Drama III

2014-2015
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E S I"" B L I S 1--1 rv'I E 9'I ,--

King Charles II was exiled to France during the reign of the puritans. The
English people were unhappy with the puritans and therefore they arranged
with King Charles II t _be restored back to Englat)d without any. bloodshed.
King Charles II agreed and he s igned a treatment by which he gave more
. -freedom to the parliatileiif He was restored iri--f 66owe-neecf to see-the- effecC- --- of politics on writing during that period. Writers who supported the puritan
cause were using "satire" in their writing; thus, satire was the most important
literary tool at that time. They were criticizing the monarch indirectly. The
character of the King himself influenced not only literature but also society in
general.

The Age of Science

There was a great interest in science and the Restoration marked the
beginning of the scientific enquiries. Thus Charles II ordered the scientific
society to be established and it was established in 1662. The scientific society
allowed even immature scientists to join it! And we know that Dryden, who
had immature interest in science, was a member of this society. This meeting
between people of literature and people of science had a reciprocal and mutual
influence; science was the new approach to everything in life; everything was
analyzed and rationalized rather than felt emotionally.
The phrase that
summarizes everything in literature and life. is: "From the head, not from the
Heart'; this is because using your heart and emotions in responding to things
means that you have strong convictions, and strong convictions lead to civil
wars.

Theatrical Companies
After being closed since 1642, theatres were opened again. The only two
people who were licensed to open theatrical companies were exiled with the
King in France and were strongly immersed in the French fashion and model of
theatre! Those two people were Thomas Killigrew and William Davenant. The
structure of the theatre was different from previous times . The theatre was
incorporated behind the proscenill!ll frame window, and this marked the
beginning of .the structure of the modern theatre. There was no actual contact
between actors and audience. Therefore, the intimacy of the globe theatre was
no longer there!
Despite the fact that the tragic drama flouri shed during The Restoration
Period, and Dryden was the master of this genre, the most important form at
that time was the Restoration comedy or the comedy of manners.

ALANVVAR

C"l.TAlll-ISMM&N"'I"

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Themes of Restoration Drama:

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1. The .portt:ayhf 9l4er

men and women seeking younger lovers :_,

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2. The,,9pp;trstbweenpeople in the country and those in th city
.3_._.Ilu_yalues.:.ofthe.upper. class.were.c.ontrasted.to.tho.se ofthe..m iddle one
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The Comedy of Manners:

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The 'co:rhe . f. ers . is a witty, intellectual, and a theatrical comedy

. that depicts and .S"atiri.Zs. the manners of people at a certain time. it was not
invented in the Restoration; it goes back to the ancient time of the Greeks. The
Greek writer who initiated this kind of drama was called Menander. Roman
writers like Plautus and Terence were influenced by Menander producing
something similar to what he established in the comedy of manners. Comedies
of the Renaissance were influenced by Plautus and Terence. Also, one of the
proponents of the Comedy of manners was the French Writer Moliere who
criticized the practices of the upper classes. The comedy of manners flourished
in the Restoration, because people were ready to absorb such comedies, and the
practices of the upper classes needed to be satirized and criticized!

William Congreve

William Congreve shaped Comedy of Manners through his comic dialogue

and his depiction and portrayal for the differences between the sexes. He
produced
four
important comedies; The Old Bachelor, Love For Love,
The
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DPP: e ,Dealer, 1J1e .Way of the World. William Congreve wrote some ofJhe
most popular English plays of The Restoration period of the late 1 7th century.
By the age of thirty, he had written four comedies, including Love for Love and
The Way of the World. Dryden became his tutor and his point of.reference.
Under the guidance of Dryden and another dramatist called Thomas
Southerne, he produced his first play, The Old Bachelor, which was a huge
success. Dryden says the follwoing about The Old Bachelor: "Rarely have I
read something so brilliant
at the first attempt! " A year later, however, he
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presented his play Love For Love, and it repeated in a way the success of his
first play. After the success of his two comedies, Congreve was well
established and qualified to be given a position in the country.
Being so famous doesn't mean being happy for he was now the centre of
criticism and attack! Dramatists like Congreve were considered in 1700 to be
contributing to the. immorality of the English society because of the comedies
they were producing! Actually, the attacks were based on the grounds that if
you are presenting illicit love affairs and immoral sexual behaviors, it means
that you are . endorsing these behaviors and encouraging them. He was
particularly criticized by a critique written by Jeremy Colljei: cal!ed "A S4ort

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E?TAOLISHMCENT

View of the rmmorality and Profaneness of the English Stge" (1698). And .
Congreve wr.9te a long replyunder the title of,r'Amendments of Mr. Collier's
False and Imperfect Citations." Congreve said that when a dramatist satirizes
a situation or a manner in society, he is condemning arid by no means he is
-----encouragmg-it!Followiiii iliat: he-J>ro<liiced-hTSJ>iay The
wor1--but it wasn't a huge success because according o Dryden its plf?i was too
complicated for the audience to comprehend. Another : critic, Lady Mao
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explains why the play was a failure by saying: "The play doesn't answer our

Wiz-Y-Of_tlie

'expectations! There appears to be no plot in it, but many witty things to

ridiCule the Chocolate House and the fantastical."

On the other side of the spectrum, we have the count Charles . Wilson
saying about the play: "The unkind reception this excellent comedy was met

with was truly the cause of Mr. Congreve 's just resentment and upon which I
have often heard him declare, that he formed a strong resolution never more to
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concern himselfwith dramatic writings! ;
Although The Way of The World was not met with success at Congreve' s

time, it' s still studied nowadays and it's revived o ri the stage a s the best
example of Restoration Drama. This was Congreve's last attempt tO.' write a
play, though he did not entirely desert the theatre. It is likely that Congreve' s
retreat1 from the stage was partly a result of a campaign agamst the supposed
iriimorality of"contemporary comedies. A critic called Giles. Jacob said the
following: "He has justly acquired 'the greatest reputa.tion of drainatzc

writing.

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Categories of Characters in The Wav of The Worid:

1. The Young Men: Mirabell and Fainall.

2.

The Young Women.

3 . Widows: this category has only one character which is lady Wishfort.

4. The Farce and it includes The Slaves of fashion, and here we have
Young witwoud and Petulant.
5. The Servants:
1 . Foible: Lady Wishfort's maid.
2.. Minicing: Milfamant's maid.
3.
Peg: A maid in Lady Wishfort's house.
4. . Waitwell: Mirabell's
valet, and who plays a.major role in the

course of the events.

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Retre'.: withdrawal

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AL. A N WAR
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The Epigraph :

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.- If;is a kind of foreshadowingfor what is to be persented on stage. it was

fashionable at that time to dedicate the play to someone. Congreve dedicated
his .play.to..Ralph_the_Eaxlof_Montague. _______:
The Introduction:
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Stating his obiective:

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It is the statement of purpose, or the definition of characterization of

comedy of manners.
a.
Congreve speculated that his last comedy, The Way of The
World, won't be a huge success because he was introducing
something new, innovative2, and creative.
b.
Congreve stated that characters presented on the stage at that
time were so gross, having natural folly3 that cannot be reformed. From
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his own perspective that was wrong, so he decided to design new
characters and a new way of characterization.
c.
Since Congreve presented innovative characterization, his

play was doomed 5 not to succeed at his time.

2.
Congreve started talking about the history of the writers of
comedy, so he mentioned how each of them influenced the other.
Congrev mentioned Terrance, and how Terrance had patrons to prot_ect
his reputation, but despite that, Terrance was attacked.
The Prologue of The Way of the World : The major tasks of the prologue
are:
To introduce the subject of the play.
1.
To refer and introduce some introductory materials and some
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sketches related to either characters or themes in the play.
3.
To introduce something explanatory, and this is what happens
in this case that an explanatory note was recited by other characters, and
in this case, we have Mr. Betterton, who played Mr. Fainall.
4.
In the prologue, Mr. Fainall was using sometimes a serious
tone and at other times, he was using a humorous and funny tone.
Prologue: Spoken By Mr. Betterton

Of those few fools who with ill stars are curst,

Sure scribblingfools, called poets, fare the worst:
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Innovative: new
Folly: foolishness
Perspective: view
Doomed: was supposed to I was fated to

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AL ANWAR

l:!:!STABLISHMENT

. We have the rhyming couplet, iambic pentameter in the profogue. Thus,

Congree has adapted6 the classic heroic verse for two reasons. First, he

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warited the audience to take his dramatic offering seriously. Second, he wanted
to emphasize the element of humor in his comedy.
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"---Porifiei're-a-sori afJ001-s whichi"oriune ,neik-e-s-:-- And after she has made 'em fools, forsakes.

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With Nature 's oafs 'tis quite a different case,'

For Fortune favours all her idiot-race.
Iri her . own nest the cuckoo-eggs wefine{
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0 er which she broods to hatch the changeling-kind.
No portion for her own she has to spare,
So much she dotes on her adopted care.

Congreve is stating the difference between two kinds of fools:

The natural fools
The fools of Fortune

Now, fools of Fortune are those poets who basically depend on their
. Fortune to be liked or not by the audience, but those poets, according to
Congreve, who are fools for dependence on Fortune aren't aware that what
they are doing is risky because the audience are changeable and they don't
have fixed opinion. He is showing us that success has nothing to do with his
literary excellence;

success rather depends on the taste of the audience.

For they 're a sort offools which Fortune makes,
And after she has made 'em fools, forsakes.
With Nature's oafs 'tis quite a different case,
For Fortune favours all her idiot-race.
In her own nest the cuckoo-eggs we find,
0 'er which she broods to hatch the changeling-kind.
No portion for her own she has to spare
So much she dotes on her adopted care.

Nature favors her bom fools! So, Nature is for them as a surrogate7 mother
to the cuckoo birds, the cuckoo that lays her eggs in different nests .. So, she is a
real mother to those eggs which aren't hers! There is this idea of mothering
right from the very beginning, and "care' is attached to mothering..
On the other hand, if a person is a poet, he is left to general taste; whether
they will like his writing or not because he is a Fortune ' s fool!

For they're a sort offools which Fortune makes,

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Adapted: changed
Surrogate: substitute.

A.LANWAIR

liTAOLlH""'NT

Here we are referrring to the poets.

' . Ahflafter sh has hidde 'em fools, forsakes.

Here he means that poets are m51de by Fortune and ihey ateforsakn by the
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:: :.-, ;-- Wiili I./ature-'s-oo/s -,tis q ilii!Pa -differenTcase.
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. For Fortune favours all h//fdiot-race.
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He is saying that Fortune favors all her fools. This is - a soc_ial critiue for

the society that always protects the fools!

With Nature 's oafs tis quite a different case,

ForFortunefavours all her idiot-race.

Jn her own nest the cuckoo-eggs we find,
0 'er which she broods to hatch the changeling-kind.
No portion/or her own she has to spare,
So much she dotes on her adopted care.

He is saying that in her nest, we don't find her eggs, but something brought
to her. There is nothing called "the fools of nature"; we make these fools by
protecting them, and differentiating them from the really smart people i.e. men
of literature.

Poets are bubbles, by the town drawn in,

Suffered at first some trifling stakes to win,Each time they write they venture all they've woi'l: .
The squire that 's buttered still, is sure to be undone.
This author heretofore has found your favour;
But pleads no meritfrom his past behaviour.
To build on that might prove a vain presumption,
Should grants, to poets made, admit resumption:
And in Parnassus he must lose his seat,
If that be found aforfeited estate

Presenting poets as bubbles suggests that they don't have a film position;
that nothing can preserve them in their position.
As if basically they are damned twice; they are once damned by nature
and another time by the town thatlikes their writings one time and doesn't like
their writing another time! As if they are making a double risk; each time they
succeed or write anything, there is a risk!
Again, he presnt.s the idea of writers being gamblers: sometimes they win
arid sometimes they dcint depending on their Fortune!
Let us see the lck of defensiveness in:

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This author Jzereioforelias und your favour;

But pleads no merit from his past behaviour.

AL ANWAR

STACLISHIVIENT

He is not trying to defend himself; . Ie -ckops aff::defoh;iveness and doesn't

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require anything especially in:
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But pleads no merit from his past behaviour.

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He is saying that to keep on stating your previous success. es fs something

------vaiii;-ffwoii'f lieipyou-fos-ucceecCai-ttie-presenf-
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And in Parnassus he must lose his seat,

It's a mythological reference to the mountain where the; Muses dweu; and
thus it's the place from which poets get inspiration. It's a. symbol of poetry. If
he loses his position as a poet, he isn't going to defend it and will leave it to the
general taste!

And in Parnassus he must lose his seat,

If that be found a forfeited estate .

He is saying that if this play with its new characterization fails to correct
them and helps them develop a new taste, then the problem is in the audience
and they are a lost case and there is no hope in reforming them!

He owns with toil he wrought the following scenes;

But, if they 're naught, ne'er spare him for his pains:
Damn him the more; have no commiseration
For dulness on mature deliberation,
He swears he 'll not resent one hissed-offscene,
Nor, like those peevish wits, his play maintain,
Who, to assert their sense, your taste arraign.
Some plot we think he has, and some new thought;
Some hum.our too, no farce; but that's a fault.
Satire, he thinks, yo1:1 ought not to expect;
For so reformed a town who dares correct?
. To please, this time, has been his sole pretence,
He'll not instruct, lest it should give offence.
Should he by chance a knave or fool expose,
That hurts none here, sure here are none ofthose:
In short, our play s,hall (with your leave to show it)
Give you one instance ofa passive poet,
Who to your judgments yields all resignation;
So save or damn, after your own discretion.

- Congreve is saying that his play doesn't tackle8 anyone in society; sure he
means that it tackles eveiyone in society living at his time! He uses the
sarcastic and playful way to make his task more peaceful.
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Tackle: deal_ with, refer to.

AL Al'lV\fA'A::
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Congreve is saying that he ha,s_ worked ver; hard to earn his seat and he
means by "seat", his ppsition as a poet, and as a dramatist.
Congreve.drops aUdefensivness in the.following lines:.

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But, ifthey're naught,ize. er spare him/or his pains:

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-J 5aiiin.: iiiz"fhe-11iore; 11ave-na -c-aiiii,iie atian-- - ---- -,------.. --

so, he is encouragfo.g the audience to. criticize him if they don't like what
he is producing. Because they damned him before when they judged The
Double Dealer to be a f&ilure, although it is so good. from Congreve's
perspective! If he doesn't entertain the adience, he deliberately produced
something dull and unenjoyable, and then he committed a sin that-should never
be forgiven! He is saying that he won't resent your judgment! He presenting a
comparison between himself and the peevish poets; he will receive any
criticism passively and without any reaction. He is saying "peevish wits"; again
his criticism is directed here against bad writers who insist on enforcing bad
performances on the audience, so he transformed the taste of the audience into
a bad one!

Some plot we think he (Congreve) has, and some new thought;

Some hurr10ur too, no farce; but that 's afault.

Again, this is an assertion9 to what he said in the dedication; that he. .is
introducing a new characterization. We have seen how he moved from _the
general to the specific; he moved from comparing poets wb,o ai:e fools of
Fortune and fools of Nat:ure .into the specific by taiking about WilUam
Congreve himself! He is admitting having committed one fault the fact that he
didn't present farce.
Trigge ring The Audience To Drop Defensiveness :

This is preparing you as a reader to the newness of what he is going to

present and to the fact that there is NO FACRE; meaning that you wbn't be
hilariously laughing all the time.

Satire, he thinks, you ought not to expect;

For so reformed a town who dares correct?

You are so co1Tect; there is no need for me to write a satire! Surely, this is
the contrary of what he means.
Basically, we have two things here:
Sarcasm: saying something while meaning something else.
1.
Relief: he is relieving himself from all. attachments; from all
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.expe2tatfons, and this relief comes from dropping defensiveness. So, the

-teliefis on his part as a writer and on the part of the audience.

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Asscrtln: confirniiion.
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ESTA61LSHMC::NT

For:so reformed a town who dares correct?

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Sarcastically, he is telling his audience that you are sO' correct! So, how can
I make a satire about audience who is'so teformed! Srirely; this is exatly the
opposite of what he means.
-----Agam, "lie goes.back to tiie niajorafuis.ofthe comedy which are
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To present a delightfulscene
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2. .To instruct
To please, this time, has been his sole pretence,
He'll not instruct iest it should give offence.
He is basically saying that "instructing the audience" comes in a secondary
position to "to pleasing them" !
Dropping all kind of tension, I won't instiuct you because first of all I am
no better than you but more importantly because you are so good and I have
nothing to iristruct!
Should he by chance a knave orfool expose,
That hurts none here, sure here are none ofthose:
Basically, he is negating the fact that there are fools and knaves, but the
more he is negating this fact, the more he is affnming and giving more
assurance that there are fools and knaves; otherwise, they won't be harmed or
.offended!
The hidden message here is there are plenty of fools and knaveS-.arilong the
audience and I am exepcting them to be offended!
In short, our play shall (with your leave to show it)
Give you one instance ofa passive poet,
Who to yourjudgm.ents yields all resignation;
Again, the passive poet is compared to the peevish wits; he is yielding to
the judgment of his audience.
So save or damn, after your own discretion.
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J'he Main Ideas of The Prologue:

1.

The shift in tone

This is presented in moving from something very serious like reducing
himself and the other poets into gamblers in a playful and sarcastic tone.
2.
The lack ofdefensiveness
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The release of tension
The Chocolate House: Act I is set in the Chocolate House.
Th first' shipment of coco beans arrived to Europe in 1 585, but it was in
I 700 that drinks made out of Coco were so popular in Europe, not ir1 England
though. It became very popular in palacs, and in mansions, thats why it was
called The D rmk of Gods! The drink became so delicious as if sent by gods.
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AL AN'VVA.R.
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Ho:'Y.ver, .ti. .ink, didn't a1Tive to Englapd until .1657. There was a
rench.man vv<f \vfofthe- first to establish a Chocolate--Hdu.e iri England in
1657, n,dhe'.:'s!ftrt.eg 'adve1iising for his new drink especi1ally)1 the. Monday
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"In Bfsr/op gaie: St, in Queen's Head Alley, at a Frenchman's house, is
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an exc,t/?_n,1 '.Wes(ln dfan Drink called Chocolate to be slcl_, where you may
have ii r.!/dy1 (i (any}(me and n:zade at reasonable price. "
o, he is advertising for his drink saying that you can either drink it at my
shop or take it unmade to your. house to make it as you llke!
Chocolate dririk vv:as poplar in England only at chocolate Houses; thus,
Chocolate Houses became clubs and meeting places where men would go and
gather peacefully iri order to talk about politics, or gossip, or gamble. Later on,
in the 18th century these houses have changed and became men's clubs.
_ MIRABELL andFAINALL, rising.from cards, BETTY waiting.
MIRABELL: You are. afortunate man, Mr. Fainall!
So, we know that Fainall is' victorious this time in the card game!
FAINALL: Have we done?
MIRABELL: What you please: I'll play on to entertain you.
FAINALL: No, I'll give you your revenge another time, when you are not
so inc;l,ifferent; you are thinking of something else now, and play too
negiigently; the coldness of a losing gamester lessens the pleasure of the
winner. I'd, no more play with a man that slighted his ill Fortune than Td !;iake
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love to a woi1;n- who undervalued the loss of her reputation.
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Fainaff tells'Mirabell that he won't play with a man who is so cafeiess in
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playing like him. He- gives the reason that playing with a careless map_ lessens
the pleasure of winning. He accuses Mirabell of slighting his ill Fortune.
Women are belittled when they are compared to gambling. It's a summery for
Fainall's character that he likes victory and conquer. The Interactive role of
performance. Fainall is establishing the_ rules of the game. Introducing the
calculated gamble of society. Settiing the window for. what we will see
throughout the play. The passage is very short, it's a window to the practices of
the 1 ih century society and it introduces to us the two major practices;
Gaml,Jling and Women.
Fairin is making a comparison between
gambling and women.
,Obviously, he intends to belittle women.
..-o,; -. the, c.Pidnes pfa losing gamester lessens the pleasure of the wi-rzne. I'd no
ifz.
., . 0.re,.p lay with a man that slighted his ill Fortune than I'd make love to a
{Vo n who undervalued the ZOss ofher reputation.
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ALANV\IAR

e.STAO.LISIV'IENT

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This is an excellent summery of his character;. that he only likes to play

when the risks arid.hazards' are so high. He won't go on playing to entertain
himself because the game of card is something. that he doesn't like. to win .
easily. Thus, his character is that he likes victory and he likes to conquer.
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- When hesays-''foss-of repUtatfon,-;-he is comparing gambling to. \VOmen'
_s
reputation.
Thus,
here
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given
a
window
into
the
attitude
towards"\.vomen

in the 1 ill century England; that they should preserve their virtue and chastity.
Moreover, we have juxtaposition of terms such as Values I undervalues,
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Fortune /misfortune, and Reputation I play. He is introducing the calculated
gamble of society, the calculated
gamble of social performance; that
everything we do in the society is a performance like gambling.
Why did Congreve choose to open his play with these two male
characters? These two male characters will be two opposing forces throughout
the play. One of these characters will be fighting for love; while the other will
be fighting to conquer all money from each and every character in the play.

