Question for November 16: The Way of the World, Act 5
As we finish the play, let's think about and comment upon the following: Is anyone harmed by the plots of the various characters in The Way of The World, and if so, do they deserve to be?
It is no shock to me that Fainal and Mrs. Marwood are the ones that are harmed by the plots of this play. In the end Fainal only wants his wife’s money and could care less what happens to her. In his mind he will be with Mrs. Marwood his mistress, and not think twice about leaving Mrs. Fainal behind. He curses her and wishes to leave her penniless as to not be able to hide from the world with it. Which he states when he says, "I will not leave thee wherewithal to hide thy shame: your body will be as naked as your reputation!" Which to me is the final straw in my thoughts about Fainal. Fainal, a man consumed by his own self-interests, than that of the woman he is married to. He is outraged further when he learns of her signing over control of her estate to Mirabel. Fainal believes, which he should, that he is being tricked and the money taken away from him behind his back. He is furthered confused when Millamant tells him that she has decided to marry Sir Wilfull, which means he lacks not only his wives money, but Lady Wishfort’s as well. Fainal, at this point seems to be hot tempered as a hot cattle iron. Mrs. Marwood on the other hand tries to convey her apologies and lie to Mrs. Fainal about being Fainals mistress. She is not aware that two of the servants have already conveyed the truth to Mrs. Fainal about it. Mrs. Fainal is hurt; thinking this whole time her dear friend Mrs. Marwood is the one who has gone behind her back. Yet, Mrs. Fainal will not Mrs. Marwood go unscathed as she exposes Mrs. Marwood to her knowledge of her deceptive deeds. All in all, they get what they had coming to them. Even if I personally think they deserved to be embarrassed and given more pain that they received. -Queso
Mirabell's plot was to trick Lady Wishfort into falling for his (fake) uncle in order to gain her favor and have her blessing to marry Millamant. Ultimately Fainall and Mrs. Marwood pay the price for Mirabell's plots. Fainall is left with no money and a bad reputation. Mrs. Marwood fairs the same. I agree with Queso, Fainall and Mrs. Marwood definitely deserve the punishment they recieve as a result of Mirabell's complicated scheme. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood are out to get everyone only for their personal gain. At least Mirabell is conniving for the sake of love. Fainall is a bad guy, willing to ruin all of his "friend's" lives and take all of their money. Mrs. Marwood is just as deceptive and disloyal- she doesn't think twice to through her friends under the bus for her own gain. They're both mean and deserving of their fates. I do feel bad for Mrs. Wishfort... she's just an old lady looking for love... she probably thought she had a good thing going with Mirabell's uncle and then it turned into a disaster.
Mirabell is a coniving and sneaky person when it comes to his own personal gains. He defiantly knew exactly what he was doing when trying to win over the vulnerable Lady wishfort. His fake uncle was the perfect set up to get her on his side so he could be with Millamant. I agree with Queso in the sense that Fainall and Mrs. Marwood were harmed by the plots. Fainall is so self absorbed that he does not care who he hurts. All he cares to see is that he gets what he wants no matter how he does it. He cant stand the fact that his wife gave control of their land to Mirabell. He is left with nothing and is considered to be the bad boy of the story. Mrs. Marwood is just as guilty as Fainall because she just wants to continue up the social ladder with no expense to any of her friends. I think the characters all got what they deserved becasue they were all pretty much going behind each others backs with the exceptions of a few. None of them cared what their friends thought just as long as they benefited from the outcome. The only character I can say that got punished in a bad way was Lady Wishfort. She thought she had met someone and then it all turned into a scam just so Mirabell could be closer to Millamant. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood did their schemes for money and higher standings in society, while Mirabell did his dirty tricks for the love of a woman. -sunflower92
In accordance with Queso, I do too believe that Fainall and Marwood got what they deserved at the end of this play however, I do feel that maybe not everyone got what they deserved as Mirabell, Waitwell, Foible and Millamant are all part of an intricate, conniving plan to secure not only Millmant’s hand in marriage to Mirabell but to also secure the fortune controlled by her Aunt, Lady Wishfort. Mirabell’s scheme to claim fortune is overshadowed by Fainall’s attempts to blackmail Lady Wishfort which is a substantially more sinister plot to claim fortune. Through a series of events, Mirabell reveals to Fainall that him and Mrs. Fainall (Mirabell’s previous lover) have plotted pre-marriage a plant to secure Mrs. Fainall’s assets leaving Fainall without the proper leverage to conduct his blackmail. After the plots have been unveiled Fainall and Marwood are left with a loss of their reputation as well as the loss of their money they schemed to get. The problem I have is that I don’t believe that Mirabell and his company of plotters shouldn’t receive the reward they intended to receive. It can be argued that maybe Lady Wishfort was too withholding as she held half of Millamant’s fortune but the fact of the matter is that they had every intention of tricking Wishfort into giving up the fortune. To me, this is no admirable feat to be rewarded. I think If everyone were to get what they deserved, Mirabell and Millamant would only receive the part of the fortune that Lady Wishfort didn’t control.
