The Way of the World: A Plot Summary

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

Journal Questions for Acts II and III (write on EITHER of the following questions; try to look closely at particular lines in include them)

1. What surprising "truths" about social interactions or social relationships or love relationships does the play bring to our attention?  (bring up particular lines)

    Example topics: about female friendships? about dating as opposed to marriage?  about obligations to a mistress vs. to a wife?  about what increases a person's credit in a group?  about subtle signals we respond to in determining what's going on in relationships around us?

2. What do pairings of character bring to our attention?

    Examples: Millamant and Marwood: a sense of the uses and limitations of feminine "power"

    Millamant, Marwood, Mrs. Fainall, Lady Wishfort: insights into marriage in this society (possibilities/limitations)

    Fainall and Mirabell: libertines-- different kinds?

    Fainall, Mirabell, Petulant, Witwood, Sir Wilfull:  insights into what constitutes "true wit" and why?  (What are its characteristics?)