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The Way of the World

English BooksWhale Edition by William Congreve

A brilliant Restoration comedy of wit, marriage bargaining, inheritance, manners, desire, and social performance.

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The Way of the World

The Way of the World is Congreve’s celebrated comedy of manners, built on verbal brilliance, romantic strategy, and sharp social observation. This English edition serves readers of Restoration drama, theatrical wit, courtship plots, and the history of comedy.

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Why this edition can be shared

William Congreve died in 1729, and The Way of the World was first published in 1700. These dates support the public-domain basis for this English original edition.

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The Way of the World

William Congreve

Preview chapterA COMEDYPreview

Audire est operæ pretium, procedere recte

Qui mæchis non vultis.—HOR. Sat. i. 2, 37.

—Metuat doti deprensa.—Ibid.

Preview chapterTO THE RIGHT HONOURABLEPreview

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

Table of contents

Inside this edition

  1. 01Full text
  2. 02A COMEDY
  3. 03TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
  4. 04RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.
  5. 05WILL. CONGREVE.
  6. 06PROLOGUE.
  7. 07DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.
  8. 08WOMEN.
  9. 09DANCERS, FOOTMEN, ATTENDANTS.
  10. 10SCENE: London.
  11. 11ACT I.—SCENE I.
  12. 12SCENE II.
  13. 13SCENE III.
  14. 14MIRABELL, FAINALL, BETTY.
  15. 15SCENE IV.
  16. 16SCENE V.
  17. 17MIRABELL, FAINALL, BETTY.
  18. 18SCENE VI.
  19. 19SCENE VII.
  20. 20SCENE VIII.
  21. 21MIRABELL, FAINALL, WITWOUD.
  22. 22SCENE IX.
  23. 23PETULANT, MIRABELL, FAINALL, WITWOUD, BETTY.
  24. 24part, but that it is almost a fashion to admire her, I should—harkee—to
  25. 25ACT II.—SCENE I.
  26. 26SCENE II.
  27. 27SCENE III.
  28. 28FAINALL, MRS. MARWOOD.
  29. 29SCENE IV.
  30. 30SCENE V.
  31. 31SCENE VI.
  32. 32MRS. MILLAMANT, MIRABELL, MINCING.
  33. 33SCENE VII.
  34. 34SCENE VIII.
  35. 35SCENE IX.
  36. 36MIRABELL, WAITWELL.
  37. 37ACT III.—SCENE I.
  38. 38SCENE II.
  39. 39LADY WISHFORT.
  40. 40SCENE III.
  41. 41SCENE IV.
  42. 42SCENE V.
  43. 43LADY WISHFORT, FOIBLE.
  44. 44SCENE VI.
  45. 45MRS. FAINALL, FOIBLE.
  46. 46SCENE VII.
  47. 47SCENE VIII.
  48. 48SCENE IX.
  49. 49SCENE X.
  50. 50MRS. MARWOOD, MRS. MILLAMANT, MINCING.
  51. 51SCENE XI.
  52. 52MRS. MILLAMANT, MRS. MARWOOD.
  53. 53SCENE XII.
  54. 54SONG.
  55. 55SCENE XIII.
  56. 56SCENE XIV.
  57. 57SCENE XV.
  58. 58SIR WILFULL WITWOUD, PETULANT, WITWOUD, MRS. MARWOOD.
  59. 59SCENE XVI.
  60. 60SCENE XVII.
  61. 61SCENE XVIII.
  62. 62MRS. MARWOOD, FAINALL.
  63. 63ACT IV.—SCENE I.
  64. 64SCENE II.
  65. 65MRS. MILLAMANT, MRS. FAINALL, FOIBLE.
  66. 66SCENE III.
  67. 67SCENE IV.
  68. 68SIR WILFULL, MILLAMANT.
  69. 69SCENE V.
  70. 70MRS. MILLAMANT, MIRABELL.
  71. 71SCENE VI.
  72. 72SCENE VII.
  73. 73MRS. MILLAMANT, MRS. FAINALL.
  74. 74SCENE VIII.
  75. 75SCENE IX.
  76. 76SCENE X.
  77. 77FAINALL.
  78. 78SCENE XI.
  79. 79LADY WISHFORT, SIR WILFULL WITWOUD, MR. WITWOUD, FOIBLE.
  80. 80SCENE XII.
  81. 81SCENE XIII.
  82. 82SCENE XIV.
  83. 83WAITWELL, FOIBLE.
  84. 84SCENE XV.
  85. 85ACT V.—SCENE I.
  86. 86SCENE II.
  87. 87MRS. FAINALL, FOIBLE.
  88. 88SCENE III.
  89. 89SCENE IV.
  90. 90MRS. FAINALL, LADY WISHFORT, MRS. MARWOOD.
  91. 91SCENE V.
  92. 92LADY WISHFORT, MRS. MARWOOD.
  93. 93SCENE VI.
  94. 94FAINALL, LADY WISHFORT, MRS. MARWOOD.
  95. 95SCENE VII.
  96. 96LADY WISHFORT, MRS. MARWOOD.
  97. 97SCENE VIII.
  98. 98SCENE IX.
  99. 99LADY WISHFORT, MRS. MILLAMANT, SIR WILFULL, MIRABELL.
  100. 100SCENE X.
  101. 101SCENE XI.
  102. 102FAINALL.]
  103. 103SCENE XII.
  104. 104SCENE XIII.
  105. 105SCENE the Last.
  106. 106LADY WISHFORT, MRS. MILLAMANT, MIRABELL, MRS. FAINALL, SIR WILFULL,
  107. 107PETULANT, WITWOUD, FOIBLE, MINCING, WAITWELL.
  108. 108EPILOGUE.

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