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Marwood
Known as Mrs. Fainall through much of the play, Arabella Fainall is Lady Wishfort’s daughter and Millamant, Witwoud, and Sir Wilfull’s cousin. She was once married to a rich man named Languish who died and left her his fortune. While a widow, she began an affair with Mirabell. They ended the affair before she got married to Fainall and remained close friends. Mirabell trusts and admires the steady and clear-thinking Mrs. Fainall immensely and tells her every detail of his plan. Mrs. Fainall esteems Mirabell in the same way and still seems to have feelings for him. However, she never reveals that she still loves Mirabell and doesn’t ruin his plan, though she does encourage Sir Wilfull to propose to her cousin, Millamant, and is noticeably less patient with Millamant as the play develops. Mrs. Fainall hates her husband immensely but doesn’t learn about his affair until Foible reveals it to her. She distrusts Marwood and suspects that she’s in love with Mirabell, too
Mrs. Arabella Fainall Quotes in The Way of the World
The The Way of the World quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Arabella Fainall or refer to Mrs. Arabella Fainall. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Act 2, Scene 1
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…if we will be happy, we must find the means in ourselves, and among ourselves.
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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.
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Love will resume his empire in our breasts, and every heart, or soon or late, receive and readmit him as its lawful tyrant.
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Act 2, Scene 3
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’Twas for my ease to oversee and wilfully neglect the gross advances made him by my wife, that by permitting her to be engaged, I might continue unsuspected in my pleasures, and take you oftener to my arms in full security. But could you think, because the nodding husband would not wake, that e’er the watchful lover slept?
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Act 2, Scene 4
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While I only hated my husband, I could bear to see him; but since I have despised him, he’s too offensive.
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You should have just so much disgust for your husband as may be sufficient to make you relish your lover.
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Act 3, Scene 18
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You married her to keep you; and if you can contrive to have her keep you better than you expected, why should you not keep her longer than you intended?
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Mrs. Arabella Fainall Quotes in The Way of the World
The The Way of the World quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Arabella Fainall or refer to Mrs. Arabella Fainall. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 2, Scene 1
Quotes
…if we will be happy, we must find the means in ourselves, and among ourselves.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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.
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Love will resume his empire in our breasts, and every heart, or soon or late, receive and readmit him as its lawful tyrant.
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Act 2, Scene 3
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’Twas for my ease to oversee and wilfully neglect the gross advances made him by my wife, that by permitting her to be engaged, I might continue unsuspected in my pleasures, and take you oftener to my arms in full security. But could you think, because the nodding husband would not wake, that e’er the watchful lover slept?
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Act 2, Scene 4
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While I only hated my husband, I could bear to see him; but since I have despised him, he’s too offensive.
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You should have just so much disgust for your husband as may be sufficient to make you relish your lover.
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Act 3, Scene 18
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You married her to keep you; and if you can contrive to have her keep you better than you expected, why should you not keep her longer than you intended?
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