The Way of the World as a Comedy of Manners

The Comedy of Manners is a form of comedy that satirizes the manners, affectations, and fashionable life of the upper classes. It thrives on witty dialogue and social intrigue. Unlike farce or slapstick, its humor lies in clever speech, polished manners, and subtle exposure of vanity, hypocrisy, and moral shallowness.

Characteristics

Focus on Aristocratic Society – The plays depict the lives of the wealthy, fashionable classes, with their salons, drawing rooms and social games.

Satire of Social Pretensions – Vanity, hypocrisy, adultery, and mercenary marriages are ridiculed.

 Intrigues and Schemes – The plot is driven by love affairs, disguises, trickery, and blackmail.

Stock Characters 

The witty hero (e.g., Mirabell).

The witty heroine (e.g., Millamant).

The fop or affected gentleman (e.g., Witwoud, Petulant).

The pretentious elderly lady (e.g., Lady Wishfort).

The scheming villains (e.g., Fainall, Mrs. Marwood).

 Marriage as a Central Theme – Marriage is presented not only as a romantic union but as a social and economic contract, often ridiculed for its mercenary motives.

Urban Setting – Unlike romantic comedies set in forests or rural spaces, the Comedy of Manners is rooted in the city and drawing-room life of London.

Historical Context

The Comedy of Manners flourished in the Restoration period (1660–1700) after the reopening of theatres following the Puritan ban. Influenced by French drama, especially Molière, it reflects the taste of Charles II’s court, which was cosmopolitan, witty, and morally lax. Its spirit is cynical, mocking the gap between appearance and reality.

Major Playwrights and Examples

William Wycherley – The Country Wife, The Plain Dealer.

George Etherege – The Man of Mode.

William Congreve – The Way of the World, Love for Love.

Richard Brinsley Sheridan (later 18th century revival) – The School for Scandal.

Oscar Wilde (Victorian revival) – The Importance of Being Earnest.

William Congreve’s The Way of the World (1700) is universally acclaimed as the finest example of the Comedy of Manners in English literature. It encapsulates the wit, elegance, and satirical spirit of Restoration society while also refining the genre with psychological depth and moral intelligence.

At the heart of the play lies a satirical portrait of the aristocratic class in London. Characters such as Lady Wishfort, Witwoud, and Petulant embody vanity, affectation and artificiality. Lady Wishfort’s obsession with appearing young and desirable, despite her age, exposes the ridiculous pretensions of fashion. Witwoud and Petulant the quintessential Restoration fops(concerned with external appearance), parody the emptiness of men who imitate wit but lack substance. Congreve, in this way, satirizes the very manners, affectations, and follies that give the genre its name.

The play sparkles with brilliant dialogue and repartee. The exchanges between Millamant and Mirabell, especially in the famous “Proviso Scene” (Act IV), display a verbal duel that defines the comedy. Instead of sentimental declarations, their courtship becomes a negotiation of independence and companionship within marriage.

This wit is not mere ornament; it represents the intelligence and identity of characters, distinguishing the truly witty (Mirabell, Millamant) from the shallow imitators (Witwoud, Petulant).

Love and Marriage are the central theme of the play. Unlike Shakespeare’s romantic comedies where marriage is the joyous conclusion, here it is treated with cynicism and irony. Characters treat marriage as a financial bargain or a matter of convenience.

Fainall seeks control over his wife’s fortune. Lady Wishfort wants to protect her wealth and reputation. Millamant and Mirabell, however, redefine marriage as a union of love and wit, balancing freedom with companionship.

Thus, the play critiques the mercenary motives behind marriages while offering a progressive vision of marriage based on mutual respect.

The plot is brimming with deception, disguise and blackmail. Mirabell devises elaborate schemes to secure Lady Wishfort’s approval; Foible and Waitwell disguise themselves in the Sir Rowland subplot; Fainall and Mrs. Marwood plan blackmail. Such intrigues create the comic complications and satirical exposure that define the genre.

Congreve uses the typical stock characters of Comedy of Manners, but with sophistication:

The witty couple – Mirabell and Millamant.

The fop – Witwoud, with his shallow attempts at wit.

The jealous guardian/elderly lady – Lady Wishfort, protecting her fortune and vanity.

The rake/villain – Fainall, driven by greed and lust.

The servants – Foible and Waitwell, who add intrigue and comic relief.

Each character embodies a social type, making the play a microcosm of Restoration society.

The play exposes the hypocrisy beneath refined manners. Lady Wishfort’s polished exterior hides desperation; Fainall pretends to be a husband of honor but seeks his wife’s wealth; even courtly manners mask selfish desires. Congreve uses satire, irony, and parody to highlight the gap between appearance and reality, a hallmark of the Comedy of Manners.

The final act demonstrates Congreve’s craftsmanship Fainall’s blackmail collapses, Lady Wishfort relents, and Mirabell and Millamant are united. Order is restored, but not in a sentimental way—rather, through the victory of wit over folly. This resolution reflects the genre’s emphasis on cleverness, intelligence, and social harmony rather than emotional catharsis.

Congreve elevates the Comedy of Manners beyond mere satire. His play is not only witty but also morally intelligent. The “Proviso Scene” gives Millamant a sharp identity, showing a rare Restoration vision of gender equality in marriage. Critics see in Congreve’s art a balance of wit, satire, and social criticism unmatched in his contemporaries.