The Way of the World

The dedication that opens the play would not have been included in performances, so why might it be included in the published work? What is William Congreve trying to accomplish in the letter, and how does publishing it serve that purpose?

Read “Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage” by Jeremy Collier or a summary of Collier’s ideas. How does The Way of the World respond to criticisms of profanity and lewdness? Which scenes could you argue are still profane and why?

There are a series of plots that occur before the events of the play, such as Mirabell arranging Fainall and Mrs. Fainall’s marriage, Mrs. Fainall and Mirabell’s affair, and Mirabell trying to seduce Lady Wishfort to get close to Millamant. Choose one of these schemes and analyze how it impacts the events of the play, using evidence from the text to show this impact.