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Mirabel!: You have a taste extremely delicate, and are for refining on your
pleasure.
FAINALL: Prithee, why so reserved? Something has put you out of
humour.
MIRABELL: Not at all: I happen to be grave today, and you are gay;
That 's all.

The frrst difference between these two characters is introduced here, and
although it's set indirectly, we see Mirabell out of humor because something
happened to offend him. However,we find Fainall the opposite; happy .

. FAINALL: Confess, Millamant and you quarrelled last night after I left
you; my fair cousin has some humours that would tempt the patience ofa Stoic. .
What, some. coxcomb came in, and was well received by her, while you were
by? This introduces us to the character of Millamant; that her attitude will

. make even the stoic person angry and lose his control!

MIRABELL: Witwoud and Petulant; and what was worse, her aunt, your
wife 's mother, my evil genius: or to sum up all in her own name, my old Lady
Wishfort came in.
FAINALL: 0 there it is then! She has a lasting passion for you, and with
reason.- What, then my wife was there? .
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MIRABELL: Yes, and Mrs. Marwood, and three .or four inore, whom I
never saw before. Seeing me, they all put on their grave faces, whispe1-ed one
another; then complained aloud of the vapours, an after feUirito_a profoimd
silence.
FAINALL: They had a mind to be rid ofyou!

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AL A.f'-'tV\IAR'
J:!<;T;,OL..ll-ll""lN"T

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, , )vfirabell Jliiied with La,dy, Wishfort in order to get close. to Py, ;:r;iiece..,.Of
course, this makes us in suspense to know why this old Lady of 55 has
pass1qp.s.
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T.hey had. (l mllj.d to be rid of you= there is a reason that they want to get
--------- i{d ()f yo;-:w.0.mn\Ye -Iiaving "one-ofth.efr"secretive-iifghts: and fhey don't
.
..=wru.;i,t_fi p.i.ani.e:__ MiraqUJ9 be there anymore!
Jv.llR;J..BELL: For lfhich reason I resQlved not to stir.
At last the good . ()ld lady broke thrpugh her painful taciturnity with an
invective against long visits. I would not have understood her, but Millamant
joining in the argument, I rose, and, with a constrained smile, told her, I
thought nothing was so easy as to know when a visit began to be troublesome.
She reddened, and I withdrew, without expecting
her reply. Thus, Lady
.
Wishf01t started to make him understand that his presence is unwelcomed, and
Millamant was agreeing with what her aunt was saying!
FAINALL: You were to blame to resent what she spoke only in compliance
with her aunt.
This is the natural thing that Millamant should do, and you don't have to
.l:>lar:ne her! On the contrary, you are the one to be blamed for acting in such a
. rude way!
MIRABELL_:, .She is more mistress of herself than to be under the neC<jSity
ofsuch a resign.ation.
.
. . Ths is very . impo1tant because it gives us a clue about Millamant's
character; he . views her as a lady in control:with herself.
.
FAINALL: VVhat! though half her fo1tune depends upon her marrying with
my lady 's approbation.?
Listen to Fainall's advice; it's because she has half of her fortune that she
should be very nice to her! Thus, Millamant has to agree with whatever her
aunt is saying even if this means to kick you out of the house and tell you to
leave!
MIRABELL: I was then in such a humour, that I should have been better
pleased ifshe had been less discreet.
Mirabell and Fainall are two variations of the Rake Figure. "Rake" refers
to a standard character in Restoration drama. " The rake" is a person who
defines .. his style by sexual conqu.er of women, so basically he is someone who
isn't interested in lasting love; this is something that we will find in the most
comedies of the period.
However, rakes have different goals. One of them .is interested in sensual
pleasures, and this type will be going after women, having relations, gambling,
and drinking all the time. The other type has the goal of Conquer! Conquest is
,

...

_; -

,.. . ,

ALANVVAIR
..

C:ST,
.. SLISHM.ENT

13

his - ultimate pleasure; ;he loves to be victorious when he conquer each and
every one!
Actually, we have the representations of these two goals in our characters.
Obviously, Mirabell represents te first zype, they type; which. ;has so many
---- -relations before--tiie--f>iay hegms. oiie exarn.r>1e-1Sliis-reiati0iishii>- wiifi-Mrs----:--:-Fainau before the play begins. However, when the play begins,- we find that
Mirabell is reformed and changed his behavior; he is still a rake though! This is
because he is honestly in love with Millamant, and throughout the whole play
he wasn't tempted to go into any affair with any woman!
On the other side of the spectrum, we have Mr. Fainall who wants to
conquer all the time, and to be victorious. For example, he has a relationship
outside marriage with Mrs. Marwood because he wants to conquer the
institUtion of marriage! Also; his other conquest is that he wants to take control
of his wife's money!
Both Mirabell and Fainall are rakishly ma.riipulative, but one is directed
and inspired by love and this.is Mirabel!. On the other hand, the other character
is directed by greed and his love to conquer, and this is Fainall.
FAINALL: Now, I remember, I wonder not they were weary ofyou; last

night was one of their cabal nights; they have 'em three times a-week, and
meet by turns at one another 's apartments, where they come together like the
coroner 's inquest, to sit upon the murdered reputations of the week. You and I
are: excluded; and it was once proposed that all the male sex should be
excepted,'. but somebody moved that, to avoid scandal, there might be one man
of the community; upon which motion Witwoud and Petulant were enrolled
members.

Women are secretly meeting three times a week . in turn in each other's
apartments. We have a simile in the line they come together like the coroner's
inquest, to sit upon the "Murdered reputations of the week". Obviously, the
gathering of all women is a platform for scandal, then to avoid scandal they
proposed that a man should be present to protect them and prevent a scandal
from happening!
FAINALL: You and I are excluded; and it was once proposed that all the

male sex should be excepted

Actually, we have a very dangerous language used to refer to politics when

. Mirabell says: And who may have been the foundress of this sect? Although
these meetings are social, they are as dangerous as political conspiracies that
lead to revolutions! He is trying to say that they are so ..da:ngerous especially

that they are meeting and excluding men!

.. :

/':;,

A.LA.NVV... R
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14

'

Bat. Gillshe has a contmporary view on these cabal nights. Interestingly,

she describesthe cabal-nights as " unholy union"; referring-to.the statewhen
all bad things gather together. However, you have to remember that these
dramasare written by ma}e:authors. .So, it tells us about how these inale writers
..
. -- vie.wed .the-womeii's-meefillgs-in-the. Restoratfon.'---- . ---
Also, they show us that women gather in their meetings for two pilrposes
only; either a woman .w ants. to make allies with a female friend in order to veil
. and-.cover her immoral practices, or a woman wants to get so many information
and gossip that she will be using ad blackmailing in the future.
,

The Effeminate Characters:

"Effeminate" is related to farce; this is something that has arrived from

France; they are slaves to fashion, and they like to gossip so much! Witwoud
and Petulant are considered effeminate characters. Actually, the term
"effeminate" has two contradictory meanirigs; enjoying the company of
women and resembling them in every way and enjoying the sexual relation
with women so they become the exact reflection of the women they love.
Petulant and Witwoud are of the first type. These two men are considered as
one man!
On .e o_t4ei: h,ad, we see Miral;>ell askitJ.g Fainall; "How do y?-t - allow
your wife Jo gr, .-to thes nfghts ! Are . nQt you . a.fr'=id of the consequence? "
Surely, Fainall doesn't reply and he hits back by saying "Are you Jealous of
Petulant and Witwoud being all the time in the company of your beloved?"
.

FAINALL: Joy ofyour success, Mirabel!; you look pleased.

MIRABELL: "Ay; I have been engaged in a. matter of some sort of mirth,
which is not yet ripe for discovery. I am glad this is not a cabal night. I
wonder, Fainall, that you who are married, and of consequence should be
discreet, will suffer your wife to be ofsuch a party "
The Intrigue:

"Ay; I have been engaged in a matter of some sort of mirth, which is not
yet ripe for discovery.

We have a hint in Mirabell's answer for some discovery and "intrigue".

Intrigue:. is. when a character schemes and initiates something, and its
success clpends; .on the ignorance of the person against whom it's planned.
Mostly, the intrigue in our play depends on lady Wishfort's ignorance of. the
plotn<l scP,eme against her.

_FAJN.4LL: Faith, I am not jealous. Besides, most who are. . engaged are

/ to
women qn,d relations; and for the men, they are of a kind too contem_ptib?
give scandal.
"'

'.".: ,,.,

AL.A.NVVAR
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15

MIRABELL: 1 am ofanother opinion. The greater the coxcomb, always the

more le. y.andal:for a woman; who is. not a fool, can have but one reason for
assoc.,(qti11g wJth, p man who is one.
; Are you jealous as often as you see . Witwoud entertained by
- -----. -.- . F4/.N.AL-L;
------

Millainaiii?
MJRABELL: Qfher understanding I am, ifnot ofher person.
FAINALL: You do her wrong; for, to give her her due, she has wit.
MIRABELL: She has beauty enough to make any man think so,: and
complaisance enough not to contradict him who shall tell her so.
FAINALL: For a passionate lover, methinks you are a man somewhat too
discerning in the failings ofyour mistress.
--- - --------

- - --- -

-----------

We have double standards even regarding the same issue and we see this
especially when Fainall says:

andfor the men, they are ofa kind too

contemptible to give scandal.

On one page, . we see him saying that the presence of the two men will
prevent a scandal, and on the next page we have a different opinion that they
are contemptible to give a scandal!

MIRABELL: Ofher understanding I am, if not ofher person.

On the other hand, he is afraid that the company of W itwoud and Petulant
will affect her manners and wit especially that the whole Cab8:1 night is evil in
itself

The Grand Tour:

The Grand Tour was a kind of practice in the 1 8th centmy for the .rich, and
young gentlemen. Also, this kind of travel was originated for the young people
to travel into Europe, and especially France; in order to get introduced into the
culture of other people, their habits, mannrs, and most importantly . their
fashion. France was the main destination for these tours because it was the
capital of fashion, and it's the place where "Farce" came from:. More
importantly, France was the place, where their king spent most of his days
when he was exiled from England. Thus, it was surprising for Mirabell and
Fainall to kiiow that a gentleman of forty years old wants to travel. Not only
because at his age, there is nothing to be learned through traveling and getting
acquainted with other cultures, but also because of the little he knew about
fashion, and about the language of the Aristocracy.
Moreover, the last we hear about Petulant is in the Chocolate' House, and
we have three gentlewomen asking about him; only to know aften\rards that
these gentlewomen are no more than prostitutes. Obviously; Petulant had' paid

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16

these protitutes to come and call upon him because he

- wants to appear popular
amc)g the high circles in society.
Act II/ St. James- Rark:

- -- - ----1t' s- the- oldest- parin-Lorrdon;- and-it -was-opened- by-harles-cII when he

was restored to the throne. Basically,' the king used it to entertain his guests and
mistresses. Interestingly' the king opened the park to the pub lie - and - he li'sed to
take walks - there eve1y day; accompanied by his dogs. It syinbolizes the elite,
the high society, and people will go there not only to take walks, but also to
make dates. Why did Congreve choose to move the action from the Chocolate
House into the Park?_The openness of the park will prepare us to the revelation
of the secrets that will take place in this act; we know that all the
interrelationships will be revealed to us in this act. Thus, in Act II, we will
know about the past and present relationships of the couples._Congreve moves
into this open space in his second act because it's not exclusive to men, like
the Chocolate House, rather it's a wide place, where
- men and women meet to
discuss a variety of issues.
The Changeability and Extremism of Men's Love:

MRS. FAINALL: Ay, ay, dear Marwood, ifwe will be happy, we mustfind
the means in ourselves, and among ourselves. Men are evr in
extremes; either doating or averse. While they are lovers; if
they hdvefirfi arid sense, their jealousies are insupportable;
and when they cease to_ love (we ought to think at least) they loath; they look upon us with horror and distaste; they meet us
like the ghosts ofwhat we were, and as such, flyfrom us.
When men love women, they give them everything unconditionally. If men
hate women, they start to treat the same woman as if she had changed, and as if
she had gone through some kind of transformation ! This is a battle between
sexes because Mrs. Fainall is attacking men; describing them as unreasonable
and extremist creatures. Through Fainall's criticism for female friendship, we
-know Congreve's opinion about such kinds of relations. Mrs. FainaU is
initiating a war against men; that men are unreasonable: because they love
without a reason, and by the same token they hate without any reason.
_

Rephrasing Shakespeare

&

The Explicit Sexuality:

MRS. MAR WOOD

True, 'tis an unhappy circumstance of life, that love should ever die before
us; and that the man so often should outlive the lover. But say what you will,
'tis better to be left, than never to have been loved. To pass our youth in dull
, _, -

:-_ < :__

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17

indifferenc; to refuse the sweets of life , because they once must leave us, is as
preposterous as to wish to have been born old, because we one day must be
old. For my part, my youth may wear 'and waste, but it shall never rust in my
possession.
.
.
.
- -----x:rtliis pomt ofthepfuy:- we don'tkiiowyetwhetiiei:- M:rs-:-M:arwo od!S
.
honest in her own philosophy about life or not. Internstingly, Mrs . . Fainall
didn't respond by attacking men as her friend did; rather she responded by
stating her own philosophy. It's surprising for a woman living in the
Restoration to talk about her sexuality in this explicit . manner. She starts by
saying that it' s so unfortunate to see love dies in front of our eyes: True, 'tis an
unhappy circumstance of life, that love should ever die before us. Obviously,
this contradicts the statement which says that: "love is eteinal". The man so
often should outlive the lover= love dies and fmishes at the end, and we as
human beings live longer than our love does. Rephrasing Shakespeare in: 'tis
better to be left, than never to have been loved.
The Lawful Tyrant& The Amazon:

MRS. FAINALL
Then it seems you dissemble an averston to mankind, only in compliance to
. mj; mother 's humour?
MRS. MAR WOOD
Certainly. To be free; I have no taste of those insipid dry discourses, with
which our sex offorce must entertain themselves, apart front nien. We may
affect endearments to each other, profess eternal friendships, and seem to doat
like lovers,- but 'tis not in our natures long to persevere. Love will resume his
empire in our breasts,' and every heart, or soon or late, receive and re-admit
him as its lawful tyrant.
The lawful tyrant: love between men and women.
MRS. FAJNALL: Bless me, how have I been deceived! why you profess a
libertine.
MR.S MARWOOD: You see my friendship by my freedom. Come, be
sincere,
. acknowledge that your sentiments agree with mine. .
MRS. FAINALL: Never!
MRS. 1vlAR WOOD: You hate mankind?
MRS. FAINALL: Heartily, inveterately.
MRS. MAR WOOD.- Your husband?
.
MRS. FAINALL Most transcendently,' ay, though I say it, nuritoriously.
.
MR,S. MAR WOOD: Give me your hand upon it.

A. L A. NVV'AR

18

.
--

MRS. FAINALL: There

MAR WOOD: !join with you; what I have said has been to try you.
MRS. FAl!'fALL: fs itpossible? dost thou hate those vipers1. m.e.nf:'. ,
.
. MRS. MAW0 9J?: I have done hating 'em, and am nol;'I;' C,W/L f despise
- -' - - - ------. - -- ---- --:------ - -- -- - - - -- ----- - -
- - -,enr
: . .";: ::: f. . .
. . . ,; . .
. -. :
.
the next thing I have to do, is eterlJally to forget 'em.
.
Mfl.S. FAINALL.: ,There spoke the spirit ofan Amazon, a Penthesilea!
There spoke the spirit of an Amazon, a Penthesilea= you are queen and the
mistress of all strong women, . of all women warriors, and of the Amazon. Mrs.
Marwood has no problem in having affairs with married men, and no problem
at all even if that married man happens to be her best friend's husband!
Congreve satirizes his own self when he makes his female characters mock
men. Congreve shows us the insincerity and the dishonesty of the female
friendship some moments later; this is counterattack on women who satP:izes
men and as if he is telling them: " Before you make fun of men, you have to fix
things among you ladies! " Up to this point in the play, we aren't sure who is
sincere among these two characters and who is not.
MRS. FAINALL: The.n it seems you dissemble an aversion to mankind, only
in compliance,to. rrzy mother 's humour?
MJ?_S. MARW,OOD: . Certainly. To b.e free; I have no tqste of those, ins,ip,id
dry . dis,cq11rses, with which our sex offorce must (fntert,ain tf?mselves, apart
from men.
' :.: 'Marwood is attacking the first statement s aid in the scene i.e. Bhe is
attacking the way women speak about men, and the way they attack the male
sex:
MRS.

..

- - - - : - -

_: !

:: ,

. .

. -

The Libertine Woman! [Mrs. Marwood]

MRS. FAINALL: Bless me, how have I been deceived! why you profess a
libertine.
MRS. MARWOOD: Yoit see my friendship by my freedom. Come, be
sincere,
acknowledge that your sentiments agree with mine.
MRS. FAINALL: Never!
MRS. MAR WOOD: You hate mankind?
MRS. FAINALL: Heartily, inveterately.
After that, . Mrs. Jv.Iarwood senses that she cannot cange Mrs.. . Fainall 's
natwe, she admits to her that she has said this only to tesi her!
Mfls. MAR WOOD: Yozu; husband?
MRS. FAINALL: Most transcendently; ay, though I say it,, meritoriously.
.

= ::.:lA <

AL A N \IV.A R

11!. S TA l!!. L I S H M E NT

MRS. MAR WOOD: Give me your hand upon it.

MRS FAINALL: There
MRS. MAR WOOD: Ijoin with you, what I have said has been to try you.
. ;

So, when Mrs. Marwood came to dead end. with Mrs. Fainall that she can

r change-her mina -amfmake-herJoinin the fove ofmankind, she pretends

e_
-n.e-v_
that what she has just said isn't her belief!
MRS FA/NALL: Bless me, how have I been deceived! why you profess a

libertine.

Libertine: anyone, and it' s usually used to describe men who goes through
many sexual relationships in order to satisfy his/her sensual instincts. So, she is
asking: "Do you say that you are a libertine?" We have a role-reversal here,
with Mrs. Marwood playing the role of a man i.e. a "libertine" ! In moving from
one affair into another, and in having no problem in expressing her sexual life
openly, she reminds us of men!

MRS. MARWOOD: You see my friendship by my freedom. Come, be

sincere, acknowledge that your sentiments agree with mine
.

S exual freedom is something private, and you cannot judge people

according to it. Friendship is about acceptance. You should accept your friend
even if s/he is a libe1iine. Mrs. Marwood is very tricky because in order to
make her friend agree on her. Marwood is making Mrs. Fainall say statements
so that she would use them against her later when she knows about the affair!

The Aversion Towards Men

&

The Torturing Ceremony of Marriage:

MRS. MAR WOOD: I have done hating 'em, and am now come to despise
'em; the next thing I have to do, is eternally to forget 'em.

This reminds us of Mrs. Fainall at the opening of the scene; she was
moving from one extreme into another in her attack against men. At one time
they say that they love men, only to say the second time that they despise men!

me

MRS. MAR WOOD: And yet I am thinking sometimes to carry my aversion

further.
MRS. FA/NALL: How?
MRS. MARWOOD: Faith, by marrying, if I could but find one that loved

very well, and would be thoroughly sensible of ill usage, I think I SfuJuld do
myselfthe viblence of undergoing the ceremony.

.
I will go through the pains of the marriage ceremony; but later she will
torment her husband by making him a cuckold: In he1 O:pinion; jealousy,
hypocrisy, and manipulation are all practiced under the cover ofrrianfage.
MRS.

