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The Way of the World

by William Congreve from 1700

About

Congreve's 1700 final play is universally acknowledged as the masterpiece of Restoration comedy — also one of its most demanding: a labyrinthine plot of inheritance, blackmail, and romantic maneuvering, conducted in prose of such dazzling wit that it requires careful attention to follow. The famous 'proviso scene' in which Millamant and Mirabell negotiate the terms of their marriage has no equal in English comic writing for the combination of genuine feeling and comic verbal brilliance. The play was coolly received at its premiere — audiences found it too difficult — and Congreve, stung, never wrote for the theater again. Two centuries of critics have agreed the audience was wrong.

ComedyRestorationWittySardonicen

The Way of the World

Characters
20
Words
24.2k
Acts
5
Scenes
20
Duration
~3 hr 2 min

Characters

#CharacterPlayerLines
1
MIRA
—
155
2
LADY
—
116
3
FAIN
—
114
4
MRS. MAR
—
105
5
MILLA
—
88
6
WIT
—
82
7
MRS. FAIN
—
73
8
SIR WIL
—
60

61 sections

24.2k words
#TitleWords
Act I
1
Act I.—Scene I.
9106:50
2
Act I.—Scene I. Scene II.
1691:16
3
Act I.—Scene I. Scene III.
4183:08
4
Act I.—Scene I. Scene IV.
380:17
5
Act I.—Scene I. Scene V.
4003:00
6
Act I.—Scene I. Scene VI.
8016:00
7
Act I.—Scene I. Scene VII.
350:16
8
Act I.—Scene I. Scene VIII.
2321:44
9
Act I.—Scene I. Scene IX.
1.2k9:01
Act II
10
Act II.—Scene I.
6044:32
11
Act II.—Scene I. Scene II.
1711:17
12
Act II.—Scene I. Scene III.
1.1k8:20
13
Act II.—Scene I. Scene IV.
5804:21
14
Act II.—Scene I. Scene V.
8496:22
15
Act II.—Scene I. Scene VI.
4953:43
16
Act II.—Scene I. Scene VII.
1391:03
17
Act II.—Scene I. Scene VIII.
3432:34
18
Act II.—Scene I. Scene IX.
1000:45
Act III
19
Act III.—Scene I.
1561:10
20
Scene III.
1300:59
21
Scene IV.
2011:30
22
Scene V.
9276:57
23
Scene VI.
3512:38
24
Scene VII.
2361:46
25
Scene VIII.
1851:23
26
Scene IX.
600:27
27
Scene X.
3952:58
28
Scene XI.
3512:38
29
Scene XII.
480:22
30
Scene XIII.
5844:23
31
Scene XV.
9837:22
32
Scene XVI.
1411:03
33
Scene XVII.
830:37
34
Scene XVIII.
8636:28
Act IV
35
Act IV.—Scene I.
3302:29
36
Act IV.—Scene I. Scene II.
1481:07
37
Act IV.—Scene I. Scene III.
1621:13
38
Act IV.—Scene I. Scene IV.
4303:14
39
Act IV.—Scene I. Scene V.
1.1k8:20
40
Act IV.—Scene I. Scene VI.
2051:32
41
Act IV.—Scene I. Scene VII.
1030:46
42
Act IV.—Scene I. Scene VIII.
1010:45
43
Act IV.—Scene I. Scene IX.
5273:57
44
Scene XI.
2872:09
45
Scene XII.
5203:54
46
Scene XIII.
530:24
47
Scene XIV.
820:37
48
Scene XV.
6494:52
Act V
49
Act V.—Scene I.
5474:06
50
Act V.—Scene I. Scene II.
3732:48
51
Act V.—Scene I. Scene III.
1721:17
52
Act V.—Scene I. Scene IV.
4973:44
53
Act V.—Scene I. Scene V.
6204:39
54
Act V.—Scene I. Scene VI.
4033:01
55
Act V.—Scene I. Scene VII.
1050:47
56
Act V.—Scene I. Scene VIII.
4253:11
57
Act V.—Scene I. Scene IX.
4693:31
58
Act V.—Scene I. Scene X.
4933:42
59
Act V.—Scene I. Scene XI.
2802:06
60
Act V.—Scene I. Scene XII.
530:24
61
Act V.—Scene I. Scene XIII.
7845:53

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