimental dramas. 9.The institution of marriage was always held to ridicule. Both husbands and wives openly expressed their dissatisfaction of their spouses. 10. These plays were mainly intended for the elegant and sophisticated audiences of London city. Hence the characters were almost always from the upper class society of London. 11. These plays portrayed the lifestyle of the idle rich of London city very realistically. 12. The plays were mildly satirical-the playwright could not afford to hurt his upper class audience. [Copy from enotes.com]

8. The Way of the World Chocolate House of St. James Park The Mall & St. James Park

9. The Way of the World Chocolate Houses Chocolate was brought to Spain by Christopher Columbus from the Caribbean Islands for his patron the King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella . For nearly 100 years the Spaniards tasted Chocolate secretly. Chocolates was prepared from Cacao plants then available only in the Caribbean Islands. It came to England in the Restoration period. The first Chocolate House was established in Bishopgate in London in 1657 under the patronage of Charles –II. Chocolate at that time was very costly and only moneyed people(aristocrats) can afford to have chocolate drinks. Visiting the Chocolate Houses was not only a favourite pastime but also a part of Restoration culture.

10. The Way of the World Chocolate House

11. The Way of the World Collie Cibber: Critique of Congreve’s ‘The Way of the World’. Jeremy Collier's A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage (1698) was a direct attack on Congreve and Dryden. Collier succeeded in garnering public support for his cause by beginning with the accepted neoclassical doctrine that the purpose of drama is to teach and please and then pointing out the disparity between theory and practice. Congreve responded to Collier's accusations in Amendments of Mr. Collier's False and Imperfect Citations (1698), but the conservative middle class, determined to make its tastes felt, sided with Collier and the Society for the Reformation of Manners. Collie Cibber failed to understand the undertone of the play and judged it simply by its apparent exhibition of ‘licensciousness and immorality’ of the Restoration society.

12. The Way of the World Restoration Theatre House

13. The Way of the World Restoration Theatre goers.

14. The Way of the World William Congreve in 1709 Born: 24 January 1670 Bardsey, England . Died:19 January 1729 (aged 58)London, England Occupation : Playwright, Poet Nationality :English Period 1693–1700 Genre : Comedy of Manners

15. The Way of the World Congreve as a writer: In praise of Congreve, it should be said that, for almost the first time in England, he brought to the service of the stage a painstaking art. He cared much about the way a sentence was built, about balance, and getting the right shade of meaning. His diction is exactly fitted for oral use; and his pictures of the world of wealth and fashion are diverting. Congreve is, perhaps, the only English writer who can really be compared with Molière . Artistically he was a follower of John Dryden. He may be truly acclaimed as the father of English ‘Comedy of Manners’. Works of Congreve William Congreve wrote some of the most popular English plays of the Restoration period of the late 17th century. By the age of thirty, he had written four comedies, including Love for Love (premiered 30 April 1695) and The Way of the World (premiered 1700 ), and one tragedy, The Mourning Bride ( 1697 ) Unfortunately, his career ended almost as soon as it began. After writing five plays from his first in 1693 until 1700.[wikipedia]

16. The Way of the World Edmund Gosse called William Congreve’s ‘The Way of the World’ as the best-written, the most dazzling and the most intellectually accomplished of all English Comedies, perhaps of all the comedies of the world.’

17. The Way of the World ‘ The Way of the World’ has been described as being one of the four great English comedies ,alongside ‘The Importance of being earnest by Oscar Wilde, ‘Private Lives’ by Noel Coward and ‘As You like It’ by William Shakespeare.

18. The Way of the World Congreve’s LONDON

19. The Way of the World An overview of the play ‘The Way of the World’:- The play is based around the two lovers Mirabell and Millamant.In order for the two to get married and receive Millamant's full dowry, Mirabell must receive the blessing of Millamant's aunt, Lady Wishfort. Unfortunately, she is a very bitter lady, who despises Mirabell and wants her own nephew, Sir Wilful, to wed Millamant. Other characters include Fainall who is having a secret affair with Mrs. Marwood, a friend of Mrs. Fainall's, who in turn once had an affair with Mirabell. Waitwell is Mirabell's servant and is married to Foible, Lady Wishfort's servant. Waitwell pretends to be Sir Rowland and, on Mirabell's command, tries to trick Lady Wishfort into a false engagement. Source: wikipedia

20. The Way of the World Dedication:- Congreve dedicated his play , ‘The Way of the World’  to Ralph, Earl of Montague, whose company and conversation have made it possible for Congreve to write this comedy. The dedication also constitutes a statement of purpose. It is written in the form of a letter.

21. The Way of the World -:Prologue:- Like Classical Comedies, Congreve provided a Prologue to his masterpiece ‘The Way of the World’. In the prologue to the play, Congreve categorizes poets as those who fare the worst among  Nature’s fools, for Fortune first grants them fame and then “forsakes” them. Congreve laments this unfair treatment meted out to the poets, who are Fortune’s own offspring. Poets have to risk the fame earned from their previous work when they write a new work. If his new endeavor fails, the poet must lose his seat in Parnassus. He tells the audience not to pity him for his stupidity. He promises that he will blame the audience if they heckle any scene. He proceeds to state that his play has “some plot,” “some new thought,” “some humor” -- but “no farce.” Finally, he bids the audience to “save or damn” him according to their own discretion.