FAINALl: You would not mak.e him a cuckold?

- ?A , .

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20

, .
Cuckold= a man who.s.e wife has betrayed him.
Thus, the battle between sexes goes on, and as if mru1fage is an'-f:tlstitution

.'.:,:;'\ \ ,.
for people to torment one another!
FA/
ALL:. Alfy
't you see him? He turlied,1h6h upon
. . htJtsband Don
me MRS.
.. - .
---N----
\ \
.

--- - - --

_,, _ ___ _ _ _

; -,

--

- -- - -- - --

-----;-;-;-T \L . .Y '"'

'- ;
unawares, and has almost overcome me.
MRS. MAR WOOD: Ha! ha! ha! he comes opportunelyfor you.
MRS. FA/NALL: For you, for he has brought Mirabel! with him.
FAIN: My dear!
MRS. FA/NALL: My soul!
Mr. Fainall will call his wife "my soul" and she will call him an
endearment name. This expresses their hatred for each other rather than their
love! Indirectly, Congreve is presenting to us how people of the Restoration
viewed marriage.

Marriage as a Game of Manipulation

&

Torture:

MRS. MAR WOOD: No; but I'd make him believe I did, and that 's as bad.
MRS. FA/NALL: Why, had not you as good do it?
MRS. MAR WOOD: Oh! if be should ever discover it, he would then know

the worst, and be oui" ofhis pain; but I would have him ever to continue upon
the rack offear andjealousy.
MRS -FA/NALL: Ingenious mischief! would thou wert married to
Mirabel!.
MRS. MAR WOOD: Would l were!
MRS. FA/NALL: You change colour.
MRS. MAR WOOD: Because I hate him.
MRS. FA/NALL: So do I; but I can hear him named But what reason
have
you to hate him in particular?
MRS. MAR WOOD: I never loved him; he is, and always was, insufferably
proud.
MRS. FA/NALL: By the reason you give for your aversion, one would
think
it dissembled; for you have laid a fault to his charge, ofwhich
. his enemies must acquit him.

The Confrontation between Marwo.od and Mr. Faiiiall:

MRS. MARJVOOD: 1- think she does not hate him to . that degree she
_

would be thought.
FAINAli : But he, I.fear, is too insensible.

, ? A% :. ,

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21

MRS. MAR WOOD: It may be ;you are deceived

. . FATNA{.,L: It may be so. I do now begin to apprehend it. .
MRS. MAR WOOD: What?
FA/NALL: That i have been deceived, madam, and you arefalse.

- ---Rs. MAiiW6lin: ThaTI am false/what mean you?

_
_
,___
_
__
_
_
_

Fainall .is accusing his lover of cheating on him, despite the fact that he is
cheating on his wife !
FAINALL: To let you know I see through all your little arts.- Come, you

both love him; and both have equally dissembled your aversion. Your mutual
jealousies of one another have made you clash till you have both struck fire. I
have seen the warm confession reddening on your c,heeks, and sparkling from
your eyes.
Mr. Fainall Accepts the betrayal of His Wife but not the cheating of
His Mistress:
MRS. MAR WOOD: You do me wrong.
.
FAINALL: I do not. 'Twas for my ease to oversee and wilfully neglect the

gross advances made him by my wife; that by permitting her to be engaged, I

might continue unsuspected in my pleasures; and take you oftener to my arms
in full.security. But could you think, because the nodding husband would not
wake, that e 'er the watchful lover slept?

Humorously, Fainall .makes us think that the lover is one person and the
husband is another. The husband and the lover are two facades for one person
who is none but Mr. Fainall. The most important thing is that he is accusing her
of pretending and dissembling not to . love Mirabell because she loves him so
much and he had rejected her love! This is the first revelation of one major
secret; and it's very important to remember! It's at this point that we
know Fainall is having an affair with h is wife's friend, while accusing
other people of dissembling and pretending.
MRS: MAR WOOD: And wherewithal can you reproach me= "what are
the things you are accusing me of? "
FAINALL: With infidelity, with loving another, with love ofMirabell.

In his accusation, Fainall moves from the very general i.e. "infidelity", to
the very specific i.e. "Mirabell".
.
.

MRS. MAR WOOD: 'Tis false! I challenge you to show an instance that can
confirm yo ur groundless accusation. I hate him.
The Evidence that Marwood is still in Love with Mirabell:

FAINALL: And wherefore do you hate him? he is insensibie, and your

resentment follows his neglect. An instance! the injuries you have done him are
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22

a pr<;)_Of' your interpoping frz his love. What cause h(ld you to mae discoveries
' ' ofh t Rf.tf!dedpasio.'/{fo undeceive the credulou unt, and -q th oi.fzcjous

obstacle of. his match with Millamant?

M,r.. Fainall knows that Marwood only pretends to hate Mirabell-be.cause he

- - - -1s - insefove--fo . . hei: advances. This is not-a mere . accusatiobec . he is
.
.
,
presening a truth; he is substantiating a proof that she is nfaithful. Th pr of
that Mai:;wood still loves Mirabell is that she is always preventing him from
marrying Millamant because she is the one who disclosed his advancements to
lady Wishfort.
.

. . '

..

MRS. MAR WOOD: My obligations to my lady urged me; I hadprofessed a

friendship to her; and could not see her easy nature so abused by that
dissembler.
.

'

She is defending herself by saying that she has a moral obligation towards
her . friend to warn her lest she is deceived by Mirabell because he had
deceived lady \\Tishfort before !

The Pious Friendship of The Female Sex:

FA/NALL: What, was it conscience then? Professed a friendship! 0 the

pious friendships ofthe female sex!
Fainall, says something and means the opposite. He says "pious;; and he
. '.
means "dishonest".

WOOD: More tender, m ;re sincere, and nibre 'endurtrlg,' 'ihan

.MRS. MAR
..
:all the vain and empty vows of men, whether professing love to us, or mutual
faith to one another.
.

This is a representation for the battle between sexes; he attacks and accuses
her, she hits back, he scorns her, and she counterattacks ! Females might not be
sincerer with each other. However, when a woman loves a man, she loves him
sincerely. Men are bad to their friends, and they are insincere to the women
they pretend to love !
FAINALL: Hal ha! ha! you are my wife 's friend too.

Fainall is mocking her friendship to Millarriant and lady Wishfort! This is

done by emphasizing the fact that she is sleeping with her friend's husband!

MRS MAR WOOD: Shame and ingratitude! do you reproach me? you, you
upbraid fne? Have I been false to her, through strict fidelity to you, and
.
sacrificed my friendship 'to keep my love inviolate? And have you the baseness
to char,ge . me with the guilt, unmindful of the merit? To you it should be
meritoriou_s tht I have been vicious and do you reflect that guilt upon
me,
.

which sfz o ld lie buried in your bosom?

\:

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.
FAINALL: Yoit misinterpret 'y eproof I meant but to remind you of the
account you once could make of strictest ties, when set in competition with
your love to me.
MRS MA.R WOOD: Tis false, you urged it with deliberate malice! 'twas
--- ---.
spoken in-scdrn, and ! never. willforgive i{
. FAINALL:-' Your guilt, not your resentment, begets your rage. If yet you .
loved, you could forgive a jealousy: but you are stung to find you . are
discovered.

-------

---

You only hate me because you are discovered, because your inner self and
your secrets are exposed.

MRS. MAR: It shall be all discovered You too shall be discovered, be sure
you shall. I can but be exposed.- IfI do it myselfI shall prevent your baseness.
This repetition is done for purpose; it 's intentional; to give us a full account of
their personalities.
FAINALL: Why, what will you do?
MRS MARWOOD: Disclose it to your wife; own what has passed between
us.
FAINALL: Frenzy!
MRS. MAR WOOD: By all my wrongs I'll do 'ti- I 'll publish to the world
the injuries you have done me, both in myfame andfortune! With both I trusted
you, you bankrupt in honour, as indigent ofwealth
.
.

We can judge Mrs. Marwood better now than the beginning of the act
because we have a clearer idea about her!

FA/NALL: Your fame I have preserved: yourfortune has been bestowed as

the pfQ,diga(ity of your love would have it, in pleasures which we both have
.
shared. Yet, : had not you been false, I had ere this repaid it- 'tis true- had you
permitted 11,firabell with Millamant to have stolen their marriage, my lady had
been incensed beyond all means ofreconcilement: Millamant hadforfeited the
moiety of her fortune; which then would have descended to my wife;- and
wherefore did I marry, but to make lawful prize of a rich widow 's wealth, and
squander it on love and you? "wherefore. did I marry, but to make lawful prize
ofa rich widow 's wealth? "

He married a widow only to get her money, but Marwood had interfered in
his plan when she exposed Mirabell's advancements to Lady Wishort to be
.
.
. false.
.
FA/NALL: Death, am I not married? What 's prete.npe? A I not
.

imprisoned, fettered? Have I not a wife? nay a wife thai was q widow; a young
widow, a handsome widow; and would be again a widow, but that I have a

. .: : : A\., , ; . .
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A L A N WA F
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24

--

he.qr? .ofproof -a11d something of a constitution to bustle through::tbe ways of

wedlqpk and this w.orld! Will you yet be rec9nciled to truth qnd.m.? . . . ..
. . }{ffiS. . MARWOOD: Impossible. Truth and you are inconsitent: f hrite you,
and flq{lforeyer.
. ..
. . . . iiY- - -- - - - - - .F.AJNA.JJ;.:)!or-!o.viniiQ.
MRS. MARWOOD: I loath . the name .of love after such usage; and .next to
the guilt with which you1 w.ould asperse me, I scorn you most. Farewell! :
FAINALL: Nay, we must not part thus.
I ; '
Am.S. MAR WOOD: Let me go.
FAINALL: Come, I'm sorry.
MRS. MAR WOOD: I care not- let me go- break my hands, do- I'd leave
'em
to get loose.
Marriage is an institution that puts fetters( chains) around married people.
Fainall says that in marriage, he is in a worse situation than imprisonment and
being fettered; that's he has a wife! He is pretending that he is making a
sacrifice in his marriage for the sake of his love to Marwood. He is planning to
leave his wife because he says that she will be widow again! He means that he
will take her money and leave her without the protection of a man.
--

The Witty Servant! '

---

--- -

-- -

- - -

. . . : : '.
.
..
.
LADY WISHFORT: 0 Foible, whe,re hqst thou been? what hast thou been
doing?
FOIBLE: Madam, I have seen the party.
LADY WJSHFORT: But what hast thou done?
FOJBlE: Nay, 'tis your . ladyship has done, and are to do; I have only
promised. But a man so enamoured- so transported!- Well, here it is, all that is
left; _ all that is noi kissed mvay. - well, if worshipping ofpictures be a sin- poor
Sir Rowland, I say.
Very cleverly, Foible immediately presents the subject of the suitor to
Lady Wishfort in order to distract her attention from the main subject which is
her conversation with Mirabel!. she is lying to her employer; this indicates
shifting of loyalties because her loyalty is supposed to be first and foremost to
her employ(fr,. .but this isn't what we find here .
.
LADY _' WlSHFORT: The miniature has been counted like,;- but hast thou

n.o t .b ef;.ayJ 'm , .Foible? heist thou not detected me to tht;iifaithles.s }viJell?
out
W..hat hac{sttho,. io do with him. in the Park? Answer me, has l1e got noihtng
.
'
i
ofthee
:..
.

..

. <: :: .

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25

WWW.aillamJ.VVSlll.UJlS

-. .

FOIBLE[Aside} So the devil has been beforehand with me. What shall I
.s:ay? [Aloud.] A las, madam; 'r;ould I help it, ifI met that confidentthing? was I
in fault? If you had heard how he used me, and all upon your ladyship 's
account, I ;m sure you would. not suspect my fidelity. Nay, if thai had .been the
------WOrsCI could have'liorne;--fiu{he-hacFajifng at your ladyship:too; and then !
could not hQld; but i 'faith I gave him his own.

---

Foible is very strategic in her answer, and she tells her that she didn't allow
Mirabell to cross any boundaries nor to know any- secrets from -her. So; .this was
tlie first strategic step of Foible to safeguard her position. Her second strategic
step is to tell lady Wishfort that Mirabell spoke ill of her, and she defended her.

LADY WISHFORT: Me? what did thefilthyfellow say?

FOIBLE: 0 madam! 'tis a shame to say what he said- with his taunts and
his fleers, tossing up his nose. Humph! (says he) what, you are a hatching some
plot (says he), you are so early abroad, or catering (says he), ferreting some
disbanded officer, ! warrant."- Half-pay is but thin subsistence (says he);- well,
what pension does your lady propose? Let me see (says he), what, she must
come down pretty deep now, she 's superannuated (says he) andFoible has invented all this about Mirabell, but actually we get to know
what she herself thinks about her lady ! Surely, Foible doesn't dare to tell her
lady to her face that "you are very old for what you are . doing" ! so, she
pretends that these descriptions are said by Mirabell, and that this is his opinion
of her!

LADY WISHFORT: Odds my life, I'll have him, I 'll have him murdered!
I'll have him poisoned! Where does he eat?- I'll marry a drawe to have him
.poisoned in his wine. I'll sendfor Robinfrom Locket 's immediately.
Obviously, this proves to us what Mirabell said about her in the second act;
that she will marry anything that resembles a man! Also, we notice that she
takes marriage as means to reach her goals because she says that she is ready to
marry a man from a lower class only to revenge from Mirabell !

FOIBLE: Poison him! poisoning 's too good for him. Starve him, madam,
starve him; many Sir Rowland, and get him disinherited. Oh you would bless
yourself to hear what he said!

Foible is so smart because she doesn't save any opportunity to implant

what she wants indirectly; she makes Lady Wishfort so angry and _wants to get
revenge from Mirabell so much so that she agrees to see the suifor tonight and
man-y him immediately! However, what's so important is that we have here a
riew representation of marriage; she says that she cannot take revenge without
marriage; her revenge means marrying someone even though she is a lady of

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5 5 ! In a wy, as if . marriage will give her the identity she lost, marriage is the
thing whidf will co1:Jii?Ite her; as if her identity is deficient with9 ut fl.Pim1, she
fe'ds' that her mbiiey l'is 'rtot' ei\ough, and that' s why she is seeld
- i'.iido 'nuii:ry all
: .
. tq ime. Thus,. .she ot take nvenge on her own; rather sh ,nds
a man
who will inake
hlp her take revenge.
: her stronger and to
.
LADY WISHFORT: A villain! :Superannuated! superannuated i.e. as if HE

is out of use.
FOIBIBLE: Humph (says he), I hear you are laying designs against me too
(says he), and Mrs. Mtllafriant is to marry my uncle (he does not suspect a
word ofyour ladyship); bui (says he) I'll fit you /or that. I warrant you (says
h) I'll hamper you for that (says he); you and your oldfrippery too (says he);
I'll handle youLADY WISHFORT: Audacious villain! handle me; would he durst!
. old frippery! was there ever such a fou{-mouthed fellow? I'll be
Fripperyf
.
.
married to-morrow, 1 'll be contracted to-night.
FOIBLE: The sooner the better, madam. Again, Foible doesn 't save an
opportunity to push her lady in the direction to make her scheme succeed.
. 'LADY wjsJiFORT: Will Sir Rowland be here, sayest thou? when, Foible?
FOIBLE: Incontinently, madam. No new sheriff's wife expects the return of
.
her husband after knighthood with that impatience
in which Sir Rowand burns
.
,
for the dear ho ur a/kissing your ladyship 's hand after (!.inner.
Foib1e is comparirig the impatience of sii ':Rowlad to kiss ldy Wlshfqrt 's
hand to the impatience of the sheriffs wife who is waiting for her husband to
return after he has been promoted to a knight. So, now we know that the
scheme is working very well !
LADY WISHFORT: Frippery! superannuated .frippery! I'll .frippery the
villain, Ill reduce him to frippery and rags! a tdtterdemalion! I hope to see him
hung with tatters, like a Long-lane pent-house or a gibbet thief A slander
mouthed railer! I warrant the spendthrift prodigal's in debt as much as the
million loitery, or the whole court upon a birthday. I'll spoil his credit with his
tailor. Yes, he shall have my niece with her fortune, he shall.
FOIBLE: He! I hope to see him lodge in Ludgate first, and angle into
Black.friars for brass farthings with an old mitten.
Mrs. . J\llarwood is still in the closet; listening to every detail, and at the
same time she kne:w .tht Mrs. Fainall had an affair with Mirabell in the past.
Cleariy w haye th image of making women wanting to rev#ze tp.selves
against .men is- recurring in the play because they were hurt by mer.', , ,ejection
for t.4m; thisJ_ .an indication of their vanity.
--

' ' '- -..: - -.

--- -

..

T"t" - --
:

---

' I

.....,:....- 1 ! ' - - - - - -

- - -

" "

1r

---

-- - - --

---

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-'---'--" -'-- -

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MRS. FAINALL: O Foible, l have been in a /right, lest I should come too
late! _That devil Marwood saw you in the Park with Mirabel!, and I'm afraid
will discover it to my lady.
.

. Mrs. Fainall knows everything about Mirabell's plans because . he told her
--- -aboiifthem. -Thus,--she- comes qufokiy becauseshe kriows-tliat:Marwood s
aw
-Foible and Mirabell in the park, so she wants to rescue her. Foible proves to be
very smart because she doesn't take anything at the first value. So, she pretends
not to know what Mrs. Fainall is talking about. Basically she answers with
a
.
question to trigger. the other person to deliver more information.

FOIBLE: Discover what, madam!

MRS. FAINALL: Nay, nay, put not on that strange face, I am privy to the
whole design, and know that Waitwell, to whom thou . wert this morning
married, is to personate Mirabell 's uncle, and as such, winning my lady, to
involve her in those difficulties from which Mirabel! only must release her, by
his making his conditions to have my cousin and her fortune left to her own
disposal.

Although we already know the plot, Congreve is determined to repeat it

because -he doesn't want any of his audience to miss any information. Of
course, this is not only a summary, but also it' s a reassurance for Foible that
she knows the smallest detail of the plot. Thus, Mrs. Fainall asks Foible to drop
her mask and not to pretend anymore! So, here we have another reference to
the mask that areused in society and in the world.
FOIBLE: 0 dear madam, I beg your pardon. It was not my confidence in

your ladyship that was deficient; but I thought the former good correspondence
between your ladyship and Mr. Mirabel! might have hindered his
communicating this secret.
Although Foible is only a servant who holds the keys to so many secrets,
this doesn't mean that she allows herself to cross the boundaries. So, she
apologizes in a very respectable way; telling her that she doesn't suspect her
whatsoever, but she was afraid lest Mrs. Fainall and Mirabell didn't meet
recently to reveal his plan to her.

MRS. FAINALL: Dear Foible, forget that. You don 't have to apologize /or
anything!
FOIBLE: 0 dear madam, Mr. Mirabel! is such a sweet, winning gentleman
but your ladyship .is the pattern of generosity.- Sweet lady, to be so good! Mr.
Mirabel! cannot choose but be grateful. Ifind your ladyship.has his heart still.
Now, madam, I can safely tell your ladyship our success; !:Ii.rs.: Marwood;had
told my lady; but I warrant I managed myself; I turned it allfof the better. I
told my lady that A1r. Mirabel! railed at her; I laid horrid things to his charge,
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I'/l.yowj' and my lady . is. so incensed that she 'll be contracted to Sir. Rowland
tO-ntght,. she says; I wa.r.rant I worked her up, that .he may have her for:asking

for, as they say ofa Welsh maidenhead.

Probably, Mrs: Fainall is. sacrificing herself not out of loe, rather she is

- -- - - -sacrlfidng herself "for-the--sake cif the false god called ''reputatlon''!-So, as

-

audience we wonder what makes Mrs. Fainall a patron of generosity to a man

that we ;call a "devW'? .this is because in that society a woman has to sacrifice
herself for that idol god named REPUTATION!
MRS. FAINALL: 0 rare Foible=O! you are too precious Foible!

FOIBLE: I beg your ladyship to acquaint Mr. Mirabel! of his success. I

would be seen as little as possible to speak to him:- besides, I believe Madam
Marivood watches me. - She.has a month 's mind, but I know Mr. Mirabel! can 't
abide her.- John!- (Calls). remove my lady 's toilet.- Madam, your servant: my
lady is so impatient, Ifear she 'll come for me ifI stay.
MRS. FAINALL: I'll go with you up the back-stairs, lest I should meet her.