In the scene we learn that Fainall and Marwood are lovers,and that Mirabell and Mrs. Fainall once had an affair.Mrs. Marwood and Fainall quarrel,and she covers her tears with a mask as Mirabell and Mrs. Fainall enter.Mrs. Fainall tells Mirabell that she despises her husband,and once loved Mirabell "without Bounds." I agree with Anoynomous when they say Fainal and Mrs. Marwood are harmed in the play.I also agree with Innisfree when they say Fainall and Mrs. Marwood deserve to be left with no money and ruin their reputation.Throughout this scene you see that Mrs. Marwood is clearly hurt by Fainall when she says, "You do me wrong."However,Fainall denies this by saying " I do not..."
In the end Fainal only wants his wife’s money and could care less what happens to her. In his mind he will be with Mrs. Marwood his mistress, and not think twice about leaving Mrs. Fainal behind.Fainal seems to be a very selfish character throughout the play.He does not seem the least bit concerned about Mrs. Fainall because his mind is set of being with Mrs. Marwood.
I do believe that Fainall has every right to be mad because he seems to feel as if she is taking his fortune away from him.
Fainall is willing to deceive his friends by taking their money.Mrs.Marwood isn't much better in that she puts herself first in almost every situation she is in.I agree with Innisfree when they say
"They're both mean and deserving of their fates. I do feel bad for Mrs. Wishfort... she's just an old lady looking for love... she probably thought she had a good thing going with Mirabell's uncle and then it turned into a disaster." I honestly cannot think of a better way to say that. Also I am a big believer in what goes around comes around and so therefore I do believe Mrs. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood are paying the price for their actions.This plot seems to portray how jealousy can really come back to haunt you.
In accordance with my other peers, I too agree with Queso’s idea that everyone got what they deserved in the end of the play. As we discussed in class, Mirabell is not seen as a “heroic” character, he’s only the closest thing we have. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood were the antagonists in the story, and although Mirabell conned and tricked people like this couple, he was not malicious in his intent. This entire play surrounds a class system and the amount of money each person possesses. It seems as if everyone is tricking each other with the intent of adding to their fortunes, like Fainall and Mirabell, or conning others due to jealousy, like Mrs. Marwood. Mrs. Marwood is desperately in love with Mirabell and hates to see him go through so much trouble to be with Millamant. On page 2281, Mrs. Marwood confesses, “O, my shame! These corrupt things are brought hither to destroy me.” She is about to be found out by Lady Wishfort that she was an accomplice to Fainall’s plan. Lady Wishfort’s reply to Mrs. Marwood was, “O Marwood, Marwood, art thou false? My friend deceive me? Hst thou been a wicked accomplice with that profligate man?” Wishfort is hurt, and sees that Mirabell was a victim of Marwoods lies due to her undying love for him. As in almost every story, the bad people loose, and “good” triumphs. Since, Mirabell was the closest thing we had to a hero and his reasoning for his trickery was for love, he won in the end. Mirabell and Millamant’s love prevailed and Lady Wishfort allowed for them to be married. ----Dream Big----
