William Congreve establishes a parallel between the deceitful, manipulative actions of the male and female characters. Although the behavior of all four characters would be reprehensible if taken seriously, Congreve creates situations that have tremendous comic possibilities. Both Mr. and Mrs. Fainall are having or have had affairs and may be deceiving both their lovers and their spouses. Mirabell, who is single, has found Mrs. Fainall useful in advance his plan, which is to achieve a good marriage with Mrs. Millamant.

Mrs. Fainall’s affair with Mirabell preceded her marriage. Her lover advised her, however, not to trust her new husband completely but to maintain control over the wealth that she brought to the marriage. Mirabell is fulfilling the function of manager of those funds. This complication greatly inhibits Mr. Fainall’s ability to bring Mrs. Wishfort to ruin. Although the arrangement benefits Mrs. Fainall, it also benefits Mirabell because he depended on keeping Mrs. Wishfort’s fortune intact so that she could pass it to Mrs. Millamant, her niece.

Mrs. Marwood desires to profit from her lover’s plot, but she also despises Mirabell and looks forward to thwarting him. By telling Fainall about the affair his wife is having with Mirabell, she anticipates helping her lover gain control of Lady Wishfort’s money, which would damage Mirabell’s chances. The unscrupulous Fainall scarcely seems more fond of Mrs. Marwood than he is of his wife. Having her for a mistress is a useful conduit for obtaining information that will advance his goal of controlling Lady Wishfort’s fortune.