When Foible says that "Mirabell cannot abide Mrs. Marwood", this
triggers Marwood wha. is hiding in the closet and listening to this to revenge
even more and cause them evermore harm !

The Female Battlefield I Friendship:

.
MRS. MILAAlENTL I'll take my death, Marwood, you are . more . ce_nsoriqus
than a decayed beauty, or a discarded toast. - Mincing, tell, the men they .may
come up. - My aunt is not dressing here, their folly is less. provoking than your
malice. The town has found it! what has itfound? That lvfirabell loves me is no
more a secret, than it is a secret that you discovered it to my aunt, or than the
reason why you discovered it is a secret.

In the previous scene, we have seen that Millamant was very angry at
Petulant, so she spoiled her fan.

MRS. MAR WOOD: You are nettled.

MRS. MILAMANT: You 're mistaken. Ridiculous!
MRS. MARWOOD: Indeed, my dear, you 'll tear another fan, ifyou don 't .
. . mitigate those violent airs.
.
So, :f\Ars. Marwood is telling Millamant that she should control her anger;
otherwise she will spoil another fan!
MRS. MILLAMANT: 0 silly! ha! ha! ha! I could laugh immoderately. Poor

. .. }Jir.abell!, his constancy to me has quite destroyed his complaisance /Qr all the
wor.ld_J?.ffside. I swear, I never enjoined it him to be so coy- IfI had the vanity to
. think /1.e.. would _o bey me, I would command him to show more gallan_trY-. 'tis
hardly well-bred to be so p<;1rticular on one hand, and: so insensib.l .,on . the
::'.:7_.. '.= t :

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29

othe.;. But I despair to prevai. and so let him follow his own way. Ha! ha! ha!
pardon me, dear creature, . ! ni.ust laugh, ha! ha! ha! though I grant you 'tis a
little barbarous, ha! ha! ha!
Milfamant is teasing . Marwood . and . telling her: "I don't understand

------ -M:rrahell! :ijiseemS--fo-have a sPJ.ltpers-oiiafiiYT How-come- iliaflie-is so-nfoe-

. and good to me, and at the same time cruel to other people!" surely, by "other
people". Millamant uses the word "comrriand", which .. means that she is
actually commanding him in all situations! So much so that she says: '_'I wish
that he would listen to me and lessen his insensibility to other people(Mrs.
Marwood), but he cannot help it!"

MRS MARWOOD: What pity 'tis so much fine raillery, and delivered with
.

so significant gesture, should be so unhappily directed to miscarry!

MRS. MILLAMANT: Ha! dear creature, I ask your pardon- I swear I did
not mind you.
- MRS. MAR WOOD: Mr. Mirabell and you both may think it a thing
. impossible, when I shall tell him by telling youMRS. MILLAMANT- 0 dear, what? for it is the same thing ifI hear it- ha!
ha/ ha!

She is teasing her by saying that whatever you say is insignificil;nt to me !

And I am not able to hear what you are saying ! Basically, she is belittling what
Marwood is saying.
.
MRS. MAR WOOD: That I detest him, hate him, madam.
MRS MILLAMANT: 0 madam, why so do I- and yet the creatitre loves me,
.

ha! ha! ha! how can one forbear laughing to think of it. - I am a sibyl ifI am not
amazed to think what he can see in me. I'll take my death, I think you are
handsomer- and within a year or two as young- ifyou co uld but stay for me, I
should overtake you- but that cannot be.- Well, that thought makes me
melancholic.- Now, I'll be sad
.

She is being very ironic, and she is touching on two very important points;
the Age Issue and the Beauty Issue.

MRS. JvfARWOOD: Your merry note may be changed sooner than you
think. This sentence means: "You won 't be happy for too long! " Millamant
chooses to tease her further by a song which was very popular in the comedies
at the time.
MRS. MILLAlvfANT: D 'ye say so? Then I'm resolved I'll have d song to
keep up my spirits. Desire Mrs.- that is in the next room to sing .the song I
wo uld have learned yesterday.- Yot t' shall hear it, madam- not that there 's any
great niatier in it- but 'tis agreeable to my humor.

_:.-}\: ;i

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30

---

By sayirtg that sh'e'doesn'tmean to say anything, it means that she wants to

say something! ,

SONG :o: :- ;3
Love 's bid' thefrililty ofthe mind,
. - -When i{s "-fio
'
t with ambition)olned,;
Asickly flame,' #'h'ich; ifnotfed, expires,
Andfeeding, wastes_ tn self-consumingfires.
'Tis not to wound a' wctnton boy
Or amorous youth, that gives thejoy;
But 'tis the glory to have pierced a swain,
For whom inferior beauties sighed in vain.
Then I alone the conquest prize,
When I insult a rival 's eyes:
Ifthere 's delight in l9ve, 'tis when I see
That heart, which others bleedfor, bleedfor me.
--- -- - - -

- - - - -- - - - -

. .:

: i , I

: ,

; .

if

,,,, .

I ..

.,, '

, : ;:

, ' - . .

What's the ambition in the: "Love's but the frailty of the mind, When 'tis
not with ambition joined"? Money. For example, Millamant is postponing her
marriage to Mabell because she wants to trick her aunt and ta,ke her money.
.

Lyrics that Gratify. the Understanding of the Audience:

Dryden said that any lydc in any drama should plse . the hearing and'hot
gratify the understanding. In his irttioductiori to the: dpera Albion and Alb'anius,
he wrote the ru1e_s behirid writing a song in the comedy: " A sc;mg lyric must
abound in the softness and variety of numbers; its main principal intention
being to please the Hearing rather than gratify the understanding". This is very
important!
Dryden's explanation is that the listeners will be distracted by their
enjoyment for the music, so they won't be able to analyze the imagery in the
song. Thus, he preferred \Vriting easy and "singable" lyrics in drama; rather
than loading it with imagery.
Although Congreve was the disciple of Dryden, he wrote against his theory
lyrics that gratify the understanding of the audience. Congreve prefers to
concertfrate on the meaning; rather than please the hearing. The song of
Congreve isn't that difficult, but it requires more than one reading to grasp the
meaning, understand the imagery and the foreshadowing of the events; that
.
perhaps .Millamant will be the winner at the end and she will marry Mirabell.Jt
was common to put a sd:rig ' in a play, so Congreve wasn't ' inventing a new
te6hniq\ie whe_n he -.us:bd the song._Millamant decided to put her signal at the
end of the discussion in a very vindictive manner which is obvious in the last

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31

stanza of the song; ,telling Mrs. Marwood th.t -'Look! I am, the victorious one
no matter how hard you try!" The song Isn't oniy to tell Mrs. Marvvood that
Millamant will be the victorious one, but also it 's assuring us as audience that
she will win at the end. Congreve behind Millamant ws: to end the
---- - -- confrontatfon ln-a l}rricaTway1e- fo: a song- Obviouly, the third act started with female encounters ad_ conspiracies,
and Congreve ended these encounters lyrically by a song; pointing out that
when females meet together, they are nothing more than enemies.
-

Restoration Pumpkin I Squire:

Wilfull comes under a special category, which is referred to in the

Restoration as the Pumpkin or the squire. He is a country squire. The two
representations of Sir Wilfull are Country squire and Pumpkin.
People in the Restoration supported the monarchy and the upper classes.
Also, they valued the urban sophistications. However, they criticized people of
those classes, and it was throu!?;h characters like Sir Wilfull, that writers in the
Restoration criticized the upper classes.
So, Sir Wilfull has a function in the play, and again Congreve delays his
arrival to the stage bec_ause he wants us to hear aqout the character and then see
this character in action. Of course, we heard about him in the first act through
the discussion of Mr. Fainall and Mr. Mirabell.
Paradoxically, While writers were celebrating the upper clases, they were
- - also criticizing them by using a character who is a pumpkin, country squire,
and then contrasting the two sets of values and the different ways of dressing.
Sir Wilfull says that he comes to London in order to acquaint himself with the
lingoes (language) that the upper classes in London use. At the same time, he
was satirized for not being able to understand the habits, language, and the
values of the city.
Clearly, Congreve wants us to trace the reality of Sir Wilfull, who might
appear as a fool, but in reality he is good because he agreed to marry Millamant
in order to find a solution for the situation.
Thus, Sir - Sir Wilfull belongs to the same class of our hero Mir-abell and
our heroifle Millamant. So although he is a country squire, he has mo-ney; it's
just that he lives-in the country while Mirabell and Millamant lives in the city.
-WITWOUD: Why, brother- Sir Wilful! of Sa/op, you may be as shprt as
Shrewsbury-c(:lke, ifyou please. But I tell you 'tis not modish to know relations
in town: you think you 're in the country, where grat lubberly brothers stabber
_

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32

and .kiss one another when they meet, like a r;:all of serjeants- 'tis . not the

. fashio11 here; 'tis not indeed, : dear brother.

-

.
--

- - -

Sb;" Witoud is refortihg'to the country where his half brother came ;from
which is "Salop". Actully, -Salop or Shrewsbuiy are two names -used to refer
- fo- - the same --place m;-the Western-- Eiigfartct . s-titefy;--whertCongreve says
"Shrewsbury-cakes", he\knows that they are short bread cakes that his audience
know about.
Basically, Witwoud is trying to tell his half brother that we are now in the
city, so you have to forget your countryside manners because they aren't
fashionable. So, in London there are rules and regulations that one has to
follow eyen when he meets . his own brother, he cannot kiss him because it's
not fashionable in London to do so.
More than once, Witwoud repeats to his half brother tp.e phrase: "it's not
fashionable here"; to emphasize the contrast between the city and the
countryside.
. .

SIR WILFULL: The fashion 's a fool; and you 're a fop, dear brother.
S 'heart, I've suspected this- by 'r Lady, I conjectured you were a/op, since you
began to change the style of your letters, and write on a scrap ofpaper gilt
round the edges, no bigger than a
..
subpoena. I m_ight expect this when you left off, "Honoured
,,
brother,,; and "hoping you ar. in good health, anq so forth- to
begin with a "Rat me, !might, j'm so sick ofa last night's
debauch"- 'ods heart, and then tl}fl fmiliar tale ofa cock
and a bull, and a whore and a botile, and so conclude. - You
could write news before you were out ofyour time, when you
lived with honest Pimple Nose the attorney ofFurnival 's Innyou
could entreat to be remembered then to your friends round
the Wrekin. We could have gazettes, then, and Dawks 's Letter,
and the Weekly Bill, till of late dajs.

Acti.ially, the phrase that summarizes the whole situation is: "The fashion's
a fool; and you're a fop, dear brother"; Sir ,Wilfull is saying that to prevent
brothers from meeting on such good tenn.s . as hugging and kissing is something
foolish because this fashion is against natlire.
Here. we have a connection between what it means to be a man and
writing. So, is writing a manly thing? Is wilting in certain times considered
masculine? And ifyou neglect
' this style of writing does it mean you tum into a
fop? . :bes it make you less manly to abandon the traditional way of masculine
writing?

AL

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.

33

This reminds' us of Millam.ant's saying that she is suffocated with letters,

and because people didn't know how to write lettrs, she used them to pm her
hair! Congreve wants to say that he :isnt like the writers of his generation, who
writes according to the way of the world, he rather writs in a masculine
.
----professio.iiafwaythat aims-to seiicCmessages to the audience. -.-- -- ----On the other side of the spectrum, we are told that fops are masculine also.
So, as if we are talking about gender inside gender. In other words, the male
gender is further gendered and divided. And here we have a hint that even men
have different styles and different characters; men in our society are more than
one man. In other words, men have more than one category.
Congreve wants to say that in the Restoration, we have more gender within
gender. For example, fops are considered men, but also those writers who
started with the old style are also men and more masculine. Thus, Congreve
moves from one stand of masculinity into another. On the other side of the
spectrum, we know that Sir Wilfull is supporting another style of writing,
which is the attorney; he is supporting the lawyer style, which is so official and
up to the point. From what he says here, we detect that he prefers the formal
and official style of writing. For example, he says "Dear sir".
.

The Conspiracy Continues:

What Mrs. Marwood knows up till now is that Mrs: Fainall had an affair
with Mr. Mirabell and she tells Mr. Fainall about his wife past affair. Mirabell
cannot stand her and hates her so much; the thing which makes her much more
offended. Waitwell, the servant of Mirabell, will impersonate and play the role
of Sir Rowland.
MRS. MA.R WOOD: You married her to keep you; and ifyou can contrive
to have her keep you better than you expected, why should you not keep her
longer than yoit intended
Being an excellent plotter, Mrs. Marwood is trying to direct his attention to
more money and more gains because now he realized that his marriage was
about to collapse after he knew that his wife cheated on him and that she
manied him only to cover her an unwanted pregnancy.
. FAJNALL: The means, the means.
He is asking her about the way to do it although he was oiiginally
presented to us as a very good plotter and schemer.
The female sex is presented as the one . who is plotting all the time!
Undeniably, the i.Jiugery of the gambling ta"Qle comes to mind.
. again; s if they
'

are gambling!

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. 34

MRS. A1AR WOOD: Discover to my lady your wife 's conduct; threaten to

part Your wife 's cr;nyd11c.t: that Mrs. Fainall ha4.qn affair w-iih lvfiral}ell. with
her/.:. my lady ' ioves'" 'her, and will come to qny compositi9n to save her
reputation. Take the. ,opp6,rtunity of breaking il, 'Jyst upon the .discovery of this
imposture: J.1y lady f1fillbe-.enraged})eyor/ b-ou Js:- an(Tsacrific;:e niece, and
fortune, and all, at tl:zd,(pnjuncture. And let me alone to keep her war1J1: if she
shouldjlag in her pcirt, ;f w/fi'notfail to prompt her.
. . ,,,

.... .. \ . \ '

The Plot:

1 . Telling Lady Wishfort that her daughter had an affair- with Mirabel!.

Spicing the affair and saying perhaps that the affair between Mrs.
Fainall and Mfrabell lasted even after her maniage to Mr. Fainall, and this is a
big scandal.
3 . Threatening Lady Wishfort that he will divorce her daughter, and
divorce was very scandalous at that age . .
4. If people heard that Mr. Fainall divorced his wife, they would know that
she made a cuckold of him.
5. So, everyone will know that there is an issue with the reputation of Mrs.
Fainall.
6. Thus, Lady Wishfort will sacrifice everything and everyone to save her
'( ') :
daughter's reputa'.tion.
Clearly, one word like "leave her" will give you a lot of meings: in that
society; he is a cuckold. She cheated on him. Divorce was a scandal in the
Restoration period; it wasn't atdptable. When divorce happens, society
accuses the woman. The accusation is always directed towards women.
FAINALL: Faith, this has an appearance.
MRS. MARWOOD.' I 'm sorry I hinted to my lady to endeavour a match
between Millamant and Sir Wilful!: that may be an obstacle. .
Marwood is telling him that she had done something earlier that she
thought would facilitate things for them, but now it turns out to be an obstacle
for them. However Mr. Fainall finds a solution for this:
FA/NALL: Oh, for that matter, leave me to manage him: I'll disable ,him
for that; he will drink like a Dqne; after dinner, I'll set his hand in.
The plan is that Mr. Fa!nall wlll get ,him drunk and he will manage the
situation from there Like team players, they are planning for the future; she
, ai4 Jha.t this person will be an. obstacle, he assures her 'that he will get rid of
.
the obstacle
by making
. . . this .man drunk,:
2.

AR- ANWAR

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35

The Ugliest Image of Marriage:

MRS. MAR w_ooD: Well, hw do you standaffected towards your lady?

Why,.-faith, .I.'m_thinking_of:-it:._LeUne:..seeJ'.a.m_mar..r:.ieL
alreaey, so that 's over:- my wife has played thejade with me well,
that 's over too:- / never loved her, or if! had, why that
would have been over too by this time:-jealous ofher ! cannot
be, for I am certain; so there 's an end ofjealousy:- weary of
her I am, and shall be- no, there 's no end ofthat- no, no, that
were too much to hope. Thus far concerning my repose; now for
my reputation. As to my own, I married notfor it, so that 's out of
the question; and as to my part in my wife 's- why, she had
parted with her 's before; so bringing none to me, she can take
none from me; 'tis against all rule ofplay, that I should lose
to one who has not wherewithal to stake.

A comparatively long answer from'Fainall is given:

Mr. Fainall is using his reasoning power to cheer himself up, and to

explain tht it was an unhappy marriage. The most important thing is that he is
using his reason, but also he is presenting to us the ugliest image of marriage.
The most important point is when he says: "IT's against all rules of play", it's
very powerful because it speaks of man-iage as if it was only a game. .Marriage
. is a game for Mr. Fainall.
Obviously, he doesn't want to reason why he married because he says: "I
am married already; that's over! "; he means "I have discussed with you the
reasons of my marriage to her, and I don't want to go over them once more!"

The Two Facades of Reputation:

As a male none will attack him and say: ''You have lost your reputation ! "
If anyone comes to accuse him that h e has lost his reputation because of his
. wife's .cheating, he would simply say: "This affair happened far away in the
past before I man-ied her !"
Congreve is presenting a funny image to criticize the manners of the
people in his time and motivate them .to rectify their behavior. Moreover, he is
putting so many masks in the situations; asking us to unmask and see. deeply
behind the mask in order to understand what's happening iri that society.

lv.fRS. MARWOOD: Besides, yC>uforget, marriage is honourable.

FA/NALL: Hum, faith, and that 's well thought on; marriage is horiourqble
as you say; and if so, wherefore should cuckoldom b :a discredii, being
derived/ram so honourable a root?

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36

MRS. MAR WOOD: Nay, I know not; ifthe root be honourabfr> why not the

branches?
FAINALL: So, so, why this point 's clear- well, how do we proceed?

They are saying that if the root(marriage) is considered honorable, then

.
. . . -why-(foii.;fpeople coiiide1 the -bi-anclies(betrayalfo"fthe
.roothonorable alsO!
:
Although marriage is. ..portrayed as something based on game and .money,
society considers it honorable. While this society doesn't honor betrayal
although it's done for love's sake!

MRS. MARWOOD:
I will contrive. a letter which shall be delivered to my
lady at the time when that rascal who is to act Sir Rowland is
with her. It shall come as from an unknown hand-for the less I
appear to know ofthe truth, the better I can play the
incendiary. Besides, I would not have Foible provoked ifI could
help it- because you know she_ knows some passages- nay, I expect
all will come out- but let the mine be sprungfirst, and-then I
care not ifI am discovered.

She will write a fake letter for ady Wishfort telling her the real identity of
Sir Roweland; that he is a servant.
. ACT JV /. SCENE I
Reeifation & Pre1farations for the Exi>ected Suitor:

.
LADY WISHF,ORT: is Sir f?.1ldnd coming, ay;t thou, Foible? and are
things in order?
FOIBLE: Yes, madam;_! have put wax lights in the sconces, andplaced
the footmen in a row . in tlie hall, in their best liveries, with
the coachman andpostillion to fill up the equipage.

She has prepared everything ,put everything in order, the footmen are in
the corridors in their best uniform, the candles are in their sconces, and the man
in charge of the carriage is ready to take the equipments of the expected guest;
of course, all these arrangements are done to receive the 'great suitor Sir
Rowland.