It is no shock to me that Fainal and Mrs. Marwood are the ones that are harmed by the plots of this play. In the end Fainal only wants his wife’s money and could care less what happens to her. In his mind he will be with Mrs. Marwood his mistress, and not think twice about leaving Mrs. Fainal behind. He curses her and wishes to leave her penniless as to not be able to hide from the world with it. Which he states when he says, "I will not leave thee wherewithal to hide thy shame: your body will be as naked as your reputation!" Which to me is the final straw in my thoughts about Fainal. Fainal, a man consumed by his own self-interests, than that of the woman he is married to. He is outraged further when he learns of her signing over control of her estate to Mirabel. Fainal believes, which he should, that he is being tricked and the money taken away from him behind his back. He is furthered confused when Millamant tells him that she has decided to marry Sir Wilfull, which means he lacks not only his wives money, but Lady Wishfort’s as well. Fainal, at this point seems to be hot tempered as a hot cattle iron.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Marwood on the other hand tries to convey her apologies and lie to Mrs. Fainal about being Fainals mistress. She is not aware that two of the servants have already conveyed the truth to Mrs. Fainal about it. Mrs. Fainal is hurt; thinking this whole time her dear friend Mrs. Marwood is the one who has gone behind her back. Yet, Mrs. Fainal will not Mrs. Marwood go unscathed as she exposes Mrs. Marwood to her knowledge of her deceptive deeds.
All in all, they get what they had coming to them. Even if I personally think they deserved to be embarrassed and given more pain that they received.
-Queso
Mirabell's plot was to trick Lady Wishfort into falling for his (fake) uncle in order to gain her favor and have her blessing to marry Millamant. Ultimately Fainall and Mrs. Marwood pay the price for Mirabell's plots. Fainall is left with no money and a bad reputation. Mrs. Marwood fairs the same. I agree with Queso, Fainall and Mrs. Marwood definitely deserve the punishment they recieve as a result of Mirabell's complicated scheme. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood are out to get everyone only for their personal gain. At least Mirabell is conniving for the sake of love. Fainall is a bad guy, willing to ruin all of his "friend's" lives and take all of their money. Mrs. Marwood is just as deceptive and disloyal- she doesn't think twice to through her friends under the bus for her own gain. They're both mean and deserving of their fates. I do feel bad for Mrs. Wishfort... she's just an old lady looking for love... she probably thought she had a good thing going with Mirabell's uncle and then it turned into a disaster.
ReplyDeleteMirabell is a coniving and sneaky person when it comes to his own personal gains. He defiantly knew exactly what he was doing when trying to win over the vulnerable Lady wishfort. His fake uncle was the perfect set up to get her on his side so he could be with Millamant. I agree with Queso in the sense that Fainall and Mrs. Marwood were harmed by the plots. Fainall is so self absorbed that he does not care who he hurts. All he cares to see is that he gets what he wants no matter how he does it. He cant stand the fact that his wife gave control of their land to Mirabell. He is left with nothing and is considered to be the bad boy of the story. Mrs. Marwood is just as guilty as Fainall because she just wants to continue up the social ladder with no expense to any of her friends.
ReplyDeleteI think the characters all got what they deserved becasue they were all pretty much going behind each others backs with the exceptions of a few. None of them cared what their friends thought just as long as they benefited from the outcome. The only character I can say that got punished in a bad way was Lady Wishfort. She thought she had met someone and then it all turned into a scam just so Mirabell could be closer to Millamant.
Fainall and Mrs. Marwood did their schemes for money and higher standings in society, while Mirabell did his dirty tricks for the love of a woman.
