 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 PROLOGUE Summary In the prologue, or the introduction to the play, Congreve categorizes poets as those who fare the worst among Nature’s fools, for Fortune first grants them fame and then "forsakes" them. Congreve laments this unfair treatment meted out to the poets, who are Fortune’s own offspring. Poets have to risk the fame earned from their previous work when they write a new work. If his new endeavor fails, the poet must lose his seat in Parnassus. (Parnassus was a mountain near Delphi in Greece, sacred to Apollo and the Muses. Apollo was the sun-god and patron of the arts, while the Muses were the nine goddesses of the arts. Parnassus was regarded as the seat of learning, poetry and the arts.) Congreve states that although he has worked hard to write this play, if the audience does not like it, they should not spare him for his trouble but damn him all the more. He tells the audience not to pity him for his stupidity. He promises that he will blame the audience if they heckle any scene. He proceeds to state that his play has "some plot," "some new thought," "some humor" -- but "no farce." This is regarded as a fault by some. He comments wryly that the audience should not expect satire since they have nothing for which to be reproached. Nobody can dare to correct them. His sole aim has been to "please" and not to "instruct," since this might offend the audience. If he should accidentally expose a knave or a fool, his audience will not be hurt, as there are no knaves or fools among them. He takes the role of a passive poet who has left everything to the judgment of the audience. He bids the audience to "save or damn" him according to their own discretion.
Notes A prologue was a convention of the plays of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It is normally written in verse and states the writer’s aim and theme. It is usually spoken by one of the characters. This prologue was delivered by the actor who played the part of Fainall. Congreve was among the rare group of writers who possessed the ability to stand back and objectively reflect on their work. His prologue is therefore not a mere convention but expresses some important points. Although Congreve describes the unfortunate condition of poets, the prologue is not remorseful in tone. Rather, Congreve urges the audience to "save or damn" him according to their own discretion and judgment. He knows that he cannot rely on his past good fortune and that he is risking everything on this new venture. He promises that he will not resent it if the audience judges his work harshly. In truth, Congreve was extremely bitter about the poor response towards this play when it first appeared. His remark in the dedication about the poor taste of the multitudes who favor the "coarsest strokes of Plautus" to the purity of Terence’s style is an indication of his resentment. Some critics have suggested that Congreve did not write any other plays after The Way of the World because he was so disheartened by its failure. Congreve states that plot, new thought and humor are the ingredients of his play. He emphasizes that he has not included farce (satirical comedy that usually involves farfetched plot turns). Many people in his time considered this exclusion to be a fault. He ironically tells the audience not to expect satire, since nobody can dare to correct such a reformed society. (Satire is typically employed by an author to expose human vice.) However, satire abounds in The Way of the World. Congreve criticizes false wit or affectation through the characters of Fainall, Witwoud, and Petulant, exposes the knavery of Fainall and Mrs. Marwood, and also condemns woman’s inconstancy in general terms. He says that his sole intention is to please the audience and not to instruct. If he should accidentally expose some knave or fool, the audience will not be hurt, since it is composed of better people. He leaves his fate entirely to the judgment of the audience, but he has also gently warned the viewers that if they are offended by his depiction of a certain character, they are admitting that they may resemble that type. Table of Contents | |
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