. .LADY WISH: Have you pulvilled the coachman and postillion, thai they
may not srink of the stable when Sir Rowland comes by?
FOIBLE: Yes, madam.
.
. LA.DY WISH: And are the dancers and the music rf!qdy, that he may be
. . .
entertqii?eiin all points ith correspondence to his passion?
. . . She cares so much for appearances; l;l if she wants to distac! his attention
.

with the performance of the dancers and for.ce him to fall in)ove with er.
-

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37

.
FOIBLE: All is ready, madani.
LADY WISHFORT: And- well- and how do I look, Foible? .
FOIBLE: Most killing well, madam.
LADY WISHFORT

--- :- ---waf and ii()v,i sliall lreceive him? in what.figure-shall I

give his. heart thefirst impression? there is a great deal in
the first impression. Shall I sit?- no, I won 't sit- I'll walkay,
I'll walkfrom the door upon his entrance: and then turn
fall upon. him- no, that will be too sudden. I'll lie- ay, I'll
lie down- I'll receive him in my little dressing-room, there 's
a couch- yes, yes, I'll give the.first impression on a couch.I won 't lie neither, but loll and lean upon one elbow: with one
foot a little dangling off, jogging in a thoughtful way- yes.and
then as soon as he appears, start, ay, start and be
surprised, and rise to meet him in a pretty disorder- yes- 0,
. nothing is more a1luring than a leveefrom a couch, in some
confusion:- it shows thefoot to advantage, andfarnishes with
blushes, and recomposing airs beyond comparison. Hark! there 's a coach.
1 . Lady Wishfort is staging how she is going to receive him; she is trying
to stage a seduction and she is trying to imagine how this gentleman will
respond to every move. that she will make in her closet room. Congreve takes
us to the i.ssue of theatricality; ,she is stage performing. Lady Wishfort decided
to receive him while she is lying on a coach because it was so alluring to
receivt:'. the expected suitor as if she has just awaked from sleep. Congreve uses
the word "levy"; it means receiving visitors just as if you are awake right from
bed. Actually, this word is taken from the French language, and it was derived
fr()m a French ritual in which the court gather every morning for the
ceremonial rising of the king. It' s so important to notice that even in this tiny
activity, we have the influence of the French culture, and we have seen the
example of "levy" which is taken from the French tradition of the French court.
There is a self-conscious manipulation of identity, which means that she knows
herself to be a lady of 55, and she is determined to change something in her
identity with the way she behaves, with the ways she utters phrases, with the
way she speaks, and also with the atmosphere of hyr house(preparing the
. dancers, perfuming the servants, and the candies} The self conscious
manipulation of identity is called by critics self-secularizatfon, which results
in the loss of authenticity and this is what Congreve i.s ritjcizing. She is
performing in her closet, and this act demand$ that.she
is. '.tii. pi
.
ing' her body into '
an item of scrutiny and speculation.
;:

_'

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38

--

FOIBLE: 'Tis he, madam.

LADY WISHFORT: 0 dear!- Has my nephew made his addresses to
Millamant? I ordered him.
FOIBLE: Sir Wilful! is set in to drinking, madam,. in the parlour.
----LAiiY-WlSI-iFtiR T.:- odds-my lije, I'l{ send him- to- her--:-CaiTherdown-,Foible; bring her hither. I'll send him as I go- when they are together, then
come to me, Foible, that I may not be too iong alone with Sir Rowland.
She isn't only inviting Sit Rowland, but also she is inviting us to scmtinize
her body, so the act of scrutiny is tfansferred to us as audience as if Congreve
wants us to scrutinize this character who is so much pretending with her
.moves, lingoes, and gestures. This proves the genius of Congreve as a writer
because while the audience are laughing he sends messges about his society.
So, he isn't only presenting this character, but also he is criticizing this self
conscious manipulation of identity, and self-secularization.

The Proviso Scene:

,
MIRABELL: "Like Daphne . she, as . lovely and as coy. ; Do you lock
yourself up from me, to make my search more curious? Or is this pretty artifice
Qontrived to signify .that here the chase must end, . and my pursuits be prawned?
For you can fly no further.
, ': l .

In a teasing Manner, Mirabell tells Millamant: 'How come that yo,u , re

. sitting here? Do you mean to make my search more interesting? ,9r is this
something you created to deceive me and tell me that the pursuit has ended. .
Thus, you will no longer run away from me?"
.

MRS. MILLAMANT: Vanity! no- I'll fly, _and be followed to the last
moment. Though I am upon the very verge of matrimony, I expect you should
solicit me as much as ifI were wavering at the grate of a monastery, with one
foot over the threshold I'll be solicited to the ve1y last, nay, and afterwards.
MIRABELL: What, after the last?
Clearly, what Millamant has just said is something unusual .for men at that
time; he cannot understand how she demands that he begs, seeks, and solicits
her even after marriage ! In other words, he sees n reason to solicit her after
marriage since after marr_iage she will be his wife living in his home!

MRS. MILLAMANT: Oh, I should think I was poor and had nothing to
. bestow, if I were reduced to an inglorious ease, and freed from the agreeable
faiigues ofsolicitation.
MIRABELL: But do not you know, that when favours are conferred upon
instant and tedious solicitation, that they diminish in their value, and that both
the giver loses the grace, and the receiver lessens his pleasure?
.

< A\

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e. S T"A O L I S 1-I N"1 i:;: f'o!T

39

MRS. MILLAMANT: It may be in things of common applicatiQl1;". but never

sure in love. Oh,1 hate a lover thatpan dare to thi f.z,,e draws a mQm.ent 's air,
independent of the bounty of his mistress. There is not.S.Q._;impude:ntJ l. ..thing in
nature, as the saucy look ofan assured man, confident ofsuccess. Theipedantic
.. --- - - arrogance ala very husband /ias -nai' so pragmaticaTcin--c[ij.; A.h/1.'li never - --- ,,marry, unless I am first_ made sure ofmy will andpleasure.
Condition (1): My will(power) andpleasure should be balanced.
"impudenf' and "saucy" refers to the rudeness of men when they stop to
solicit women. Moreover, she says_ that there is nothing uglier than a man who
is assured that he got the heart of his beloved or his wife. Obviously, she is
saying that the marriage isn't an end, rather it's a new beginning, a new life, a
new vocabularies, and a new way of dealing with things.
Condition(J): I will not marry unless I make sure of my will and my
pleasure.
MIRABELL: Would you have 'em both before marriage? or will you be
contented with the first now, and stayfor the other till after grace?
Again, he is teasing her and making fun. of what she says.
MRS. MILLAMANT: Ah! don 't be impertinent. - My dear liberty, shall I
leave thee? my faithful solitude, my darling contemplation, must I bid you then
adieu? Ay-h adieu- my morning, thoughts, agreeable wakings, indolent
slumbers, all ye douceurs, ye sommeils du matin, adieu?- ] Caf! 't can 't do 't, 'tis
more than impossibiepositively, Mirabel!, I'll lie abed in a morning as long as
!please.
Millamant is contemplating and musing over how she will lose her current
pleasure and her current life i.e. she is contemplating how her Cl,lrrent pleasures
will be nothing but past pleasures after marriage.
She is introducing what she wants because when she says the French
words: "douceurs" and "sommels du matin", she means the same words that
she has already said in English "morning spleen" and "slumber". Basically, she
means that after marriage she will lose the pleasure and the sweetness of
slumber and morning spleen, these two privilages that she enjoys as a single
lady.
Condition(2): I will lie in bed as long as Iplease.
MIRABELL: Then I'll get up in a morning as early as Iplease.

Actually, his answer is encouraging and he counteracts her with another

condition of his own; that he will wake up as early as he pleases r .
MRS. MJ.LLAMANT: Ah! idle creaiure, get up when you will;. and d 'ye

hear, I won 't be cdlle(i nqmes after I'm married, positiyely I wl(l- ? -e glled
names.
, ; , : . .

: )):: ,: \ ..

.. AN'J\fAIR:

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40

Names: like wife, spouse, my dear, j oy, jewel, love, sweetheart, . . . etc.
Millamant doesn't want to be called names like these because they are
signs of hypocrisy. Congreve' s technique is very clever because after he
introduces
something
new, he affirms it once again through
another character.
: MlRABELL
: Name ! ---

-- ------ -

- -- - --

. . ..

- - - -

- -

_ _ :_ _

---

------- ---

Obviously, Mirabell is as surprised as the audience are, and this shows that
Congreve doesn't want the idea to pass by unnoticed.
MRS. MILLAMANT: Ay, as wife, spouse, my dear; joy, jewel, love,
sweetheart, and the rest ofthat nauseous cant, in which m-en . and
their wives are so fulsomelyfamiliar- I shall never bear that
good Mirabel/, don 't let uS be familiar orfond, nor kiss before
folks, like my Lady Fad/er and Sir Francis: nor go to Hyde-park
together the first Sunday in a neW chariot, to provoke eyes and
whispers, and then never to be seen there together again; as if
we were proud ofone another thefirst week, and ashamed ofone
another ever after. Let us never visit together, nor go to a
. play together; but let us be very strange and well-bred: . let us
be as strange as ifwe had been married a great while; and as -
well-bred as ifwe were not married at all.
Actually; the most important and the most interesting statement in .the
proviso scene is: "as if we were proud of one another the first week/"and
ashamed of one another ever after". Congreve knows that it' s the custom for
maiTied people to call one another sweet names in public although they cannot
stand one another, but they have to because they are required to be committed
to the social hypocrisy.
condition(3): "I won 't be called names because they are nauseas cant! "
MIRABELL: Have you any more conditions to offer? Hitherto your
demands are pretty reasonable.
MRS. MILLAMANT: Trifles!- As liberty to pay and receive visits to and
from whom I please; to write and receive letters, without interrogatories or
wry faces on your part; to wear what I please; and choose conversation with
regard only to my own taste; to have no obligation upon me to converse with
wits that I don 't like, because they are your acquaintance: or to be intimate
with fools, because they may be your relations. Come to dinner when I please;
dine in my dressing-room when I'm . out of humour, without giving a reason. To
have my closet inviolate; to be sole empress of my tea-table, which you must
never presume to approach without first asking leave. And lastly, wherever I
am, you shall always knock at the door before you come in. These articles

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41

subscribe(i,- if.I conpnue to endure you a little longer, f:m,r:zy gy:d.egr;(fes dwindle
. . into a wife.
..
.:::".<.:': ; ;n ; : c . .
When she says "trifles", she mefi!1S that she has m_ore -cop.djtions to . add ,
but they are small and silly ones. Aithough she said t}l.ee: q9p.Mo.: i:e trifles, '
--- ----t:hey- aie --iile most important . coiidiffoiis -she is-- gollig. jo .-0trei:1. vcy ,:.ae--v-erI)r:- -- - ..
.MiJlamant moves from the less important to the_ more important.
-,

However, by looking at this society in the last 17th century and early 18th
century, had only two options as a woman; to remain a spinster always fearing
for her reputation and always mocked by . society or to dwindle into a wife.
Surely, the first one isn't an option for Millamant in that harsh society. So, she
has nothing but the second option i.e. to be diminished into a wife!
At that time there were two spheres; The public sphere: related to work,
politics, and men because the bread winners for the family and the private.
sphere which is supposedly for women exclusively. This sphere is . violated
because she says that she wants to be the empress of her own tea table; which
is supposed to be her private space in the first place. I mean even a small
sphere as the tea table is violated, so she has no right even in her own house!
MIRABELL: Your bill of fare is some(hing advanced . in this latter
account. - Well, -have I liberty to offer conditions- that when .you are dwindled
. . . into a wife, I may not be beyond measure enlarged into a husband?
lvlRS. MILLAMANT: You have free leave; propose your utmost, speak and
spare not.

MIRABELL: I thank you.- Imprimis then, . I covenant, . that your

acquaintance. be general that you admit no sworn confidant, or intimate of
your own sex; no she friend to screen. her affairs under your countenance, and
. tempt you to make trial of a mutual secrecy. No decoy duck to wheedle you a
fop-scrambling to the play in a to wheedle: to flatter and lure. mask- then bring
you home in a pretendedfright, when you think you shall be found out-_ and rail
at me for missing the play, and disappointing the fi-olic which you had to pick
. me up, and prove my constancy.
While Millamant moves from the least to the most important conditions,
Mirabell moves from the most important to the least important conditions; he
takes the final conditions which Millarhant describes as trifles and he starts his
conditions from there:
Condition (1 ) : that you admit no sworn confidant; 'or intimate of your own
sex = he doesn't allow her to have an intimate girlfriend; neither does he allow
her to bring a female friend to - the house! ,Obviously, . ,Congreve reflects to, us
the attitude towards female privacy at that time; they saw female privacy as a

_ _ .. ,A ,: ._

,,

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42

VVVVW". analJlJl.vviilllr.lUlB
:. . . .

threat to the social order, a threat to the house, and a threat to marriage. This
takes us to a very important point which is the fact that women and the house
they live in are the legal property of the husband
MRS. MILLAMANT: Detestable imprimzs ! I go to the play in a mask!
----- --XliRAi3ELL:7tem, . Tartiae:ifU:tTyou-coniinue-to like yourown-Jace-:-Cis-long as I shall: and while it passes current with me, that you endeavour not to
new-coin it. To which end, together with all vizards for the day, I prohibit all
masks/or the night, made of oiled-skins, and I know not what- hogs ' bones,
hares ' gall, pig-water, and the marrow of a roasted cat. In short, I forbid all
commerce with the gentlewoman in what dye call it court. Item, I shut my
doors against all bawds with baskets, and pennyworths of muslin, china, fans,
atlasses, etc. - Item, when you shall be breeding.

He is aware that when she gets older her face will wrinkle and she will no
longer look young, but he doesn't want her to use masks and cosmetics to hide
her age because this reminds-him of Lady Wishfort!
When he speaks about breeding i.e. pregnancy, she says:
MILLAMANT: Ah! name it not.
There are two explanations for Millamant' s reaction; modem explanation:
Millamant is so shy because she thinks that he is referring to the ' body
relationship that they will .have after marriage, _ and her . coyness is part of her
social role as a female. And there is the Restoration explanation; and this .. is
more important .because it expresses the women's fear of childbirth, and the
problems of pregnancy. Obviously, we knew about . this through the diaries
written by women at that time.
Interestingly, this is not the only time in which the issue of giving birth and
breeding Is emphasized in this play; it's used almost by all characters in the
play. For example, we know that Lady Wishfort said once that she doesn't
want to be like the wife who is always breeding. However, breeding is
mentioned . here in a negative way because Lady Wishfort is refe1Ting to a
woman from a lower class, and . who has no social standards whatsoever in
society, thus, her only job is to breed all the time.
Moreover. Mr. Fainall refers to this when he said that he was a cuckold in
embryo, and "embryo" refers to a new life and to something that's yet to be
born. Normally, "embryo" is linked to something very positive. But, he is using
it in a very negative way because he uses "embryo" to refer to himself as being
a fool cheated on by hi wife.
Thus, Congreve wants us to see that "breeding" could be used negatively
because he is making the two negative characters use it in a negative way;
characters who breed lies. Clearly, "breeding lies" is the essence of this

/!\\.
. :.
-
.

AL ANWAR

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43

comedy because everyone is lying about somtQ..ing;(every_ character is hating

eve1y other character. So, the ieforence is basifaHy to .'nies" and "'hate". , :,
On the other side of the spectrum, when Mirabelli . is :discussing rwith
Millamant their future plans . in the :proviso scene, ;and he falks about
-- - ----ffbieecliiii'\ he. <fetillifoly uses if ill a: ver)r-pdsfiive- seris.e.siirely;- ;he . nieans t0- --
refer to hope, to _future life, to his wish to establish a great family with
Millamant, and to have blessirig.
Clearly, presenting "breeding" in both positive and negative lights .
indicates a message that Congreve wants to convey which is: anything can be
used negatively or positively depending on our actions.

MIRABELL: Which may be presumed with a blessing on our endeavours.

MRS. MILLAMANT: Odious endeavours!
MIRABELL: I denounce against all strait lacing, squeezingfor a shape, till
you mould my boy 's head like a sugar-loaf, and instead of a man child, make
me father to a crooked billet. Lastly, to the dominion of the tea-table I submit
but with proviso, that you exceed not in your province; but restrain yourself to
native and simple tea-table drinks, as tea, chocolate, and coffee: as likewise to
genuine and authorised tea-table talk- such as mending fashions, spoiling
reputations, railing at absent friends, andso forth- but that on no account you
. 'encroach upon the men 's prerogative, and presume to di-ink healths, or toast
fellows{ for prevention of which I banish all foreign forces, all auxiliaries to
thetea-table, as orange-brandy, all aniseed, cinnamon, citron, - and Barbadoes
waters, 'together with ratafia, and the most noble spirit ofclary- but for cowslip
. wine, poppy waier, and all dormitives, those I allow. - These provisos admitted,
in other things I may prove a tractable and complying husband.

He is asking for a sense of realism whether in her pregnancy or the way

she dresses or the way she appears when she is old. Clearly, when he asks her
not to wear tight clothes when she is pregnant, he is asking her so because he
wants realism iir their fives, so why don't everyone knows the reality of her
pregnancy? Moreover, if she wears tight clothes, his baby will look like a billet
(crude stick) !
he doesn't allow her to talk about politics. In other words, he wants her to
keep whatever inside the house very feminine, and he allows her to discuss at
her table only things that are related to femininity. To add even more fun, he
puts limits even to the drinks she has with her friends at the 'tea table; arid he
banishes her from having any alcoholic drink because it' s a man's-activity! In
other words, she isn't allowed to drink or do anything that' s' related ;to men or
"'
"''
reacts:
their spheres. Now, let us see how Millarriaht
. .

AL ANY\..,A.R

1!! s,A n L l 5 M ,.., r:! N T

:" :

. .

44

.:.

MRS. MILLAMANT: 0 horrid provisos! filthy strong-waters! I toast

fellows I odious men/ l hate your odious provisos.

If we read Millamant's reaction for the first time, we might think that this
is the end and they won't be married. However, her reaction shows that there is .

----- -aspeCiariangiiage" b-etween -them:-a:n<f this is lier-way of sayiiig_:_ ''!approve- ofall your conditions!" because his answer shows that he understands this secret
code of their special language:
,. .
MIRABELL: Then we are . agreed/. shall l kiss your hand upon the

contract? And here comes one to be a witness to the sealing ofthe deed.
Again, he understands that she means to say that she approves of his
provisos and that's why he tells her that they will have witnesses to witness for
the sealing of the marriage contract.
Congreve gave Millamant three or four dramatic moments to be the
empress of her space by telling us what she demands. Surely, he wants us to
realize how limited, confined, and restricting this space is.
Finally, he gives the last word to Mirabell so that we know that men have
the final word, and he does this NOT by exerting power. How does this
happen? We see that Mirabell is basically counterpointing everything she says
, and he does that through using:
Reason I Logic I The rules of reality and society.
.
Innovatively, Congreve enlarges the female space over:
Her home I Tea table
Surely, it's a credit to Congreve that he has allowed his female character to
have some dramatic moments in order to express herself and her conditions,
and this proves two things:
L Congreve was progressive for the time he lived in.
2. Congreve introduced new and innovative ideas for the Restoration Age,
and it's an innovation in itself to dedicate three acts to indoor activities.
3 . He is kind of giving some power to women in that time.
Undeniably the fomih act is about wooing and its scenes are called scenes
of courting. Basically, we know that Sir Wilfull will woe and court Millamant.
Moreover, Mirabell tried to woo and seal a contract with Millamant.
.

The Wooing Scene:

LADY WISH

Dear Sir Rowland, I am confounded with confusion at the

retrospection ofmy own rudeness !- 1 have more pardons to ask
than the pope distributes in the year ofjubilee. But I hope,
where there is likely to be so near an alliance, we may unbend .
.
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. AL ANWAR

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45

the severity ;ofdecorums, and dispense with a little cefe"inony. ,

'

i\

Obviously, she is apologizing for Sir Rowland for her . rude beliavior
because she had to leave him alone for some:time to see wha.t?.s.wrong with the
drunk Sir Wilful!. Funnily . enough she says: 'where there is like:Ly to be so 'near
.
- ---an:-ainaiice; --we rn:a.y-i:iii1Jeiic:C',. _ - - - - -- - - . :-, , , , .-:-- - -- -- - - . ::-:, '. ;::fi--:::: .. - -- - - - -

. WAITWELL
My impatience, madam, is the effect ofmy transport; and "fi/l . :
I have the possession ofyour adorable person, I am tantalised
. on the rack; and do but hang, madam, on the tenter of
expectation.
LADY WISH
You have an excess ofgallantry, Sir Rowland, andpress
,things to a conclusion with a most prevailing vehemence. ._ But a
day or lJVo.for decency ofmarriage

'

Lady Wishfort is trying to tease him with her beauty; seriously

emphasizing that he wants to possess her adorable person!

WAITWELL
For decency offuneral, madam! The delay will break my heartor,
if that shouldfail, I shall be poisoned. My nephew will get
an inkling ofmy designs, and poison me- and I wduld willingly
starve him before I die- I would gladly go out oftheworld with
that satisfaction.- That would be some comfort to me, ifI could
but. live so long as to be revenged on that unnatural viper!
Basically, he wants to take revenge on his nephew!