-sunflower92
In accordance with Queso, I do too believe that Fainall and Marwood got what they deserved at the end of this play however, I do feel that maybe not everyone got what they deserved as Mirabell, Waitwell, Foible and Millamant are all part of an intricate, conniving plan to secure not only Millmant’s hand in marriage to Mirabell but to also secure the fortune controlled by her Aunt, Lady Wishfort. Mirabell’s scheme to claim fortune is overshadowed by Fainall’s attempts to blackmail Lady Wishfort which is a substantially more sinister plot to claim fortune. Through a series of events, Mirabell reveals to Fainall that him and Mrs. Fainall (Mirabell’s previous lover) have plotted pre-marriage a plant to secure Mrs. Fainall’s assets leaving Fainall without the proper leverage to conduct his blackmail. After the plots have been unveiled Fainall and Marwood are left with a loss of their reputation as well as the loss of their money they schemed to get. The problem I have is that I don’t believe that Mirabell and his company of plotters shouldn’t receive the reward they intended to receive. It can be argued that maybe Lady Wishfort was too withholding as she held half of Millamant’s fortune but the fact of the matter is that they had every intention of tricking Wishfort into giving up the fortune. To me, this is no admirable feat to be rewarded. I think If everyone were to get what they deserved, Mirabell and Millamant would only receive the part of the fortune that Lady Wishfort didn’t control.
ReplyDeleteIn the scene we learn that Fainall and Marwood are lovers,and that Mirabell and Mrs. Fainall once had an affair.Mrs. Marwood and Fainall quarrel,and she covers her tears with a mask as Mirabell and Mrs. Fainall enter.Mrs. Fainall tells Mirabell that she despises her husband,and once loved Mirabell "without Bounds."
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anoynomous when they say Fainal and Mrs. Marwood are harmed in the play.I also agree with Innisfree when they say Fainall and Mrs. Marwood deserve to be left with no money and ruin their reputation.Throughout this scene you see that Mrs. Marwood is clearly hurt by Fainall when she says, "You do me wrong."However,Fainall denies this by saying " I do not..."
In the end Fainal only wants his wife’s money and could care less what happens to her. In his mind he will be with Mrs. Marwood his mistress, and not think twice about leaving Mrs. Fainal behind.Fainal seems to be a very selfish character throughout the play.He does not seem the least bit concerned about Mrs. Fainall because his mind is set of being with Mrs. Marwood.
I do believe that Fainall has every right to be mad because he seems to feel as if she is taking his fortune away from him.
Fainall is willing to deceive his friends by taking their money.Mrs.Marwood isn't much better in that she puts herself first in almost every situation she is in.I agree with Innisfree when they say
"They're both mean and deserving of their fates. I do feel bad for Mrs. Wishfort... she's just an old lady looking for love... she probably thought she had a good thing going with Mirabell's uncle and then it turned into a disaster."
I honestly cannot think of a better way to say that. Also I am a big believer in what goes around comes around and so therefore I do believe Mrs. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood are paying the price for their actions.This plot seems to portray how jealousy can really come back to haunt you.
In accordance with my other peers, I too agree with Queso’s idea that everyone got what they deserved in the end of the play. As we discussed in class, Mirabell is not seen as a “heroic” character, he’s only the closest thing we have. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood were the antagonists in the story, and although Mirabell conned and tricked people like this couple, he was not malicious in his intent. This entire play surrounds a class system and the amount of money each person possesses. It seems as if everyone is tricking each other with the intent of adding to their fortunes, like Fainall and Mirabell, or conning others due to jealousy, like Mrs. Marwood. Mrs. Marwood is desperately in love with Mirabell and hates to see him go through so much trouble to be with Millamant. On page 2281, Mrs. Marwood confesses, “O, my shame! These corrupt things are brought hither to destroy me.” She is about to be found out by Lady Wishfort that she was an accomplice to Fainall’s plan. Lady Wishfort’s reply to Mrs. Marwood was, “O Marwood, Marwood, art thou false? My friend deceive me? Hst thou been a wicked accomplice with that profligate man?” Wishfort is hurt, and sees that Mirabell was a victim of Marwoods lies due to her undying love for him.
ReplyDeleteAs in almost every story, the bad people loose, and “good” triumphs. Since, Mirabell was the closest thing we had to a hero and his reasoning for his trickery was for love, he won in the end. Mirabell and Millamant’s love prevailed and Lady Wishfort allowed for them to be married.
----Dream Big----