The theme of 'idiotic deception and intrigues' in the play , 'The way of the world ' by William Congreve

 Congreve’s plays belong to a genre known as Restoration comedy. The Restoration refers to the reestablishment of the monarchy in England with the return of Charles II to the throne in 1660 after a period of social upheaval. In English literature, the Restoration “age” parallels the political period, covering roughly the years from 1660 to the revolution in 1688 when Parliament regained power. 

The genre is characterized by its satirical view of the times, with its particular focus on the relationship between conventional morality and the individual spirit. Its comic characters are often reflections of the shallow aristocrats of court society; they are peopled with libertines and wits, gallants and dandies. 

In 'The Way of the World Congreve has presented the true picture of the contemporary society. Here he has described the infidelity of married women, the fashionable life of ladies and gentleman and the intrigues of lovers. 

All the characters of this play are fond of fashion. Lady like Wishfort uses heavy cosmetics to hide her faded beauty and wrinkles. Public places like Chocolate house and St. James' park are mentioned here. These places provide an opportunity for the lovers to enjoy their games of love, lust and intrigues. 

   In the play 'The Way of the World' we find that male characters are pursuing female characters. Here female characters have unfair relations with other men. They disdain their husbands. Mrs. Marwood is enjoying sensual pleasure with Mr. Fainall. Mrs. Fainall hates her husband and she has soft corner for mirabell. Millamant loves Mirabell but she has soft corner for Petulant and Witwoud. Mirabell has had an affair with a young widow but he persuades her to marry Fainall. Marriage has no sanctity at all. Thus there is an atmosphere of free love in this play.

   Love intrigues occupy an important place in the drama  'The Way of the World'. The entire play deals with the intrigues of Mirabell to win the hand of Millamant. To achieve his aim, he pretends to make love to Lady Wishfort, an elderly lady. When he fails, he hatches a deeper plot. He knows that she is desirous of marrying again. Thus he sends his servant to her as Sir Rowland to deceive her. Mr. Fainall has illicit relation with Mrs. Marwood. He is also busy in an intrigue to grab the property of his wife's mother. In this way Congreve has presented the spirit of the age.

Mrs. Fainall says that ''Men are ever in extremes; either doting or averse. While they are lovers, if they have fire and sense, their jealousies are insupportable: and when they cease to love…they loathe, they look upon us with horror and distaste, they meet us like the ghosts of what we were, and as from such, fly from us.''

In addition to jealousy, deception and intrigue also contribute to the rising action that makes the play both engaging and suspenseful. As the main conflict between Mirabell and Fainall develops, it becomes clear that almost every character has something to hide. Deception is practiced in obvious ways, such as when characters don full-on disguises, like Mirabell’s servant, Waitwell, who pretends to be Sir Rowland, or when habitual liars, like Petulant, continue to tell tall tales. But Congreve also examines subtler forms of deception, including self-deception, like in the case of Lady Wishfort, who uses too much makeup to hide her age from her suitor, Sir Rowland, but also herself. 

Another subtler form of deception is psychological deception, a type of deception Marwood especially utilizes as she pretends to be Wishfort’s best friend, while scheming for ways to steal her fortune, or when she convinces Fainall of her faithfulness even though she still cares for Mirabell.

Both Mr. Fainall and Mirabell have secret plots, or intrigues, that they use to their advantage in the play. Everyone is engaged in intrigue: Mirabell intrigues to gain consent to his marriage from Lady Wishfort, and this involves intrigue within intrigue, for he does not trust Waitwell. Fainall intrigues in turn. Everyone is involved in one or the other of these schemes — Mrs. Fainall, Mrs. Marwood, and the servants. 

Even Lady Wishfort in her willingness to marry Sir Rowland has a devious purpose — revenge on Mirabell. When Mrs. Fainall married her husband, that was part of an intrigue, as was his marriage to her. And as we see in the play, victory goes to Mirabell, not because of his virtue, but simply because he is the most successful intriguer.

Millamant says that ''One’s cruelty is one’s power, and when one parts with one’s cruelty one parts with one’s power, and when one has parted with that, I fancy one’s old and ugly''. 

By highlighting these intrigues , The Way of the World exposes the issues of money, love, sex, marriage and in short the behavior of the people of the time in the language of prose. Pursuit of sexual pleasure and money was the main concern of the people. Marriage was not just like as an institution for procreation or for providing stability to social life. It was seen as a mercenary venture.