LADY WISH: Is he so unnatural, say you? Truly I would contribute

much both to the saving ofyour life, and the accomplishment of
your revenge.- Not that I respect myself, though he has been a
perfidious wretch to me;
WAIT
Perfidious to you!

Obviously, they are talking about Mirabell, and Lady Wishfort acts very
cleverly when she inserts the idea that Mirabell had done her wrong !
Clearly, Lady Wishfort wants to take a double revenge. The first revenge is
by marrying Sir Rowland. The second revenge is by telling Sir Rowlnd what
his nephew has done to her so that he takes revenge on .Mir?.-ell because now
Sir Rowland is her man ! Surely, Sir Rowland has to take 'revenge
because he
' ,:

has to save the honr of his belovd Lady Wihfort! ,

.
LADY WISH: 0 Sir Rowla_nd, the hoa:s that he hqs_ di((c{,aay a.t
. - ,ny
.

"feet, the tears thai he has shed, the oths that he has sworn,

r
-.. IL .q_V\l'A.':""--t
C! $TA E!I L I S. M ;I C N T

'

46

the palpitations that he has felt, the trances and the

.
tremblings, the ardours and the ecstacie.s, the kneelings and the
risings, the heart.:.heavings and the hand-gripings, the pangs and

the pathetiC regards ofhis protesting eyes!- Oh, no memory cn rster!

IiVAlt.-:- wkat, myrivalliiihe-rebelmy iivat/:a dies: - - - --LADY WISHFORT: No , don 't kill him at once, Sir Rowland,'strve him
gradually, inch by inch.
fnonth out
- WAIT :I'll do 't. In three weeks he shall be barefoot; in d
at knees with begging an alms.- He shall starve'itp-Wa d d '
upward, . till he has nothing living but his head, and ihen go out
in a stink like a candle 's end.upon a save-all.
LADY WISH: Well, Sir Rowland, you have the way- you are no novice in
the labyrinth of love- you have the clue. - But as I am a person,
.

' - - - - - --

- -----

Because he gave her the answer she desires, she tells him that he is an
expert in the ways of love!
Sir Rowland, you must not attribute my yielding to any sinister appetite, or
indigestion of widowhood; nor impute my complacency to any lethargy of
continence- I hope you do not think me prone to any iteration of nuptfals
What she has just said is very important because she is negatmg' all the

'
attributes associated with her:
1 . She says that she doesn't want him because she has an appetite or
passion. 2. Nor does she want to marry him because she has this habit of
rema1zying.

WAITWELL: Far be itfrom meLADY WISHFORT: Ifyou do, I protest I must recede- or think that I have
made . a prostitution of decorums, but in the vehemence of compassion, and to
save the life ofa person ofso much importance-

So, she goes on and- on to justify her own actions, and she uses a very
important expression: " made a. prostitution of decorums"; which . means that
sh violated decorum and didn't stick to it nor did she stick to the decencies of
behavior!

WAITWELL: I esteem it so.

LADY WISHFORT: Or else you wrong my condescension.
WAITWELL: I do not, I do not!
LADY WISH: Indeed you do.
WAITWELL: I do not, fair shrine of virtue!

Obviously, he is exaggerating so much here! Moreover, these expressions

cannot be from Waitwell' s imagination. Clearly, he is mimicking and aping
every conversation he had ever listened to !
- A' Jill"'-

'

AL A. N VVAR .
ti !> T,.. 13 L I S M N\ C! N T"

47
.

When she says: "pJas dont mis:qderstand me for auy:1;l)ing I _have said or
done", he answers: ",It.' s q11t of qustion!"
. , , :, \':v, 1:y'.
. .. ..
In other words,
like Waitwell cannot say: . "A
shrine of v.irtue
!";
.. .
. .
: a servant
. . . -.
,
he is mimicking repeating everything he has heard througho:ut hi.s life !
- - ----- -Ll fDfi w1sHfrcJR.t: 1fJ;ou-ifzink-the-Zeasi scrupte-ofcarizaHfY was:a12---- - --- -- -

ingredient. WAITWELL: Dear madam, no. You are all camphor andfrankincense, all
chastity and odour.
Basically, he is telling her that she represents all the fragrant of the world
for him; she is the shrine of chastity, and he will never think ill of her! Funnily
enough, Lady. Wishfort is struggling to deny any sexual motivation on her part,
but this negation is suggestive of something very important which is: she
functions as the vehicle for the feminization of the mask!
Obviously, she has passions and desires and they are the real motivation
for her remarriage. On the one hand she has desires and lust, and on the other
hand she wants to take revenge on Mirabel!.

FOIBLE
Madam, the dancers are ready; and there 's one with a letter,
who must deliver it into your own hands.
LADY WJSHFORT
Sir Rowland, will you give me leave? Thinkfavourably,
judge candidly, and conclude you have found a person who would
suffer racks in honour 's cause, dear Sir Rowland, and will wait .
on you incessantly. (Exit)
WAITWELL
Fy, fy!- What a slavery have I undergone! Spouse, hast thou
any cordial; I want spirits.

Funnily enough, when she negates her desires, she emphasizes the joke
even more ! Thus, the situation that women had to confront was not an easy one
at all, and although we laugh but it' s a really difficult situation! This is because
society forces her to many because he is a widow from the upper class society,
and at the same time this society will mock her if she remarries ! Although
Waitwell didn't like Lady Wishfort, he probably fancied the idea of changing
his social position and get rriore money. In other words, his hast in going to get
the marriage contract seemed so spontaneous so much so that we: think that he
had probably fancied the idea of becoming an upper class by marrying Lady
Wishfort!
, ..
LAD Y WISH

Call in the dancers.- Sir Rowland, we 'll sit, ifyou

) .:t...j:

);--:

.IL i fi'".!:'ti,/fV. R

l:i!O.T.,.. C. L l !;; M M E N T

48

please, and see the entertainn'fent.

Now, with your
permission, Sir Rowland, I will peruse my letter.- I would open
.
it in your presence, because 1 wo uld not make you uneasy. Ifit
malieyo:u -uneasJ;: -"Iwa.it!a 6urn ii: :. speak )fi!Claes-_- bu!
---sli
--oukf
you may see the superscription is like a woman 's hand

_
_
__
_ __ _ _ _ ____ _

She is trying to . tell Waitwell that she cannot hide any secrets from him
because she considers film to be her $oul mate. Ill other words, she wants to
convey to him the idea that they are two souls merged into one, and she can
never let a silly ting like a letter separate .them. Moreover, she tells him that the
writer of the letter seems to be a woman; meaning that from now on she will
never receive letters from men because she is completely and devotedly only
his own; she is giving herself totally to him!

FOIBLE [Aside to WAITWELL.] By Heaven! Mrs. Marwood's, I know it.My heart aches- get itfrom her.
WAITWELL
A woman 's hand! no, madam, that 's no woman 's hand, I see that
already. That 's somebody whose throat must be cut.

Waitwell is responding in a very smart way; he is repeating and mimicking

every conversation he has ever heard in his life to enable him to act his''role so
perfectly well ! Wittily enough, Waitwell manages to control the situation
perfectly well by playing the role of the chivalrous lover!;

LADY WISH
Nay, Sir Rowland, since you give me a proofofyour
passion by yourjealousy, Ipromise you I'll make a return, by a
jiank communication. - You shall see it- we 'll open it together look
you here. - [Reads.]- "Madam, though unknown to you "- Look
you there, 'tis from, nobody that I know- "I have that honourfor
your character, that I think myself obliged to let you know you
are abusd. He who pretends to be Sir Rowland, is a cheat and a
rascal. "- Oh Heavens! what 's this?

. Surely, Lady Wishfort is so happy and contended by the j ealousy of her

suitor and she considers it to be an evidence of his love for her!

FOIBLE [Aside.] Unfortunate! all 's ruined!

WAITWELL How, how, let me see, let me see!"A rascal, and disguised and subornedfor that imposture, "- 0 villany!
d villany!- "by the contrivance of- "
LADY WISH I shallfaint, I shall die, oh!

49
A. L A. N VVA R.
C. TA O L. l :..: H IV\ ll N T

This is an automatic reaction for a lady in ji-ont of a gentleman; she has to

,
fall in order for him to pick her up!
FOIB [Aside to WAITWELL.}
..
nd- quickly, his
Say
'tis
your
nephew
's
h
.
. - -- _---
----- --- --piot, swear ifsw"eCfF itT

.
. .

'

_ _____

or course,

- - -

.. . .
-- .

-----

__

.. '

'

'

..

she is stil'f acting!

WAIT
Here 's a villain! madam,
. don 't you perceive it don 't you see
. it?
LADY wiiI
Too well; too well! I have seen too much.
WAIT
I told you atfirst I knew the hand. - A w(J'qb 's hand! The
rascal writes a sort ofa large hand; your Roman hand- I saw
there was a throat to be cut presently. Ifhe, were my son, as he
is my nephew, I'd pistol him!
FOIB
0 treachery!- But are you sure, Sir Rowland, it is his writing?
WAIT
Sure! am I here? do I live? do I love this pearl ofIndia? I
have twenty letters in my pocketfrom him in the same character.
.

'
Here, Waitwe1i is very witty because hen she asks him 'abqut how ceain
he fa that the letter is written by Mirabell, he answers that he is sure of it as he
is sure that she can see him in front of her eyes now!

LADY WISH: How!

FOIB: 0 what luck it is, Sir Rowland, that you were present at this
juncture!- This was the busiwss that brought Mr. Mirabel!
disguised to Madam Millamant this afternoon. I thought something
was contriving when he stole by me and would have hid his face.

It' s almost necessary all the time for females to interfere, so Foible
interferes to assure Lady Wishfort that ! What S ir Rowland has said is correct
because Mirabell was here and he must have delivered the letter by himself!

LADY WISH
How, how!- ! heard the villain was in .the houseindeed;
and now I remember, my niece went away abruptly, when SJr , .
Wilfull was to have made his addresses.
FOIBLE
'
.
Then, then, madam, Mr. Mirabel! waitecf,for her in her r;hamber!
but I would not tell your ladyship to discompose you when you
.

AL ft.!i"'WA R

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50

were to receive Sir. Rowland.

.
WAITWELL: Eno ugh, . his date is short.
FOIBLE: No, good Sir Rowland,
. don 't incur the law.
WAITWELL

rawTlcare"no!forTaw.-Tcan hui die; arid 'i{/in a good

cause.- My lady shall be satisfied ofmy truth and innocence,
though it cost me my life.

---

..

This is very important! What's the fighting he is talking about? And why
. does she mention her reputation?

LADY WISHFORT
No, dear Sir Rowland, don 'tfight; ifyou should be
killed I must never show myface; or hanged- 0, consider my
reputation, Sir Rowland!- No, you shan 'tfight- 1 'll go in and
examine my niece; I'll make her confess. I conjure you, Sir
Rowland, by all your love, not to fight.
WAITWELL
I am charmed, madam, I obey. But some proofyou must let me
give you; I'll go for a black box, which contains the writings
ofmy whole estate, and deliver them into your hands.

Now, there are three important thing in what we have just read; the fight;
reputation and the law:
Before speaking about the law, he mentioned "the fight" and she
mentioned "reputation" because at that time, the woman was considered to be a
man's prope11y, so if anyone injured her, it was a great threat to the man
himself. Thus, the man would amend his honor by fighting; the kind of fight
that happened at that time and even later to the mid of the 1 8th century was
called dueling!
Actually, the duel depended on fighting with sword, which is based on the
French manner, and they can fight with pistols. However, Lady Wishfort tells
him that if he fight against Mirabell, she will lose her reputatfon because
everyone would think that she had an affair with 'Mirabell
and that her suitor is

. fighting to regain his lost honor!

Of course, everything happening here is against the law because -everyone

is disguised, everyone is lying, everyone is pretending to be someone 'who is
not, and surely dueling is against law. However, Sir Rowland is trying to
manipulate the law because dueling was considered by the law as .a way to hide
the truth; it' s not an embodiment of the truth. Why? Because even if he
provides the letter as an evidence if any fight should happen, they will prove to
be fake!

A\

A L A N VVAR

C: S T A O l. l H IV'l l; N T"

51

When Waitwell starts talking about the c.Ot:J;trct, the -audience laww that
the law belongs to untrusting knowledge_ , because the . worc:i . 9f . truth isn't
obvious anymore; the truth in the : Jaw : caniiot be . taken at th: Jace value.
. Moreover,
the lawand the social standards are contradictory in---_ themselves!
-- wAIT-WElL-
-------. (: i,=. .. .
.

--

- --

...

- -

--

- - --

- - - - - --- - - - --- - - - - - -

- - - - - - ----

- ------

I am charmed, madam, I obey. But some.proofyou must let me

give you; I'll go for a black box, which contains the writings
ofmy whole estate, and deliver them into your hands.

We know that he is fakillg everything, but he is ti.1.l insisting that he

presents the proof to her
LADY WISH
Ay, dear Sir Rowland, that will be SO"(ne comfort, bring
the black box.

A moment before, Lady Wishfort couldn't stand on her feet, but now she
stands and speaks as if nothing had happened! Apparently, she is enjoying her
role very much!
WAITWELL
And may I presume to bring a contract to be signed this night?
may I hope so far?
LADY WISH
Bring what you will; but come alive, pray come alive. . . . . . .
Oh, this is a happy discove1y!
The happy discove1y is that he has the black box of the letters!
WAITWELL
Dead or alive I'll come- and married we will be in spite of
tr.e.achery,' ay, and get an heir that shall defeat the last
remaining glimpse ofhope in my abandoned nephew. Come, my
buxpm widow:
Ere. long you shall substantial proofs
receive,
That I'm an errant knightFO!B [Aside.]: Or errant knave.

Now, the words of Foible . are very important and true because as audience
you might be caiTied away by his lies and believe that he is really . a true knight,
but the words of Foible reinind us that he is nothing more than . a dishonest
man!

Lady Wishfort is Seeki_n2 A Pastoral Retreat:

'

,. ,

In Act five, Lady Wis}1f.ort seeking to live in a place O\lid.e thls world,
and she decides to take Mrs. Marwood" with he1i .
.

. . : ::A\' \

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52

- .-...

.m].am.vvaur.1l.ll.s

LADY WISH
0 my dearfrie_n4< () ca I enumerate the benefits that
I have receiycf.ftq,1?J your goodness! To you I owe the timely
discovery of thefalse vows ofMirabel!; to you I owe the .
.

------ - de!ectionoffiieJiizpostor Sir-Rowland. Aiidnow yo_u_aiehecome

an intercessor with my so.n-in-law, to save the honour ofmy house
and compoundfor the frailties ofmy da,ughter. Well, friend, you
are enough to reconcile me to the bad world, or else I would
retire to deserts and solitudes, andfeed harmless sheep by
groves andpurling streams. Dear Marwood, let u.s leave the
world, and retire by ourselves and be shepherdesses.

..

Congreve wants to remind us how misleading and fake female friendship

is. It's funny how Lady Wishfort is mislead, how she is incapable of reading
the realities of characters, and this shows us the impossibility of having female
friendship without having deceit at its very core.
Lady Wishfort fantasizes that sh wants to go outside this bad world into a
pastoral retreat, and take Marwood with her! She wants to reconcile herself
into the happiness and joy of the pastoral life!
The Multilayered Imagery of Female Isolation From One Another:

We have the multilayered image1y of . the female 1solatlori frm' ; qne

another, of hypocrisy, and of females' inability to be go od friends . to' "one
another. He wants to show us that the problem is not that society viewed the
cabal nights and the female gatherings as bad; the problem is in the females
. themselves and their behavior towards one another. In other . words, even if
Congreve wanted to show us the females in a positive light, he won't be able to
do it because the females have proven themselves to be-at least in this text
their own worst enemies ! This is the result of the inability of females to break
their isolation, to get rid of their hypocrisy, and to be united to form real
comrades. In a very smart way, Congreve wants to send the message that:
Unless you females change the way you deal with one another, unless you
break the isolation, and unless you get rid of your hypocrisy, then none ever
can help you!
MRS. MA.R WOOD: Let us first despatch the affair in hand, madam. We
shall hav(;! leisure to think of retirement afterwards. Here is one who is
concerned in the treaty.

Mrs . . Marwood tells . Lady Wishfort that they don't have . time 11ow to
fantasize, and as a way of teasing, she says that here is your daughter whp is
more interested in your proposal!
..

Ir,,.

- .,.

.A L A.NVVA.R.
E ::;. TA O L I S ..1 1'-" t" "' T

53

LADY WISHFORT
Oh daughter, daughter! is (tpossible tlwu .hould_st .b;_ my
child, bone ofmy bone, andfleh 9J{y fls C!.rfqf)Jiay
.
say, another me, and yet transgre)fze most mi.te p;i
r
ticle.p
f
.
(

- - - -- ---- -:ev-ere11iriiie-/ 1f,: tt possihTeyou-s"l1a'iitdlean asiae--i-Zni(JZiiiY:- ,

who have been cast in the direct mould_ ofvirtuei i have not
only been a mould but a patternfor you, and a modelfor you,
after you were brought into the world

-"- -- -- -- - -

It's very interesting that Lady Wishfort says . that she hasn't only shaped
her daughter on virtue, but also she has made herself a pattern and an example
of virtue for her daughter! In . a very comic way, we are forced to see the
contradictions in this society!
Lady.Wishfort is The Pattern of Virtue:

Clearly, Lady Wishfort considers herself as virtuous and moral, so this

leads us to . think that it's fine for society that a widow seeks younger men to
marry! Now, the question to be asked: Why is this society satirizing and
mocking her behavior?

Perhaps, the pr:.o_blem is in the society itself because charGiY:rs are the
product of t.hat society. Surely, every gesture and every con1ment trjggers us to
think of something much deeper. Funnily enough, .Lady Wisp.fort .is pre,senting
. he.rself as the pattern of virtue, and this reminds us of Sir R9wlar,1d who
. dscribed her as the shrine of virtue! Thus, this imagery of her being the shrine
of virtue is repel'.lted here again

MRS. F,AINALL: I don 't understand your ladyship.

LADY WISHFORT: Not understand! Why, have you not been naught? have
you not been sphisticated? Not understand! hre I am ruined to compoundfor
your caprices and your cuckoldoms. I must pawn my plate and my jewels, and
ruin 111y niece, and all little enough-

Lady Wishfort is telling her daughter that she has now to give and deposit
everything she has in order for her daughter not to be exposed as an adulterous!
The Final Revelation:

MRS. FAINALL: I am wronged and abused, and so are you. 'Tis a false
accusation, as false as hell, as false as your friend there, . .liY'. r your friend's
.
. fiiend, myfalse husband.
. .
Ji.1RS. MAR: My friend, kfrs. Fainqllf your husband.. rnxfrieh.d! wht do you
rnean?

. -t!'- NYVA.R

C S TA O L l 5 H IVI E. N T

54

11

'

----

. ..

. -. .'. .

; .
.. .

, l .

.
\

MRS. FAIN: I know what I mean, madam, and so do you; and .so shall the

world at a time convenient.

As audience when we read this, we know that we are approachmg the

. conClusion,
the final revelation, and the final point after which there ,are no
----ni
ore-secreisi

- -- -

- ----

- - - - - - - --- --- - ---- - - - -

- - ---- --- - -- - -

;:

Up till . now, we have reached the first message through di scussing the
female friendship, Congreve wants to send us the subtle message that: change
comes from within; unless you change froin within and give powet to one
another, none can give you power!
Now, the second thing is that Congreve shows us the unstoppable villainy
of Mr. Fainall, and in a way we are reminded of the proviso scene, but not
. liberally of course because we see Mr. Fainall stating his conditions to cover
the adultery of his wife!
MRS. MAR
I am sorry to see you so passionate, madam. More temper
would look more like innocence. But I have done. I am sorry my
zeal to serve your ladyship andfamily should admit of
misconstruction, or make me liable to affronts. You will pardon
me, madam, ifI meddle no more with an affair in which i am not
personally concerned.
LADY WISHFORT
0 dear friend, I am so ashamed that yoii should meet with
such returns!,
[To Mrs. FA/NALL.}
You ought to ask pardon on
your knees, ungrateful creature! she deserves morefro;n you than
all your life can accomplish.

