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International Journal of Research p-ISSN: 2348-6848 e-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 02 Issue 09 September 2015

The Way of the World as a Typical Mithlesh Bhiwani Abstract

The Way of thee World is an excellent example of of manners in which

Congreve shows himself to be at his best as far as and humour in the play is concerned. In

The Way of the World Congreve attempts to create true wit in contrast to the attempted wit in such a manner that the audience may see the difference, Oscar Wilde created a world in which wit may never be truly false, as it will never be recognized as such. He stripped his characters of a true sense of personality and created them in a way they are more of his own echo rather than posing as individuals with their own voice. Consequently, they do not differ as much from each other as the characters in The Way of the World do and as a result the same distinction between false and true wit cannot be applied.

Key-Words: Wit, Humour, Artificial, Contemporary, Aristocratic

Paper of humour and comedy of manners. That is why, the central thematic

The Way of the World is a powerful concern of The Way of the World as a

Restoration where William comedy of manners lies in its powerful

Congreve has assimilated the tradition comedy of the socio-cultural stream of of Ben Johnson, Flitcher and Shirley the restoration society with its and the French tradition of Moliere, complicated love intrigues, its intricate

Racine, and Corneille expressed in a family relationships and its overlapping compact, but complicated tightly knit legal and money intrigues in which the network of comedy of intrigue, comedy dramatist appears to be highlighting

Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 968 International Journal of Research p-ISSN: 2348-6848 e-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 02 Issue 09 September 2015

the human life, its values and manners supported by the minor figures like along with the various means and ways Petulant, Witwoud, Foible, Mincing, of the world and hence, the title of the Waitwell, and Sir Willful etc. What else play. can be more satirical and humorous

than the scene in which Lady Wishfort, Since, the play explores the external at the age of fifty-five, is unable to physical nuances and details of human decide which dress to wear and which behavior, so it has rightly been called posture to maintain to welcome her artificial drama commenting on the perspective suitor, Sir Rowland in her various foibles and vices, ills and evils house? How important the money of the late seventeenth century. The matters are for these people can be Way of the World is a mature and gauged by the love-affair of Mirabell, powerful expression of society and first, with Mrs. Fainall; then the false human behavior artistically fused in to pretension of love for lady Wishfort, and a single vision of life. finally, to Millamant, but not going for In exploring the contemporary life, marriage because of the fear of has focused on the forfeiting six thousand pounds which institution of marriage and family are in Lady Wishfort’s custody. which are the vital parts of the society So, if Mirabell was genuinely in love in terms of an old lady Wishfort at the with Mrs. Fainall, why should he get center surrounded by her daughter , her married to a wicked man like Mr. Mrs. Fainall , her niece, Millamant, Fainall? And, similarly, if Mirabell is their family friend, Mrs. Marwood, their sincerely in love with Millamant, why respective husbands and love Mr. should he take recourse to intrigues Fainall, and Mirabell, assisted and instead of persuasion to brig around

Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 969 International Journal of Research p-ISSN: 2348-6848 e-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 02 Issue 09 September 2015

lady Wishfort? Also, the role of Mrs. The Way of the World is a loosely held

Marwood in this total network of filial tangled skein of various morals and relationships is not only vague and not manners of gentlemen society by the well explained, but also leaves much to gentlemen group for the gentlemen be desired. For instance, why should audience.

Mrs. Marwood chases a man like In this way, the external behavior and Mirabell who already was first in love manners of the contemporary society with Mrs. Fainall and, then, Millamant? are scathingly exposed and ironically Even her motive in opposing the expressed even in the normal behavior marriage of Mirabell and Millamant do as that of Sir Willful from the not fill in the total thematic perspective countryside who starts taking off his of play. boots in the drawing room of lady

However, the misfortune of lovers, Wishfort’s house in . The Way of followed by their perplexing social the World has been called a comedy of relationships and various intrigues in intrigues because there are number of the play, The Way of the World gives us love intrigues as well as intrigues a kaleidoscopic expression of the concerning money. The first intrigue of habits, affection, fashion, behavior, Mirabell boomerangs, and even his morals and manners of the age. That is second intrigue of representing his why, The Way of the World has rightly servant, Waitwell as his uncle, Sir been called as a powerful comedy of Rowland, is also scuttled by Mrs. manners full of verbal wit and Marwood. The intrigue of Mr. Fainall intellectual exchange of dialogues. Due and Mrs. Marwood to get hold of the to wide ranging socio-cultural total wealth of the family also suffers prospective, the plot construction of miscarriage.

Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 970 International Journal of Research p-ISSN: 2348-6848 e-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 02 Issue 09 September 2015

However, the last intrigue of the lovers “unreal and immoral”, and even in the succeeds and the villains are forced to same vein, l.c. knights describes them make a hasty retreat except the threat as trivial, gross and dull.” Jeremy of divorce given by Mr. Fainall to Mrs. Collier has even gone a step ahead

Fainall. The proviso scene in the play is when he labels these plays as anti- a powerful exploration of the basis of a social because of their being completely successful marriage life dramatized divorced from the contemporary reality” between Mirabell and Millamant which Works Cited used to be very popular during the Bevis, Richard W. : restoration period in which both the Restoration and Eighteen Century, 1660- lovers lay-down their respective 1789. London: Longman, 1988. Print. conditions for a happy and peaceful co- existence later on. Even the device of Bicanová, Klára.“From Rhetoric to the black-box at the end of was a Aesthetics: Wit and Esprit in the popular restoration feature which English and French Theoretical serves to neutralize the assault of Writings of the Late Seventeenth and villains on the normal life of the central Early Eighteenth Centuries.” Diss. figures in the play. Masarykova Universita. 2011. Print.

But, due to a blatant and exaggerated exposure of vices and weaknesses .Hinnanat, Charles H. “Wit, Propriety and afflicting the vital institutions of Style in The Way of the World.” human-life like marriage and family, Studies in , 1500- these restoration plays in general, and 1900. 17.3 (1977): 373-386. JSTOR. The Way of the World in particular, Web. 21 April 2014. have been called by Charles Lamb as

Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 971 International Journal of Research p-ISSN: 2348-6848 e-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 02 Issue 09 September 2015

Kaufman, Anthony. “Language and

Character in Congreve’s The Way of

the World.” Texas Studies in

Literature and Language. 15.3 (1973):

411-427. JSTOR. Web. 24 April 2014.

Lyons, Charles R. “Disguise,

Identity and Personal Value in The

Way of the World.” Educational

Theatre Journal. 23.3 (1971): 258-

268. JSTOR. Web. 21 April 2014

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