3 h 17 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if marrying the person you love means outwitting the aunt who controls your fortune?
In William Congreve's prose comedy The Way of the World, love shares the stage with money, pride and reputation. Mirabell wants to marry Millamant, whose wit matches his own. She loves him, but guards her freedom. Her aunt, Lady Wishfort, controls part of her fortune—and bitterly dislikes the man she wants.
Across one day in fashionable London, lovers, servants and rivals pursue plans that threaten to collide. Mirabell draws his servant Waitwell into a disguise, while Fainall keeps an eye on money and Mrs. Marwood hides jealousy behind polite manners. Here, a clever conversation matters as much as a clever scheme, and marriage is something to negotiate, not merely desire.
What you’ll discover
- Love with conditions Meet Millamant, who wants Mirabell without surrendering the freedom she values.
- The famous proviso scene Watch Mirabell and Millamant set their terms for life together after marriage.
- A servant in disguise Follow Waitwell into the false role at the heart of Mirabell's comic plan.
- Politeness with sharp edges Look beneath fine manners to find jealousy, spite and an appetite for money.
- Wit that drives the action Enjoy prose full of puns, comparisons and sudden turns that reward close attention.
Who will love it
For readers who love sharp talk, romantic rivalry and satire of high society, and anyone curious about Restoration comedy, marriage bargains and schemes over love, money and reputation.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A London where wit is currency
- Mirabell loves Millamant but needs her fortune
- Rivals and enemies close in
- A disguise, a servant and a country cousin
- Marriage as a negotiation between equals
- How the comedy is built and spoken
Who’s who
- MirabellA witty gentleman who loves Millamant and must win back the favor of her aunt, whom he once tricked, to marry her.
- MillamantA bright, independent young woman who loves Mirabell but guards her freedom and delights in teasing him.
- Lady WishfortMillamant's vain, widowed aunt, who controls part of her niece's fortune and bitterly dislikes Mirabell.
- FainallLady Wishfort's son-in-law, a cold husband with an affair and an eye on money.
- Mrs. MarwoodA friend of the family who hides spite and jealousy behind polite manners, and who loves Fainall.
- WaitwellMirabell's servant, who is asked to play a false role in the plan to win over Lady Wishfort.
- FoibleLady Wishfort's clever maid, who secretly helps Mirabell and prepares her mistress for his scheme.
- Sir Wilfull WitwoudA blunt country gentleman, nephew to Lady Wishfort, who is out of place among the town wits.
Formats and delivery
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 3 h 17 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Read and hear La Voie du monde in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
La Voie du monde
by William Congreve · 1700
Mirabell wants to marry Millamant, but her fortune rests with an aunt who hates him.
Medium level2–5 hours to read25 languages
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In short
The Way of the World is a stage comedy by William Congreve, first performed in London in 1700. Congreve was still a young man, and he had already written several successful plays.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A London where wit is currency
The play is set in London, in the years around 1700. The world it shows is a small one. It is made up of rich families, fashionable idlers and the servants who work for them. Scenes take place in a chocolate house, in St James's Park and in the rooms of Lady Wishfort's town house. In these places people meet to talk, to gossip and to size one another up.
Congreve belongs to the tradition called Restoration comedy. The name comes from the return of the monarchy in 1660, after which the London theaters reopened and filled with plays about sex, money and manners. These comedies laugh at people who pretend to be better than they are. Their heroes are clever and a little cynical, and their villains are often just as clever.
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What is The Way of the World about?
It is a comedy about Mirabell and Millamant, who want to marry. Her fortune depends on her aunt Lady Wishfort, who hates Mirabell, so schemes, disguises and rivalries fill one day in London.
When was The Way of the World written and first performed?
William Congreve's play was first performed in London in 1700. It is a work of Restoration comedy, a style that grew after the return of the monarchy in 1660.
What is the proviso scene in The Way of the World?
It is the scene in which Mirabell and Millamant set out their conditions for marriage. Each asks to keep personal freedom and respect, and the scene is read as a witty, honest contract between equals.
The author
William Congreve
1670–1729 · English Restoration playwright
William Congreve (1670–1729) was an English playwright and poet. He was born in Yorkshire, grew up in Ireland, and later lived in London. He wrote plays in the 1690s, including Love for Love (1695). The Way of the World appeared in 1700. He died in London.
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