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Act 5, Scene 6
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
Wits and Fools
Men vs. Women
Female (In)dependence
Love and Money
Summary
Analysis
Once Fainall leaves, Wishfort again complains to Marwood. She asks whether she should agree to Fainall’s terms. Marwood insists that it is a shame that Wishfort must pay for her daughter’s sins but that there really is no other option.
It is worth noting that Wishfort’s actions here are to protect her daughter (and herself) rather than to hold on to her money. Meanwhile, Wishfort continues to be tricked by the deceitful Marwood.
Themes
Wishfort complains that marrying Fainall was her daughter’s idea. She bemoans the loss of good and noble Languish, her daughter’s late husband, a match that she herself made. Seeing her niece, Millamant, arriving with Wilfull, she is brought out of her reverie.
Wishfort, who has been revealed as foolish throughout the play, here suggests that everyone else is a fool and she was the one who made good choices.
Themes
