Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part M (2025)

William Congreve’s The Way of the World (1700) is widely regarded as the most accomplished comedy of the Restoration period, combining intellectual brilliance with ethical seriousness. Unlike earlier Restoration plays that glorified libertinism and sexual license, Congreve’s drama presents a restrained yet penetrating critique of aristocratic society. This paper explores how Congreve interrogates marriage, wit, and social conduct in a world governed by property, reputation, and performance. Marriage is portrayed as a legal and economic contract, yet the relationship between Mirabell and Millamant offers a progressive alternative based on equality and mutual consent. The famous proviso scene becomes central to understanding feminine agency and negotiated marital identity. Using a textual and socio-historical methodology, the study argues that Congreve neither idealizes nor condemns Restoration society but exposes its contradictions with moral clarity. The play’s enduring relevance lies in its balanced vision of intelligence, ethics, and social responsibility.