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The Way of the World

by William Congreve

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Student Question

Justify why William Congreve's The Way of the World is considered a masterpiece.

Quick answer:

The Way of the World is considered a masterpiece due to its exemplary representation of Restoration comedy. Congreve's use of wit, irony, and satire critiques societal norms, particularly the superficiality and materialism of the time. The play's clever dialogues and ironic character names, such as Lady Wishfort, highlight its sophisticated humor and social commentary, solidifying its status as a classic of the Restoration era.

Expert Answers

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The Way of the World is indeed a great success, not only as a play in general, but also as a Restoration comedy. A restoration comedy is a play that was written during the Restoration period. The Restoration period in Britain is usually used to refer to the period of time around 1660, the year when King Charles II returned to the throne, and the years of his reign. As The Way of the World first premiered in 1700, it is therefore clearly a play from the Restoration era.

What makes this play a typical Restoration comedy is the fact that Restoration comedies are very often cynical and satirical, making fun of the society at the time. This is clearly the case for this play, too. In a typical Restoration comedy, great importance is placed on wit, especially within dialogues, who often contain ironic and sarcastic remarks or sexual innuendos, which can clearly be seen in the dialogues throughout this play.

The play points a finger at the superficiality prevalent within the society of its time. Through the use of irony and wit, Congreve successfully manages to criticize how money has become too important in society. For example, Mr. and Mrs. Fainall’s marriage is not based on feelings of love at all, as Mr. Fainall is trying to get his hands on Mrs. Fainall’s money. To the author, marriage has become too frequently motivated by money rather than love.

As a typical Restoration comedy, the play also makes fun of the way how women are desperate to find a husband. This becomes clear through the character of Lady Wishfort, who can’t wait to get married. In fact, her name in itself is an ironic hint towards the fact how she is always wishing for a husband. This choice of name also displays the wit and irony explained above.

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