Of course, we will see something similar to the proviso scene now:

FAINALL
Well, madam; I have suffered myself to be overcome by the
importunity ofthis lady your friend; and am content you shall
enjoy your own proper estate during life, on condition you
oblige yourselfnever to many, under such penalty as I think
convenient.
LADY WISHFORT: Never to marry!
FA/NALL: No more Sir Rowlands;- the next imposture may not be so
timely detected.
MRS. MARWOOD
That condition, I dare answer, my lady will consent to

lA

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55

without difficulty she has alr_eady but tQo_ n;zu.ch experienced the
perfidiousness ofmen. - Besides, madam, when, we retire to our
.
pastoral solitude we shall bid adieu to .!all other thoughts.

._ ,. ;

. ;

-,

\ ,

Very cleverly, Mrs Marwood interferes.-, .and takes advantage .o: f>.the
-1antas!es -ihaftaayw1slifoifh-as--expresse<lsorn:e -p-agesearnei:ahoiithedesire
to spend some time in a pastoral retreat, and she manipulated : this for her
interest and that of her lover!

__ _ __

LADY WISH
Ay, that 's true; but in case ofnecessity, as ofhealth,
or some such emergency-

She is saying that she agrees on the first condition but she might violate it
and marries in case she catches a disease that's only cure is marriage, and then
he shall excuse her if she marries!
The Conditions of Mr. Fainall:

Condition (1): He shall have her estate, and she can never many unless he
agrees. Condition (2): He shall take the remained of his wife's money.
Condition.(3): He shall have Millamant's inheritance of six thousands . .
FA/NALL

Oh, ifyou are prescribed marriage, you shall be considered; I

will only reserve to myselfthe power to choose for YO'?l. Ifyour
physic be wholesome, it matters not who is your apothecary.
Next, my wife shall settle on me the remainder ofherfortune,
not made over already; andfor her maintenance depend entirely
on my discretion.

Then, he tells her that if her doctors are good, they will prescribe a good
medicine for her and not a husband!
LADY WISH
This is most inhumanly savage; exceeding the barbarity of
a Muscovite husband.
Muscovite: from Moscow, Russia.
. So, she chooses a stranger and an alien to relate Fainall to!
Tvlr. Fainall is a Foreigner to the British Land :

FAINALL
I learned it from his Czarish majesty 's retinue, in a winter
evening 's conference over brandy and pepper, amo gst' other
secrets of matrimony and policy, as they are at presnt . . : .
practised in the northern hemisphere.,But tbis_ 1nus_( b,e qir.e.ed
unto, and that positively. Las tl){ i wtil be endoi,ved; t right . . .
-

-0... L A N "-.r.1'.C.. R

C TA A L I S l

IVI E N T

56

"

ofmy wife, with that six thousandpounds, which is the moiety

ofMrs. Millamant 'sfortune in your possession; and which she
has forfeited (as will appear by the last will and testament of
your deceased husband, Sir Jonathan Wishfort) by her

--- -disobedtence in.contractingfiersel/aga1nst your consent or______

knowledge; and by refusing the offered match with Sir Wilful!
Witwoud, which you, like a carefitl aunt, hadprovidedfor her.

We. know that Peter the Great, the Russian emperor, visited London in
and probably Congreve is making a contemporary reference to Peter the
Great who visited London at that time, and there is another reason which we
will discuss. In a very reasonable and logical manner, Mr. Fainall says that he
wants to take Millamant's money which are in her possession, and he gives her
an excuse for this which is: since her husband stated in his will that Millamant
will take her inhei;itance only if she marries someone that her aunt approves of,
and since Millamant won't marry Sir Wilfull, she will be disinherited.
The Terms associated with Mr. Fainall that prove his Foreignness to the
British Land are "Savagely inhumane'', "Barbarian", "Muscovite husband",
"Someone who is so distant and alien".
Congreve wants to say that Fainall doesn't represent the English
masculinity at that time! Very cleverly, Congreve waits till. Fainall states
clearly his schemes, to make him an outsider to the English Land . .
Basically, Congreve is presenting an agenda ,o f reform for England, and
such excess of villainy should be stigmatized and banished as "foreign". Thus,
Fainall like people should be banished and expelled from New England; which
will be an anti-libertine land.
Obviously, Congreve presents the social and political framework for the
New England that he dreams of, and this England should . have a policy of anti
libertinism a policy of anti-villainy, and a policy of return to the true English
values of masculinity and chivalry.
After associating Fainall with "foreignness", Congreve gives him one last
chance to get rid of the savagery and inhumanity he has shown, and we see this
on the last page in which he gives Mrs. Fainall a paper to benefit from in her
life with her husband, at that moment we know that a compromise might
happen, a forgiveness might occur, and that a change in Fainall might happen
to make him accepte in the English soil.
Basically, Congnve leaves us with an open ending, and open choices: that
if Fainall changes his villiny towards his wife, he is welcome back to be an
English native man and a husband living on the English land.
1 697,

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57
.J . '

.. .

. .

, .

Agreeing to 1VI!!TY in order to Plea.se Other PeopJe.:. .

.
.

- - - - - -

SIR WILFULL
I confess I have been a little in disguise, as thf!y say;-- .
S'heartLand1m sorryfor_'t. . Whatwould youhaYe2-:Lhope1J:zave :- committed no offence, aunt- and ifI did I am willing to make . . ,
satisfaction; and what can a man sayfairer? IfI have broke . .
anything f!ll payfor 't, an it cost a pound. And so let that
. contentfor what 's past, and make no more words. For what 's to .
come, to pleasure you I'm willing to many my cousin. So pray
let 's all be friends, she and I are agreed upon the matter
before a witness.

..

_ __ _ _

--

--

The most important thing . he says is that he will marry Millamant only to
please lady Wishfort because this is not only a bleak image of marriage but
also it's so funny.
LADY WISHFORT
How 's this, dear niece? have I any comfort? can this be true?

Obviously, Lady Wishfort is so happy for the sacrifice of her niece!

MRS. MILLAMANT
I am content to be a sacrifice to your repose, madam and
to convince you that I had no hand in theplot, as you were
misinformed, I have laid my commands on Mirabel! to come in
person, and be a witness that I give my hand to' thisflower of
knighthood: andfor the contract that passed between Mirabell
and me, I have obliged him to mci.ke a resignation of it in your
ladyship 's presence;- he is without, and waits your leave for
admittance.

Interestingly, Millamant describes her marriage to Wilfull as a "sacrifice";

as if she was going to death in this man-iage, and she refers to Sir Wilfull as the
"flower of knighthood"!
So, this is the third point that Congreve Wants to present to us in his final
act; which is the bleak marriage.
LADY WISHFORT
Well, I'll swear I am something revived at this testimony
ofyour obedience, but I cannot admit that traitor. - Ifear I
cannotfortify myself to support his appearance. He is as
terrible to me as a gorgon, ifI see him Ifear I shall turn to
:
. stone, and petrifY incessantly.
-

s'k; .'

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58

_ ___ _

__

MRS MILLAMANT
.

Ifyou disoblige him, he may resent your refusal, and

insist upon the contract still. Then 'tis the last time he will
beAD
off
[
Yensive
WlS to you.
Rt
HFO
Are you sure it will be the last time?- IfI were sure of
that- shall I never see him again?
MRS MILLAMANT
Sir Wilful!, you and he are to travel together, are you
not?
SIR WILFULL
S 'heart, the gentleman 's a civil. gentleman, aunt, let him
come in, why, we are sworn brothers andfellow-travellers. - We
are to be Pylades and Orestes, he and I - He is to be my
interpreter in foreign parts.

- --
.

- - - - - -

-- -

- - - - - - - - - - - - ----

- -

- -

- -

- - -- -

--

.
.
-- -- -----

The Revelation of The Final Mystery:

Surprisingly, the writings of Sir Rowland do exist, but in this box(which

contains the writings), there is something related to Mirabell himself;
something that Mirabell has asked Waitwell to preserve and put in the box.
. signed by Petulant and. the other
Unexpectedly, this thing is a document
.
fools, but because these fools are busy in their follies, they have for:gotten
about this document entirely!
.

'

. .

PETULANT
How now? What 's the matter? whose hand 's out?
WITWOUD
Heyday! what, are you all got together, like players at the end
. ofthe last act?
MIRABELL , .
You may remember, gentlemen, I once requestedyour hands as
witnesses to a certain parchment.
WITWOUD
Ay, I do, my hand I remember- Petulant set his mark.
MIRA.BELL
You wrong him, his name is fairly written, as shall appear.You do not remember, gentlemen, anything of what that parchment
contains?
.

A\i
l?"'?
.,.-

. ' .

59

A. L A N VVA.R
C S T A. ti '- 1 3 M M C N T

." ' . .

... ,. . :

Basically, Petulant and Witwoud present to us theatrical perfomance as

J.
pare id: "The
the players in the final (lCt, and t4.\. ei:nip.ds us , of what
'! \ \I
. ' 'Sha
..
world is a stage, and Al. men arid .women-are players !.' '
. ., : . .
Obviously, Congreve is reminding us of the masks tliat_' ac . d every one
- -- -o-r ihe-acfors-11.--a:v-e-_put-ihiouili.oliftlie- pfay-ruicra:rs0 liejs,: remliiaiiig 'iis-of'ilie---- card game. Thus, he is takilig us to the opening of , th . play wJ:ien we have
Fainall and Mi.rabell in the first scene of the first act, and they have just
finished playing cards.
Funnily enough, these fools were the witnesses for a legal document, yet
they don't care to even bother to remember it or to take the matter seriously .
. Now, Mirabell tells Lady Wishfort that if he resolves all problems, she will
agree to his marriage from Millamant, and he emphasize the point over and
over:
.\ ,

'

' ..;

'

. . '

. .

. .

WITWOUD: No.
PETULANT: Not L I writ, I read nothing.
MIRABELL: Very well, now you shall know. - Madam, your promise.
LADY WISHFORT: Ay, ay, sir, upon my honour.
MIRABELL
Mr. Faina!!, it is now time that you should know, that your
lady, while she was at her own disposal, and before you had by . .
your insinuations wheedled her out ofa pretended settlement of
the greatest part ofher fortuneFAINALL: Sir! pretended!
MIRABELL
Yes, sir. I say that this lady while a widow, having it seems
received some cautions respecting your inconstancy and tyranny
of temper, which from her own partial opinion andfondness of
you she could never have suspected- she did, I say, by the
. wholesome advice offriends, and ofsages learned in the laws of
this land, deliver this same as her act and deed to me in trust,
and to the uses within mentioned. You may read ifyou pleasethough perhaps what is written on the back may serve your occasions.

Again, the word "tyranny" is used to describe Mr. Fainall, and Fainall in a
state of disbelief says :

FAJNALL
Ve1y likely, sir. What 's here?- Damnation! [Reads.]
"A deed of conveyance of the whole estate real ofArabella Languish,
widow, in trust to Edward Mirabel!. "- Confusion!

' ','

.' '
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E S TA t:I L I S l-4 1VI U N T

60

So, the name of Mrs. Fainall is Arabella, and tlie nanie' ofher late husband
was Languish.
' '

MIRABELL
Even so, sir; 'tis the Way of the World, sir, ofthe widows of
-----iiie world. 1 suppose this JiJe<lmay -bear-aii elder-daie-ihanwhat
you have obtainedfrom your iady.

' '

Very wittily, by saying "it's the way of the world"; he seems to be

concluding the . play an:d saying that these are the widows that our society
. produce. At the same time, it' s not a bad thing for a widow to distrust her next
husband especially that England now has people with foreign values.
So, in such a case, widows have to be careful and entrust their properties
to someone they trust like Mirabel!. And although Mirabell was a rake, he
changed and reformed when the play started, so he won't betray the trust of
Arabella and he will take care of her money!
FAINALL
Perfidiousfiend! then thus I'll be revenged
[Offers to run at Mrs. FAINALL.}
SIR WILFULL
Hold, sir! now you may make your bear-garden flourish
somewhere else, sir.
FAINALL
Mirabel/, you shall hear ofthis, sir, be sure you shall. - Let
me pass, oaf!
MRS. FAINALL
Madam, you seem to stifle your resentment; you had better
give it vent.
MRS MARWOOD
Yes, it shall have vent- and to your confusion; or I'll
perish in the attempt. [Exit.}
LADY WISHFORT: 0 daughter, daughter! 'tis plain thou hast inherited
thy mother 's prudence.
MRS. FAIN: Thank Mr. Jvlirabell, a cautious friend, to whose advice all is
owing.
LADY WJSHFORT
Well, Mr. . Mirabell, you have kept your promise- and I must perform mine. First, I pardon, for your sake, Sir Rowland there, and Foible; the next thing is
to break the matter to my nephew- and how to do thatMIRABELL
For that, madam, give yourself.no trouble; let me have your
14..\
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61

consent. .Sir Wilfull is myfrirpJd/ he. .hq had compassipn ;i.tpon

lovers, and generously engaged a volunteer in this action, for:
our service; and now designs to prosecute his travels.
SIR WILFULL

-.-- - ---- - --- --- -- -s 'lzeai- faun!-:1 fiave-n01n-1nciia_ ;na,,;Y uJ; cousin 'sa fine - :-:;-. - :-.
lady, and the gentleman loves her, and she loves him, and they .
de$er_ve one another; my resolution is to see foreign parts- I
have set on 't- and when I'm set on 't I must do 't. And if these
two gentlemen would travel too, I think they may be spared.
.. .

. .

, ,,

Despite the recuITent images of bleak marriages throughout the play, why
did he conclude his play with one?
Although the play ends with their mairiage, this maniage seems to be very
conventional in the sense that there is a gender superiority because the man is
the one who has the final saying.
Clearly, marriage means different things to men and women. So, even
though the play ends with maniage, we know that Mirabell will have the upper
hand; while it means for Lady Wishfort the loss of freedom and status. This is
because she will not be able to get maiTied unless he agrees so that she isn't
deceived again. Clearly, in this condition, he is - repeating in a lighter -tone what
Fainall has just said.
However, Mirabell puts his condition out of his concern for Lady Wishfmi
not out of control like Fainall.
Like a director who direct all actors, Mirabell says that he will give Mrs.
Fainall the document in case she wants to reconcile with her husband in the
future. So, he says probably you will use this money in order to secure yourself
if you return to your husband!
Clearly, he is against the superiority of the husband over his wife, he is
against gender inequality inside the institution of maniage, and this is another
proof that Congreve was so much progressive for his time!
At the end, the hope remains that the day will come in which we will
choose our manner and morals from the inside of our honest true hearts, and
when we start with ourselves, and the small unity of the family, then probably
the whole society will change for the better of everyone.
MIPBELL
Madam, disquiet not yourselfon that account; to my knowledge
his circumstances are such he must ofcourse comply. For my
part, I will contribute all that in :m_e lies to a reunion; in the
mean time, mada:n,

. ,\ .

,.. L _.t;, N 'tNA R

l:! S TA 0 L I S H M G N T

62

--

Lady Wishfort is still afraid lest something might happen,.. and so he is

.
assuring her that everything will be fine.
; , ::Because he is the winner, Mirabell speaks from a position,o_f control and
power especially. after the exposure of Fainall' s villainy, and he speaks : a.bout a
--reuiiloii--between F'ainall iii<l his.wife-.-s"lrre!y, he. giVes . hfu:iseffthe iight-10
the director of the events and gives each actor his/her role.
,

let me before these witnesses restore to you this deed oftrust; it

may be a means, well-managed, to make you live easily together.
From hence let those be warned, who mean to wed;
Lest mutualfalsehood stain the bridal bed,
For each deceiver to his cost may find,
That marriage-frauds too oft are paid in kind

Basically, he is advising against the duplicity of marriage, and he is is

putting himself as an example for abandoning his falsehood in marriage
contract because we knew that he had abandoned his promiscuity before the
play started. Throughout the whole play, we have seen him so dedicated to
Millamant because we haven't witnessed any encounter between him or any
female in the play nor did we see him in any romantic affair.
Actually, the most important statement is: "Lest mutual falsehood stain the
bridal bed", and the most important word is "mutual" because it indicates that
it's not only about men, but also about women; he is talking about mutual
falsehood. Clearly, he is warning those who want to marry from being false to
one another.
In his final statement, Congreve shows us that he isn't gender-biased
because he says that falsehood can occur whether from the side of men or
women.
The Epilogue:

The epilogue is a supplementary piece at the end of a literary work.

However, the meaning of the epilogue differs from the literary and dramatic
work on the one hand and the non-dramatic work on the other. As we know,
the epilogue was used in the Renaissance by Ben Johnson in his plays.
Basically, Johnson used the epilogue to defend his works and plays against
future criticism. Added to that, he established the merit of his plays; explaining
why his plays are good and why critics should. not say anything bad about
them. Thus, in the epilogue, Ben .Johnson used and exploited the epilogue to
defend his works from the coming critics.
Surely, the heydays of the epilogue and the prologue were in the
Restoration (1660-1730). So, rarely was a drama produced in the Restoration
f;

A. L ANVVAR

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63
.

.
..- . , ..

. ' -

without a prol9e ap.ci an epiJ()gue. Now, we hye the pie Pt: ?ur play
spoken by Mrs. Elizabeth Girdle. Obviou;ly, Ivirs. EJizaqeth Qirdt: is ;:the
;,
chai;a8r who played the role ofMillamant:
.

. , .; EPJL.QGUE
.

.
- ----- - - - -- LE
iW
T
J
i
CF
RA
3
s"i
7R
li
BY
l
i
kE
f,b
; 1 .p
.

'

".j

,
,
. .
.
--- - - -. ., .- - -- - -

After our Epilogue this crowd dismisses, . .

I'm thinking how this play 'll pulled to pieces.
But pray consider, ere you doom itsfall,
How hard a thing 'twould be to please you all.
There are some critics so with spleen diseased,
They scarcely come inclining to be pleased:
And sure he must have more than mortal skill,
Who pleases any one against his will.
Then all badpoets we are sure are foes,
And hqw their number 's swelled, the town well knows:
In shoa.ls I 've marked 'em judging in the pit;
Though t(1.ey 're, on no pretence, for judgmentfit,
But that they have been damnedfor want ofwit.
Since when, they by their own offences ta.zr,ght,
Set up for spies on plays, andfindingfault.
Othe,rs there are whose malice we 'dprevent;
Suc.h who watch plays with scurrilous intent
To mark out who by characters are meant.
And, though no perfect likeness they can trace,
Yet each pretends to know the copiedface.
These with false glosses feed their own ill nature,
And turn to libel what was meant a satire.
May such malicious fops this fortune find,
To think themselves alone the fools designed:
If any are so arrogantly vain,
To think they singly can support a scene,
Andfurnishfool enough to entertain.
For well the learned and thejudicious know
That satire scorns to stoop so meanly low,
As any one abstractedfop to show.
For, as when painters form a matchless face,
They from each fair one catch some different grace;
And .hiningfeatures in one porirafriblerid,
fo' which no single beauty1m'iisp1:etend;

P,,L A NVVAR

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64

'

..

- - - -

 so poets oft do in one piece expose

. Whole belles-assemblies !coque ttes and beaux.

Congreve categorizes the critics into three categories. The fist. typ of
critics will _c. ome with the intent to critiCize the others, . so they co111e ith the
pre-decTsT6n fo their mi<lsiofio-l5e-pfoasecCro 111e-y-have <led<le<l beforehand
that they won't enjo)dhe work:'. presented to them no matter how good the work
is. The second type 9f crit_fos . who will criticize his work a_re the faiied poets
who don't have the"capabilities nor the qualifications to attack anyone. Yet,
they get it on their shoulders to criticize even though they are unqualified to do
so. The third type of critics, with whom Congreve is so much acquainted, are
those who tend to draw similarities between actors and characters on the stage
and between people in real life.
Very beautifully, Congreve concludes his epilogue with a simile, and he
says: "We, as playwrights, are like painters who view so II1any faces, but we
take one feature from each face that we view. Then, our work is accomplished
by combining all these features together. So although we are presenting what
seems to be one feature, we aren't attacking one person in particular because
we are more skilful and more diverse than putting in our mind to attack a
certain person!"
1 . From his previous experiences, Congreve is saying that people always
scrutinize, attack, and pull into pieces each aspect of the play. Howe\rt, 'h is
defending his work by reminding the audience of the fact that it's impossible to
please everyone. Surely, this is relevant even in our times because human
nature is different and diverse.

