Study Questions for Congreve's The Way of the World

• The plot of this play is extremely complicated--you might want to map it out on paper as you prepare for class.  Why is the plot so complicated?  Is it effective?
• This play is often described as a "comedy of manners"?  How is this an appropriate description of the play?
• How would you describe the relationship between Mirabell and Millamant, especially in comparison to the other lovers we've encountered this semester?  How are the courtship rituals depicted in this play similar to or different from what we have seen in other works?
• How does this play depict relations between servants and their employers?
• Identify the main plot and the subplot.  What is the relationship between the two?