 Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
Table of Contents Conflict Protagonist Mirabell is the protagonist and controls the action of the play. The Way of the World is essentially about Mirabell and his love for Millamant, and he holds the key to the intricate plot. The reputations of the other characters also depend upon him. Antagonist Fainall and Mrs. Marwood perform the roles of the antagonists and villains in the play. They are diametrically opposed to Mirabell and Millamant. Both of them have clearly defined objectives for seeking revenge. Fainall needs money. Furthermore, he learns that both his wife and mistress love Mirabell, and so he tries to ruin Mirabell’s chance for success. Mrs. Marwood wants revenge on Mirabell because he has not responded to her advances. Together, Fainall and Mrs. Marwood devise a counter plot to foil Mirabell’s plans. Climax The plot rises to an intense climax in Act IV, when Sir Rowland’s wooing of Lady Wishfort is interrupted by the arrival of an anonymous letter sent by Mrs. Marwood in order to reveal Mirabell’s plot.
Outcome The play ends in comedy, as Mirabell defeats the counter plot of Fainall and Mrs. Marwood. He produces a deed in which Mrs. Fainall had earlier signed over her fortune in trust to him. Therefore, Fainall cannot claim this money, which no longer belongs to his wife. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood leave vowing revenge. Lady Wishfort consents to the marriage of Mirabell and Millamant. Mirabell then hands the deed over to Mrs. Fainall and hints at a possible reconciliation between her and her husband. Although the play ends as a comedy, critics feel that the ending is inconclusive because there is no guarantee that Mrs. Fainall will live happily with her husband. Table of Contents | |
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