----

After our Epilogue this crowd dismisses,

I'm thinking how this play 'll pulled to pieces.
But pray consider, ere you doom itsfall,
How hard a thing 'twould be to please you all.

After that he describes them as "spleen critics" because they are always
dissatisfied with each and every thing; as if they have decided before hand not
to be pleased and not to let themselves go with the flow of what's happening
on the stage in front of them.
The1e are some critics so with spleen diseased,
They scarcely come inclining to be pleased:

Then he sarcastically says that a person who is able to please someone

who doesn't want to be pleased must be a superhuman.
And sure he must have more than mortal skill,
Who pleases any one against his will.

65
A L A N WAR
l.> S. TA El l. 1 S t-4 tA e: N T

2. The second category is the bad poets, and very sul?tly Congreve is
attacking society because it arpors . ''l:Jad poets", who _haye pd s_Rilthtsoever
.
other than attacking and Gritidzfug others.
: . . .
.
Then all bad poets r sure are foes;

- - -- - neriliie1Y: -these ba.<liJoet8 - are-f'oes-:t0-ever)r: vu i.9ess; they- .are-- t?es

:and _
enemies to anything that might be presented on the stage, in litera_1;lire; 'oi: even
in society because they are unqualified. So, these poets . cannot judg p'roperly,
and that's why they attack whatever comes in. their power to criticize.
. And how their number 's swe1!e_d, the iown well knows:
In shoals I've marked 'em judging in the pit;
Though they 're, on no pretence, forjudgmentfit,
But that they have been damnedfor want ofwit.
So, these bad critics will sit at the back seats of the theatre, and although
they don't have the ability to judge, they judge and criticize! And what's more
problematic is that they are increasing in numbers although they are a great
danger to society! To make things even worse, they don' t judge any people,
they judge people who are specially better than them!
Though they 're, on no pretence, for judgmentfit,
.
.
Undeniably, he is so unhappy about the existence of these bad poets in
large number in society, and whose judgment is heard . and taken into
consideration!
But that they have been damnedfor want ofwit.
Since_ when, they by their own offences taught,
Set -up for spies on plays, andfindingfault.
Clearly, their sole aim is to spy on plays and judge them in order to find
faults in them! If they were good poets, they should have enjoyed the play, and
then they should have provided their constructive and beneficial criticism for
others to benefit from.
However, they put in their mind that their sole mission in life is t() criticize
just for the sake of criticism and not for the sake of making others benefit. So,
the second type of critics that Congreve is criticizing are fools who want to find
faults.
3. The third type is the one who wants to criticize and da_mage the
. reputation of the playwright, and deafen him:
Others there are whose malice we 'd prevent;
Such who watch plays with scurrilous intent
To mark out who by char.acters are meant.
Then, he says that everyone claims k!Jow.lr::(ige:
And though no pe1fect likeness they can trace,
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Yet each pretends to know the copiedface.
Funnily enough; .these critics pretend that they know who is the person
intended by a certain character, and although the writer of the play, tells them
mean to present that person through this charadtei';'.'still they
.
----that he didn't
sfoil
fo.si
tiierropfulon!
Although the playwright is the creator of the play, these critics pretend to
have more knowledge than he does about the play. So sure and 'certain they are
about their judgment so much so that they make the public believe them!
Surprisingly, their Judgment is taken into consideration just because they
pretend to have the knowledge about everything!
In the . first place, Congreve is defending his work from future criticism,
. however, he doesn't save a chance to criticize for the purpo.se of rectifying
society and reforming it.
These withfalse glosses feed their own ill nature,
And turn to libel what was meant a satire.
So, they tend to libel what was meant to be as a satire; meaning that they
misunderstood the essence of comedy which is satire. Funnily enough, they
understand satire to be a libel, which is a huge mistake!
May such malicious fops this fortune find,
To think themselves alone thefools designed:
Congreve continues to criticize the third type of critics saying:, "I wih that
these fools understand the fact that they are themselves a proper . object for
satire!"
After saying this, Congreve withdraws because even satire won't have
these fools as its subject, and this is very important. In other words, satire is
something very good that it refuses to take these fools as its theme.
May such malicious fops this fortune find,
To think themselves alone thefools designed:
Ifany are so arrogantly vain,
To think they singly can support a scene,
Basically, Congreve is saying: "IF this happens, then there is a sense of
self-importance that these fools have to make them believe that they can be the
subject of one's play! But they are less than being presented on the stage.
And if he were to consider presenting such fools on the stage,, then this
.
.
would have affecte the style, and the nature of his comedy.
'
After that, he sys' something very dangerous that if he brings these fools
on stage, then the stage wouldn't tolerate them! Added to that, he will be a
failure if he lets, hem .on the stage. Basically, he is sending warnings to his
'
audience that' they ar uowlrig unqualified people flourish by believing what
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they say about themselves that they are the sul;>j ect and the theme of plays
presented on the stage. Jyloreover, he says that society: is vile because it

supports them d what they s,ay.

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To think they singly c<;m upport a cene,

- -------;IndfurnFSlzfaoTenougfz' i-0- eiite!;ian: ----- _
For weU the learned and the judicious know
As any one abstractedfop to show.
For, as when painters form a matchless face,
They from each fair one catch some different grace; .
And shiningfeatures in one portrait blend,
To which no single beauty must pretend;
So poets oft do in one piece expose
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"When a painter draws something, he doesn't mean one thing in particular,

and even when they are drawing a face, they have so many images in their
minds. Similarly, even when a playwright is writing about foolish people, or
fobs, or widow:s, he is not targeting one character in particular."
The Different Meanings of the phrase "The Way of The World":
1.

world:

When lady Wishfort was talking to Mrs. Marwood about leaving this

Well, friend, you

are enough to reconcile me to the bad world, or else I would
retire to deserts and solitudes, andfeed harmless sheep by
groves and purling streams. Dear Marwood, let us leave the
world, and retire by ourselves and be shepherdesses.

Here it's an idiom fpr leaving the world and seeking pastoral retreat. So,
she
is expressing that she is in a sense anti-worldism, which means that she is
.
dissatisfied with this world and what's happening in it.
Also, she characterizes the world as being "vile" in her speech to
Marwood:
And now you are become
An intercessor with my son-in-law, to save the honour ofmy house,
and compoundfor the frailties ofmy daughter. Well, jrfnd, yozi
are enough to reconcile me to the bad world
.
._..
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At the same time, this same phrase was expressed by Fainall \\'hen he
was talking to his beloved, and he told her that they should have an alteinative
soci ;
2.

I'll ate my wife yet

1
mdrg; damn herI I'll part with her, rob her ofall she 's worth,
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and we 'll retire somewhere, anywhere, to another world. I'll

marry thee- he papifir;_c,1. -: 'Sde_ath, they come, hide yourface,- . .
your tears;- you have a mask, wear it a moment. This way, this.

way be persuaded.
_
...
_

-------- - H:e- wants - io- -escape info -aticither_ _s"cicieef -tliat - cfoesn't -liavefbeseentanglemerits and retrictions . he is suffering from in his marriage which is
based on self-interest.
Moreover, the phrase: "the way of the world" goes under other
modifications when it's connected to the title of the play, and it certainly
differs when it's studied in connection to the circumstances of the characers.
Actually, Fainall utters this phrase three times:
a. when he was addressing Marwood:
Why then, Foible 's a bawd, an arrant, rank, matchmaking bawd:
and I, it seems, am a. husband, a rank husband; and my wife a
very arrant, rank wife- all in the way ofthe world.
b. When he was speaking to Mrs. Marwood about his skills:
that I have a heart ofproof, and something ofa constitution to
bustle through the ways ofwedlock and this world!
Obviously, here he is talking to Marwood about his skill in moving about
the ways of the world and the ways of the wedlock. Basically, he is saying that
he is tough nough in constitution to be able to go about the wedlock and the
rules of the world.
Now, the second time, he mentions this phrase is when he states that he
was man-ied for money, and when he discovered he was a cuckold, he simply
said: "It's the way of the world! "
.
It's a sardonic consolation that he is consoling himself with this phrase, but
it's not a bitter consolation; rather he is brining himself back to be in line with
what's happening in society. As if he is shaking himself up and waking himself
up by telling himself: "Don't be sad! It's the way of the world!"
Probably, he felt bitter when lie first learned about his wife cheating, but
then he aligned himself with the way of the world.
. c. When he was addressing Foible:
If it rn.ust all come out, why let 'em know it; 'tis but the way
ofthe world. That shall not urge me to relinquish or abate one
. tittle ofmy.terms; no, I will insist the more.
The third time is when he was trying to blackmail lady Wishfort, and he .
says_ if they know, let them know because it's the way of the world. In other
words, he is saying: "If they know, let them know because I am not doing
something they don't expect! This is the way of the world, and they are well
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acquainted with . what's happening! I am flowing and sw1mmmg with the

current, and evryorie kri6ws'it!''
In this instance, -Farnall and IV!arwood aren't portrayed as outcasts; rather
they are portrayed as ordinary humans in society, who= a,.re behavihg in a very

-- exi:>ected way. Probabiy, anyone . in societ); put in tii1i shoei; he-wiiCactTn-the-same way.
Basically, Fainall is saying: "Let them know! They won't be surprised
because it's the way of the world!" .
. In this instance, Congreve is telling us that life is a competition, and in this
competition, you cannot behave in an ideal way because this is the way of the
world and everyone should be accustomed to it!
3 . On the other side of the spectrum, Mirabell utters the phrase "the way of
the world" after he presents the legal document which proves that Mrs. Fainall
had entrusted her fortune to him before she married Fainall.

'

Mirabell:
Even so, sir; 'tis the Way of the World, sir, ofthe widows of
the world. I suppose this deed may bear an elder date than what
you have obtainedfrom your lady.

Basically, Mirabell justified what happened by saying that: "It's the way of
the world!",
So, here we can see that the way of the world isn't bad in all its aspects
because in this case Mrs. Fainall found someone she can tnist wlth her fortune.
In other word, "the way of the word" here means that you can find someone to
.
protect you as a woman in this society.
At the same time, Mrs. Fainall helped Mirabell by facilitating his marriage
to Millamant. In "the way of the world", you can protect yourself and fmd
someone to protect you although with some difficult)'. Obviously, this is the
case of Mrs. Fainall and Mirabell; she has found someone to protect her.
. Mirabell' s answer: "This is the way of the world" is very important
because he is saying that: "She trusted me with her fortune, and I was up to her
confidence and standards!" so, in "the way of the world", you can find some
generous people upon whom you can rely.
Thus, in "The way of the world" things aren't necessarily always the
source of hopelessness or disillusionment. Sometimes, it . may -hurt, bi1t all the
time one should be wise, conscious, and able to protect hi elf from ''The way
of the w,orld". Always, "The way of th_e world" offers comfoh ,l}d .security.
Also,
.
. it offers modest divinde.
. ; Pvn4e: is a written or unwritten agreement that allows people whq, re so
differnt from each other to coexist, which meru;is to live peace.ful.ly ,togi;;ther.
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And this is what Cop.greve is suggesting; that even when people have differ!lt
:
views from one another, they should learn to coexist with one another.
Interestingly, the actress who played the role of Millamant was Congre_e 's
girl fnend. So, it's natural to give her the last say.
-----Congreve prefersfo-gh'e liis fefilate. diaracter "ii s-pace: a:ncl bring .her oiitofher confined role playmg, but this won't change anything about the sobriety of
her future and the fact that she will become a wife in the future.
In a way, Congreve tried to do something similar to what he did in the
proviso scene; he gave her a space outsiq her prescribed role on the stage.
Hoever, it's not strong enough; he doesn't give her that much strength that
would allow her to change her future.
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John Drvden's Biography:

John Dryden was born on 1 632, and died in 1 700. He was a poet, a
playwright, a dramatist, and a literary critic. Actually, Dryden used to write
criticism on drama, and he was so influenti al so much so that the age came to
be called after him : The Age of Dryden\The Restoration When king Charles
was restored to the throne in 1 660, he ordered theatres to be opened in London.
Dryden joined a new band of playwrights who wanted to produce and
introduce something for theatre. Basically, they wanted to revive the English
theatre and bring back its glamour again.
His first play is entitled ''The Wild Gallant"; it's a comedy with a lot of
humor, but it was a comparative failure i.e. it wasn't of much success. It was
written in 1 663. A year later, however, in 1 664 he had a better share in success
because he wrote a play in collaboration with his brother in law Sir Robert
Howard, and it was entitled the Indian Queen .
. Although his second play was a success, he was a coauthor i.e. it was a
joined effort and a joined success. So, he cannot claim success only for himself
in this play. Interestingly, The Indian Queen was tragedy and it was a heroic
tragedy.
. Actually, Dryden exploited and benefited from this new genre at that Age.
Now, we know that theatres have just opened, and he decided to write heroic
plays. Basically, he was using what would appeal to his audience. Thus, he
. wrote about -the conflict between love and honor. Actually, he used to present
fascinating heroines because he wanted to explore the female presence on the
stage. So, he presented those fascinating females to charm men into an odd
submission.

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However, thes fascinatir;ig {emales .are presented V:,1.the con.tet of a heroic .

e
trag dy . Wht' d' , 1J "irle13-? Hniaq't4phe play wili: pre s( '. tf_ag1 hero in
and it will end tiag"foally. Sur,ely, 'th _ p'fy has a hro ana .:lri q:r;qrJor that
person
to
has -to impress
" -------he----- - - a--female character_
---- . -So, this is the
- be seen as a hero,
es sence of'herofopiays !
obviously, his writings appealed to the taste of that _tinie becuse in the
first place he wrote only what appeals to the audience: he wrote about the
conflict between love and honor. More importantly, he presented female
characters who woul charm men and bring them into submission.
Now, in 1 665, Dryden wrote his very successful heroic tragedy which was
called The Indian Emperor. It was a sequel because it was the second part of
The Indian Queen.
So, the sequel consists of two pa1is:
1 . The first part he wrote in collaboration with his brother in law and it's
called The Indian Queen.
2. The second paii is called The Indian Emperor, but he wrote this second
.part on his own.
Clearly, Dryden produced a play each and every year. Again, he wrote a
very successful tragic comedy in 1 667, and it appealed particularly to the king
at that time. This play is called The Secret Love or The Maiden Queen.
Interestingly, and the most important of all his productions was in 1 668, in
which he produced the major essay on dramatic criticism, and he wrote an
essay entitled On Dramatic Poesy. It's basically a discussion between four
contemporary writers; of whom Dryden took the name ofNeander.
Basically, this work is an attempt to discover the principles of dramatic
criticism. So, he wanted to lay the foundations of drama and of dramatic
criticism. Remember that the theatre was just opening now, and that's why
Dryden had both the freshness and the liberty to lay and establish the principles
for -drama.
Thus, by deploring these disputants i.e. these four writers to talk and
discuss dramatic principles, he breaks down the conventions between the
classical and the modernity, between the French and the English, and between
the Renaissance and Restoration.
1 : First of all, he was teaching the public the principles of dramatic writing.
2. Second, he was processing and negotiating these principles. As if he is
discussing what the principles of dramatic writing should be.
Obviously, Dryden wasn;t someone who would present one view point
because he put four writers to negotiate; it's a kind of democratic cult; It's a
kind of engaging learned people with the principles he is writing.
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Actually, l!is . writing was influenced. by scientific thinking. Remember that

when Charles II came, he opened the royal society to scientific discoveries, and
amateur could j? . surely, this influenced writers, the thing which was
.

.
obvious in their Wi;itmgs.
.

tilliS:-t>iYdeii adopted 111e--liiformal stle -fo s-pec.ufate. iii hisessay;- he-wanted to list_en and t() comment. Remember that the essay laid the foun:dation
. .
for dramatic critfo_ism:': . . .
..
Now, the. most . 'important thing to remember is that the essay has a
scientific detachment. Surely, Dryden . wrote All For Love after Shakespeare's
Antoy and Cleopatra; reducing a 350 page play into 1 00 page play.
In 1 668, the same year in which he wrote the essay, he signed a contract to
write plays exclusively to King;s _company(On 2 1 .August 1 660, King Charles
II granted Thomas Killigrew and Sir William bavenant each official
permission in the form of a temporary "privilege" to form acting companies.)
Also, the contract conditioned that Dryden provides the company with three
pays each and every year. However, he couldn't commit to the contract
because he was able to produce only one play every year. But, the contract
seemed to be profitable to both parties, and that's why they kept he, contract
although Dryden didn't commit to write three plays every year. " After . .tht,
Dryden became a shareholder with 1 0% of the profits that come from th
dramatic productions of this company.
As I have said, he produced three very successful plays for the company.
In 1 669, he produced a play entitled the Tyrenic Love. In the year that
followed, he wrote his very successful play: The Conquest of Granada, and a
month later he gve the company the second part of the sequel: The Conquest
of Granada. At that time, these three plays were very much successful. Surely,
Dryden was writing for audience who foved these kinds of tragedy.
Basically, his works appealed to' the audience who loved the extravagant
scenes, and they loved to see battles on the stage. But they loved the Latin kind
of battles; battles between love and honor, and this is the main theme of
Antony and Cleopatra.
Actually, Antony was struggling between his love for Cleopatra and his
honor and duty towards his country. So, Dryden was writing these heroic plays
to cater the audience and because he knows that this kind of writing would
appeal to his audience, . who were prepared to be stunned by admiration to
drums, triumphant, battles, costumes, and exotic scenes.
After being subjected to the oppression and repression of the Purltans, the
audience was happy and ready to see new and light things that won't trigger
them to think very much! So, if you watch The Way of The World, you will
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laugh, and only tbpse concerned will get the message. And although . it's a
;
tragedy, "it's not 1 ilie tragedy we are accustomed to . . . since th'- ;'.
e . of .
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Shakespeare.
It's a new kind bf tragedy that's still presented ib.' five acts, bU't it takes olliy
. - --- f2(fpages:So-;
he . chariged the-basics- offi1e-tragedy-10 -Sliii the demandS:-of th
'_e
audience.
Basically, the heroic tragedy should arise adiniration for three principle
virtues; valor: which means bravery; especially in the battlefield, beauty, and
love.
So, every heroic tragedy should play on these virtues. Moreover, Dryden
said that in order to write a heroic tragedy, the writer must sit with himself and
wrk out the moral in the play. Basically, he said that the writer should choose
the moral that he is going to write about, and the way he is going to suggest
this moral to the audience in an ind4"ect way.
For example, the moral of All For Love is the conflict between honor and
love; Antony is in conflict between his illicit love for Cleopatra on one hand
and his duty and honor on the other. Ironically, when he chooses Cleopatra,
they are both destroyed!
Although Dryden is biased to one moral and although he destroys his
lovers at the end because they chose each other and neglected their duties, we
feel that there is something human so much so that we can relae to what h.e is
writing i.e. we don't feel that he is artificial nor didactic. .
Despite the fact that the play has a moral lesson to convey, it's neither
didactic nor boring. On the contrary, the play presents the human complexities
in a very interesting way . .
Surely, there were a number of writers who wrote tragedies, but there was
. an eclipse and a decline in the heroic tragedy for the following reasons:
1 . Politics of the Restoration helped in the flourishing of comedy and not
of tragedy. So, the general sense and the Politics supported comedy over

tragedy.
2. The rise of science.
3 . The optimism of Enlightenment which comes hand in hand with science
and the use of reason. So, central to the enlightenment was the use and the
celebration of reason.
4. The pulse for rational humanities: it means make. goals for rational
humanities that enable them to use their reason, and these reasons are:
a. Knowledge.
b. Freedom.
c. Happiness.

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These were the three reasons for the pulse for the rational human thinking.
5. A lso, there was a reason in literature which is the eclipse of tragedy, and
at that time we had the rise of the novel . Surely, people at that time preferred
the novel because it was a new genre at the time.
6. tlie" flourishlni "o{ satfre"""because--satire was-the way-people used
discuss politics in an indirect way.
So, we had new things emerging that added to the eclipse of the tragedy at
that time. Interestingly, there was something very important happening at that
time in England and France which is: they believe in evil was reduced into the
perception of evil. As I have said, this is the Age of Enlightenment in which
people were using their reason and logical thinking more and more. So, they
didn't believe any more in the evil mysterious forces that would bring
humanity down. Thus, they believed that any evil is institutional, and since it' s
institutional, we can provide a remedy fo r this evil.

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