22. The Way of the World Summary The main character and libertine, Mirabell, is in love with Millamant, a niece of Lady Wishfort, who pretends to make love to the aunt to conceal his suit for the niece. His trick is revealed by Mrs. Marwood, who does so to seek revenge because Mirabell has rejected her advances. Lady Wishfort, who now hates Mirabell "more than a quaker hates a parrot," will deprive her niece of the half of the inheritance she controls if Millamant marries Mirabell. Mirabell has his servant Waitwell impersonate his uncle, Sir Rowland, and pretend to marry Lady Wishfort, but only after having secretly married him off to her maid, Foible. He hopes to use this humiliating deception to force Lady Wishfort to consent to his marriage to Millamant. The plot is discovered by Mrs. Marwood, who also finds out that Mirabell has had a previous intrigue with Mrs. Fainall, daughter of Lady Wishfort, after which she married her off to Mr. Fainall, thinking that she was pregnant with his child. She conspires with Fainall, her lover, who pretends to be the friend of Mirabell, to reveal this information to Lady Wishfort, while Fainall threatens to divorce his wife and to discredit Lady Wishfort unless he is given full control of Mrs. Fainallís property and Millamant's portion is handed over to him. The scheme fails. Mrs. Fainall denies all and brings proof of Fainall's affair with Mrs. Marwood, while Mirabell produces a deed by which Mrs. Fainall, before her marriage, made him trustee of all her property. In the end, Lady Wishfort, grateful for her release from Fainall's threats, forgives Mirabell and consents to the marriage. [http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org

23. The Way of the World Characters:- Mirabell A young man-about-town, in love with Millamant. Millamant A young, very charming lady, in love with, and loved by, Mirabell. She is the ward of Lady Wishfort because she is the niece of Lady Wishfort's long-dead husband. She is a first cousin of Mrs. Fainall. Fainall A man-about-town. He and Mirabell know each other well, as people do who move in the same circles. However, they do not really like each other. Fainall married his wife for her money. Mrs. Fainall Wife of Fainall and daughter of Lady Wishfort. She was a wealthy young widow when she married Fainall. She is Millamant's cousin and was Mirabell's mistress, presumably after her first husband died. Mrs. Marwood Fainall's mistress. It does appear, however, that she was, and perhaps still is, in love with Mirabell. This love is not returned. Young Witwoud A fop. He came to London from the country to study law but apparently found the life of the fashionable man-about-town more pleasant. He has pretensions to being a wit. He courts Millamant, but not seriously; she is merely the fashionable belle of the moment. [Cliffnotes]

24. The Way of the World Characters: Petulant A young fop, a friend of Witwoud's. His name is indicative of his character. Lady Wishfort A vain woman, fifty-five years old, who still has pretensions to beauty. She is the mother of Mrs. Fainall and the guardian of Millamant. She is herself in love with Mirabell, although she is now spiteful because he offended her vanity. Sir Wilfull Witwoud The elder brother of Young Witwoud, he is forty years old and is planning the grand tour of Europe that was usually made by young men to complete their education. He is Lady Wishfort's nephew, a distant, non-blood relative of Millamant's, and Lady Wishfort's choice as a suitor for Millamant's hand. Waitwell Mirabell's valet. At the beginning of the play, he has just been married to Foible, Lady Wishfort's maid. He masquerades as Sir Rowland, Mirabell's nonexistent uncle, and woos Lady Wishfort. Foible Lady Wishfort's maid, married to Waitwell. Mincing Millamant's maid. Peg A maid in Lady Wishfort's house. [ [Source:Cliffnotes]

25. The Way of the World Act-I:- 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. [source-wikipedia]

26. The Way of the World Act-II 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 (which she does). Meanwhile, Mrs. Fainall (having previously been his lover) 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. [wikipedia]

27. The Way of the World Act-III Acts 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, not to mention a social disgrace (Waitwell is only a serving man, Lady Wishfort an aristocrat). 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. [wikipedia]

28. The Way of the World Act-IV Mirabell and Millamant, equally strong-willed, discuss in detail the conditions under which they would accept each other in marriage (otherwise known as the "proviso scene"), showing the depth of feeling for each other. Mirabell finally proposes to Millamant and, with Mrs. Fainall's encouragement (almost consent, as Millamant knows of their previous relations), Millamant accepts. Mirabell leaves as Lady Wishfort arrives, and she lets it be known that she wants Millamant to marry her nephew, Sir Wilfull Witwoud, 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 accuses Mirabell of trying to sabotage their wedding. Lady Wishfort agrees to let Sir Rowland bring a marriage contract that night.[wikipedia]

29. The Way of the World Act-V 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 Millamant with the full £6000 inheritance. [wikipedia]

