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Audiobook edition · 3 h 17 minPaperback · 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
Readers who enjoy sparkling dialogue, scheming lovers and sharp portraits of fashionable society will find plenty here. It suits anyone who likes a plot built from secrets and bargains.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Love begins with a trick
- A secret marriage sets the trap
- Marriage hides a financial bargain
- Vanity gives the plot its opening
- Rivals prepare their own deception
- Love must leave room for freedom
- Real wit sees beneath appearances
- Quick talk keeps secrets under pressure
- Documents matter as much as feelings
Who’s who
- MirabellA clever gentleman in love with Millamant, he schemes to win her and her fortune from her angry aunt.
- Mrs. MillamantA witty, independent lady who loves Mirabell but insists on being courted and on keeping her own freedom.
- Lady WishfortMillamant's aunt and guardian, she holds the purse strings, hates Mirabell, and longs for a husband.
- FainallA cold husband who married for money and carries on with Mrs. Marwood while watching for profit.
- Mrs. MarwoodFainall's lover and Lady Wishfort's friend, she secretly desires Mirabell and works to wreck his plan.
- Mrs. FainallLady Wishfort's daughter and Fainall's unhappy wife, once close to Mirabell and now his ally.
- FoibleLady Wishfort's maid, secretly married to Waitwell, she helps Mirabell and feeds her mistress's hopes.
- Sir Wilfull WitwoudA blunt, hard-drinking country knight who plans to travel abroad and is pushed toward marriage with Millamant.
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The Way of the World
by William Congreve · 1700
Mirabell stages a fake uncle and a secret wedding to win Millamant past her furious aunt.
Medium levelUnder 2 hours to read2 languages
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In short
What would you do if a rich old woman wanted to ruin you, and her money stood between you and the woman you love? Mirabell, the hero of this play, answers with a trick.
The Way of the World at a glance
- Reading time
- About 1 h 55 min1 h 30 min fast, 2 h 20 min slow
- Length
- 27,700 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1700by William Congreve
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Mirabell sets a trap with a secret marriage
The play opens in a London chocolate house, where Mirabell and Fainall rise from a card table. Fainall has won, and he teases his friend for playing with his mind somewhere else. Mirabell is in love with Mrs. Millamant, and the night before she stung him in front of her aunt's guests.
That aunt is Lady Wishfort, who holds the key to Millamant's money. Half of the young woman's fortune depends on her aunt's approval of whoever she marries. Mirabell once pretended to court the old lady so he could stay close to her niece. When Mrs. Marwood exposed the trick, Lady Wishfort became his sworn enemy.
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- 15-minute summary
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Details
- First published
- 1700
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Congreve, William. The Way of the World. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-way-of-the-world.
Congreve, W. (2026). The way of the world. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-way-of-the-world (Original work published 1700)
Congreve, William. The Way of the World. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-way-of-the-world.
@book{congreve2026way,
author = {Congreve, William},
title = {The Way of the World},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-way-of-the-world},
note = {First published 1700}
}
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What is The Way of the World about?
It follows Mirabell, who tries to marry Millamant and win her fortune from her hostile aunt, Lady Wishfort. His plan uses a secret marriage and a servant posing as an uncle, while rivals plot against him.
Who is Mirabell and who is Millamant in The Way of the World?
Mirabell is a witty, scheming gentleman who loves Millamant and sets out to win her. Millamant is a fine and clever lady who delights in teasing him but insists on terms before agreeing to marry.
What does the title The Way of the World mean?
It points to the habits of fashionable society, where marriages are bargains, reputation is a currency, and people hide their motives behind polite talk. Characters even say it is just the way of the world.
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.
More by William Congreve
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