The Way of the World

July 2017

The Way of the World 

Congreve, William. The Way of the World. Astounding Stories, 2015.

The comedy of manners came into its own as a genre in the 19th century, but it has been beloved by the British for far longer, as is evidenced by “The Way of the World” which is a Comedy of Manners that dates back to the restoration period in the 1700’s. A product of its time, the play is a cynical look at love and friendship, with the clear winners being the wittiest and the most worldly. If you are used to modern playwriting The Way of the World takes quite a bit of grey matter to get through, the language is dense and the storyline is complex compared to what we are used to, but it is an excellent example of Restoration Theatre.