30. The Way of the World The Proviso Scene: The Proviso Scene: In Act 4 of The Way of the World, couple Mirabell and Millament find themselves in a battle of wit as they discuss the terms of their marriage. This scene, called the proviso scene, gives important insight into Mirabell and Millament's relationship. The terms of both characters illustrate their concerns and fears for their future marriage. This Scene is called the Proviso scene of the play. Millament's Terms Allowed to stay in bed late as she wishes Mirabell cannot call her by pet names No public displays of affection allowed Allowed to have any visitors without question Allowed to write and receive any letters without question Not required to spend time with Mirabell's friends or family Allowed to eat dinner together or alone as she wishes Allowed to dress how she wants Allowed to be in charge of her tea table  Mirabell must always knock before entering a room. [source:weebly.com]                        

31. The Way of the World The Proviso scene: Mirabell's Terms Millamont must not have friends who are women   Millamont must like her own face Millamont cannot wear makeup or other cosmetics         Millamont must not wear corsets          Allowed to restrict Millamont's drink intake’ Source: weebly.com        

32. The Way of the World Mirabell - Mirabell, a man of fashion, intelligent and authentically in love with Mrs. Millamant. He enjoys the favors, either overt or covert, of most of the women in the play, who, either through unrequited love of him or mutual affection, try to affect the course of his fortune. He is presented as a man of genuine parts, not so superficial as to render him without a sense of honor or the genuine ability to experience love, but at the same time a clever schemer. His love for Mrs. Millamant and his hope of legitimate income are the motivating factors in his intrigues. Mirabell is somewhat more in love with Mrs. Millamant than she with him. Although his stake in the marriage is higher than hers, he bears up well under the handicap, never attempting to outmaneuver Mrs. Millamant by feigning indifference. Instead, he rather admirably presses his proposal with candor and plain dealing as to his love. Thus, he keeps a manly station without lowering himself to beg or unduly flatter her, and he impresses her with his devotion. He emerges from the action as a Restoration gentleman who possesses wit, charm, and masculinity and who does not deal in simper, pose, or guile. Although he is a master schemer on occasion, in him the vestiges of sense, honor, and right have not become translated into chicanery, venery, or deception. [www.enotes.com]

33. The Way of the World Millament-Mrs. Millamant, Lady Wishfort’s niece, loved by Mirabell and perhaps the most fascinating member of the cast. Mrs. Millamant contains within her personality an attractive haughtiness, and she enjoys making Mirabell’s suit appear an even more one-sided affair than it is. She has a frankness that sometimes uncouples her from her train of followers and a glitter that—especially in the famous comic-love scene between herself and Mirabell—approaches radiant wit. For all her practiced arts of conversation and her determination to keep love a game, Mrs. Millamant is levelheaded, and Mirabell’s commendable qualities will meet good use in such a wife. Beneath her protests and shams, she has carefully marked a line to follow. She wisely recognizes Mirabell as the man to keep her on it. [enotes.com]

34. The Way of the World What is Wit? Wit is a form of intelligent humour. It is the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. Who is a Wit? A wit is a person skilled at making clever and funny remarks. How many type of Wits are portrayed by Congreve ? Congreve portrayed there type of Wits. i.True Wit ii.False Wit iii.Half-Wit More generally, one's wits are one's intellectual powers of all types. [Source: wikipedia]

35. The Way of the World Millamant & Mirabell True Wits

36. The Way of the World Half- Wit [foolish or stupid fellow] Wilful, Witwould Half-Wit Sir Wilfull Wishwould is a typical country bumpkin, a butt of the city wit.He is a traditional character type in comedy. Like other characters in the play, Sir Wilfull does not quite conform to type. He is shown as having country manners: he calls for slippers; he drinks too heavily; he is very shy with Millamant, awed by the city lady. He is a Half-Wit.

37. The Way of the World False-Wit “ False wit is a fatiguing search after cunning traits, an affectation of saying in enigmas what others have already said naturally, to hang together ideas which are incompatible, to divide that which ought to be united, of seizing false relations. ” ― Voltaire http://izquotes.com/quote/367909 False –Wit in ‘The Way of the World’.

38. The Way of the World False Wit Lady Wishfort and Mrs. Marwood are the examples of ‘False Wits’. A False wit is a fool who affects witticism but fails miserably. The very names are significant and meaningful. Wishfort means ‘Who has unbound wishes’ while Marwood means ‘One who mars or destroys everything’. False Wit

39. The Way of the World Servants:- In Restoration society servants had a very decisive and important place. The beaus were too much dependent on their servants as they could not do anything themselves. In ‘The Way of the World’, we get three servants: Foible, Mincing and Waitwell. They were not just servants. They acted as friend, helper and even guide to their masters. Foible was Lady Wishfort’s resourceful, energetic servant, allied with Mirabell. Waitwell was Mirabell’s serving-man, married to Foible. Mirabell used him in his plot against Lady Wishfort. Mincing was Mrs. Millamant’s maid.

40. The Way of the World The Proviso Scene:-

41. The Way of the World Congreve may be described as a master of illustrating feminine psychology of the Restoration but sadly the reaction to this play's morality made it his last. He suffered the irony of being killed by a carriage while in the post of "Commissioner for Licensing Hackney Carriages"! [BBC] Nb. Congreve died in a carriage accident.

42. The Way of the World

43. FINIS The Way of the World