Important lines from The Way of the World

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Opening Dialogue: Wit and Social Satire

Mirabell: “I have a very odd temper; I am for everybody that I like, and against everybody that I dislike.”

Significance: Introduces Mirabell’s witty, strategic personality and the theme of social maneuvering.

Millamant: “I love a lover, and a lover loves to be loved.”

Significance: Highlights the play’s exploration of romantic relationships and the clever negotiation of love.

On Marriage and Social Convention

Mirabell: “Marriage is a matter of opinion, not of reason.”

Significance: Shows Congreve’s satirical take on arranged marriages and social expectations.

Millamant: “I value my reputation, but not at the expense of my liberty.”

Significance: Millamant embodies the independent, witty heroine, characteristic of Restoration comedy.

Wit and Wordplay

Mirabell: “I hate a woman that can’t bear raillery.”

Significance: Emphasizes the importance of wit and banter in Restoration comedy relationships.

Fainall: “No man is secure in his estate who trusts to the honesty of another.”

Significance: Reflects the play’s concern with deception, trust, and social manipulation. On Deception and Intrigue

Mrs. Fainall: “A woman may be too generous, but never too just.”

Significance: Indicates the moral tension between appearance and integrity, a central theme.

Mirabell: “I love a lady that is her own mistress.”

Significance: Highlights female agency and the Restoration comedy ideal of clever, independent women. Important Closing Lines

Mirabell to Millamant: “I am happy that my fortune is my own.”

Significance: Resolves the play’s conflicts, underscoring self-determination, love, and social negotiation.

Millamant: “We are both free, and our freedom is our happiness.”

Significance: Reinforces personal liberty and wit as the foundation of marriage and social harmony.

1.  Mirabell: “I have a very odd temper; I am for everybody that I like, and against everybody that I dislike.”

Shows Mirabell’s witty personality and strategic social mind.

2. Millamant: “I love a lover, and a lover loves to be loved.”Highlights playful negotiation in romantic relationships.

3. Mirabell: “Marriage is a matter of opinion, not of reason.”Satirizes social conventions of marriage.

4. Millamant: “I value my reputation, but not at the expense of my liberty.”Shows Millamant as a clever, independent heroine.

5. Mirabell: “I hate a woman that can’t bear raillery.”Emphasizes the role of wit and banter in relationships.

6. Fainall: “No man is secure in his estate who trusts to the honesty of another.”Reflects themes of deception and social manipulation.

7. Mrs. Fainall: “A woman may be too generous, but never too just.”Shows moral tension between appearance and integrity.

8. Mirabell: “I love a lady that is her own mistress.”Celebrates female agency and independence.

9. Millamant: “I will not marry any man that does not deserve my regard.”Highlights autonomy in choosing a spouse.

10. Mirabell: “I am for liberty, and not for servitude.”Shows value of personal freedom over social expectation.

11. Lady Wishfort: “I would rather be laughed at than envied.”Satire of vanity and social pretensions.

12. Fainall: “Every man has his price, and mine is power.”Shows the play’s cynical view of human motives.

13. Mirabell: “A lady’s honour is a jewel that cannot be bought.”Reinforces integrity as a key value in relationships.

14. Millamant: “I will have wit and sense before wealth.”Underscores intellectual equality over materialism in marriage.

15. Mirabell: “I am happy when I see virtue rewarded.”Highlights moral resolution typical of Restoration comedy.

16. Millamant: “Liberty is the only wealth worth having.”Celebrates personal independence and happiness.

17. Fainall: “I can ruin, but I cannot love.”Contrasts power with inability to form genuine human connections.

18. Mirabell: “I love her for herself, not for her fortune.”Illustrates true love over social advantage.

19. Millamant: “We are both free, and our freedom is our happiness.”Shows reconciliation of love and liberty at the play’s conclusion.

20. Mirabell (closing): “I am happy that my fortune is my own.”Affirms autonomy, self-determination, and rightful resolution of conflicts.

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