Discuss The Way of the World as Comedy of Wit and Humour. / Show how verbal wit contributes to the overall humorous intent in The Way of the World.

Discuss The Way of the World as Comedy of Wit and Humour. / Show how verbal wit contributes to the overall humorous intent in The Way of the World.

‘The Way of the World’ as a Comedy of Wit: - ‘Wit’ expressed itself in the rhetorical devices provides pleasures on several levels, but it is essentially an exercise of the intellect and its appeal is always to the intellect. It is the most effective weapon with which a sophisticated society can be made aware of its own shortcomings. As used by the 17^th century dramatists, however, the term does not mean mere brilliance in conversation, or even cleverness. ‘Wit’ means also intelligence, the intelligence to perceive and understand. On the other hand, ‘Humour’ implies certain eccentricities of behavior arising from differences of “constitutions, complexions and disposition of men’ (From Congreve’s letter to his friend John Dennis). In his letter to John Dennis, Congreve defines wit as the art of “speaking pleasantly and amusingly”. Now let us proceed to analyze Congreve’s handling of wit on the basis of this definition in his play The Way of the World. The Way of the World is a comedy of wit and humour.The most remarkable aspect of this play is the witty conversation of characters who have been portrayed brilliantly by William Congreve. Actually, wit and humour are essence of this play. In the play, not only the main characters but even minor characters like the maid servant of Lady Wishfort are also competent enough to indulge in witty conversation. In fact, Congreve pays more attention to wit and humour than plot and action in the play)

Witty and humorous elements in the conversation of characters: --

(a)   Mirabell and Mrs. Fainall:-- Mrs. Fainall who is the wife of Mr.Fainall  has an illicit relation with Mirabell, the hero of the play. When Mrs. Fainall and Mirabell  meet together in the play, the readers come across a magnificent display of wit. Mrs. Fainall who is not satisfied with her husband expressed her irritation to Mirabell. Mirabell tells her that she should hate her husband but carefully. In Mirabell’s words: ‘’O, You should hate with prudence.” Further we find numerous wits in their conversation when they talk about Lady wishfort. Mirabell thinks Lady Wishfort “would marry anything that resembled a man, though, it were no more than what a butler could pinch out of a napkin’.............................................................................................................................

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