Congreve represents the attitude of the period at its best. The rakehell was no longer a hero;Mirabell is a descendent of the rakehell, but compared with earlier specimens he displays urbanity,grace, and decorum. Congreve’s love passages can be graceful and
dignified; he treats love with an objective rationalism that is quite apart from the concept of lechery. His comedies are concerned, as comedies have been through the ages, with love and money,frequently complicated by parental opposition. His approach,however, is balanced: Love without money would be a problem, but money without love, the cynic’s aim, is not the goal. Likewise,Congreve abhors the sentimental attitude that love will result in the
individuals’ somehow being submerged in each other; he insists that lovers preserve their integrity as individuals. Love is no metaphysical, not sentimental, not a form of sacrifice. On the other hand, within this context, it is not merely carnal nor a thinly disguised lust; it includes trust, dignity, and mutual respect.
The Way of the World as a comedy of manners lies in its powerful comedy of the socio-cultural stream of the restoration society with its complicated love intrigues, its intricate
family relationships and its overlapping legal and money intrigues in which the dramatist appears to be highlighting the human life, its values and manners along with the various means and ways of the world and hence, the title of the play. Congreve has focused on the spectrum of marriage and family as an important social space of the English society.
The comedy of manners is able to show the immorality and numerous love affairs in the play. The Way of the World shows that Arabella had an affair with Mirabell in the past before she married Mr. Fainall. Mr. Fainall was having an affair with Mrs. Marwood even though he was married to Arabella. This shows the family relationship space where the characters shows immoral and inappropriate behaviours that reflects the spirit of the age.
The comedy of manners is able to show love intrigues in the play. The Way of the World has been called a comedy of intrigues because there are number of love intrigues as well as intrigues concerning money. The first intrigue of Mirabell boomerangs, and even his
second intrigue of representing his servant, Waitwell as his uncle, Sir Rowland, is also scuttled by Mrs.Marwood. The intrigue of Mr. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood to get hold of the
total wealth of the family also suffers miscarriage. However, the last intrigue of the lovers
succeeds and the villains are forced to make a hasty retreat except the threat of divorce given by Mr. Fainall to Mrs.Fainall.
The another aspect of comedy of manners is the exposure of human greed for capital and money. In the play, the characters such as Mrs. Marwood and Mr. Fainall was exposed for blackmailing Lady Wishfort for the money and fortune of her niece Millamant as well as her daughter Arabella. The fortune hunters are very common depiction in Restoration comedies but Congreve always present a solution to the dark events and Mirabell steps forward to rescue Lady Wishfort. He decided to tell the secret of Mr. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood which seems not intriguing to her but he tells another secret that Arabella’s fortune of wealth which was left by her previous decease husband was given a shareholder to Mirabell and hence they cannot blackmail her anymore. Since , the money of Arabella was saved, their reputation was also saved and Mirabell was allowed to marry Milamant granted by Lady Wishfort.
