The Way of the World
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Prologue Act 1, Scene 1 Act 1, Scene 2 Act 1, Scene 3 Act 1, Scene 4 Act 1, Scene 5 Act 1, Scene 6 Act 1, Scene 7 Act 1, Scene 8 Act 1, Scene 9 Act 2, Scene 1 Act 2, Scene 2 Act 2, Scene 3 Act 2, Scene 4 Act 2, Scene 5 Act 2, Scene 6 Act 2, Scene 7 Act 2, Scene 8 Act 2, Scene 9 Act 3, Scene 1 Act 3, Scene 2 Act 3, Scene 3 Act 3, Scene 4 Act 3, Scene 5 Act 3, Scene 6 Act 3, Scene 7 Act 3, Scene 8 Act 3, Scene 9 Act 3, Scene 10 Act 3, Scene 11 Act 3, Scene 12 Act 3, Scene 13 Act 3, Scene 14 Act 3, Scene 15 Act 3, Scene 16 Act 3, Scene 17 Act 3, Scene 18 Act 4, Scene 1 Act 4, Scene 2 Act 4, Scene 3 Act 4, Scene 4 Act 4, Scene 5 Act 4, Scene 6 Act 4, Scene 7 Act 4, Scene 8 Act 4, Scene 9 Act 4, Scene 10 Act 4, Scene 11 Act 4, Scene 12 Act 4, Scene 13 Act 4, Scene 14 Act 4, Scene 15 Act 5, Scene 1 Act 5, Scene 2 Act 5, Scene 3 Act 5, Scene 4 Act 5, Scene 5 Act 5, Scene 6 Act 5, Scene 7 Act 5, Scene 8 Act 5, Scene 9 Act 5, Scene 10 Act 5, Scene 11 Act 5, Scene 12 Act 5, Scene 13 Act 5, Scene 14
Themes
All Themes Jealousy, Deceit, and Intrigue Wits and Fools Men vs. Women Female (In)dependence Love and Money
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Mirabell Fainall Marwood Mrs. Arabella Fainall Lady Wishfort Foible Millamant Sir Wilfull Witwoud Waitwell Witwoud Petulant
Symbols
All Symbols Masks
Literary Devices
All Literary Devices Allusions Dramatic Irony Fallacy Foil Foreshadowing Genre Imagery Irony Metaphors Mood Motifs Personification Satire Setting Similes Situational Irony Soliloquy Style Tone Verbal Irony
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The Way of the World

by

William Congreve

The Way of the World: Act 3, Scene 12 Summary & Analysis

Jealousy, Deceit, and Intrigue Theme Icon
Wits and Fools Theme Icon
Men vs. Women Theme Icon
Female (In)dependence Theme Icon
Love and Money Theme Icon
Themes Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Way of the World, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Jealousy, Deceit, and Intrigue Theme Icon
Jealousy, Deceit, and Intrigue
Wits and Fools Theme Icon
Wits and Fools
Men vs. Women Theme Icon
Men vs. Women
Female (In)dependence Theme Icon
Female (In)dependence
Love and Money Theme Icon
Love and Money
Summary
Analysis
Mincing returns to tell Millamant that the men will be ready soon. Millamant instructs Mincing to have the singer hired for the event to sing a song that Millamant likes. The singer sings about love being like a sickness when it is not joined with ambition. Love is also like a dying fire, if it is not fed by encouragement. The singer concludes by claiming to delight in love when it gives pain to others, either rivals or the lover himself.
It is little wonder that Millamant likes a song that describes love the way that she herself understands love and practices loving others. The song also describes the various romantic relationships Congreve portrays in the play.
Themes
Men vs. Women Theme Icon
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