control or false authority Instead they want freedom respect and understanding This makes the scene very important in the play Millamant s Desire for Freedom Millamant clearly shows that she does not want to lose her independence after marriage She loves her freedom and privacy She wants to live as she wishes even after becoming a wife She says clearly that marriage should not take away her liberty Her famous line shows this desire My dear liberty shall I leave thee She wants to wake up late choose her friends write letters freely and control her own tea-table This conversation with Mirabell also creates laughter Through Millamant Congreve presents a strong modern woman who refuses to become a controlled wife This was a bold idea for Congreve s time Criticism of False Married Life Millamant also criticises the artificial behavior of married couples in society She hates fake love public kissing and showing off marriage in front of others She does not want to be called sweet names like joy or jewel She finds it disgusting She wants politeness and distance even after marriage She says Let us be as strange as if we had been married a great while This line shows Congreve s satire on fashionable marriage where couples pretend to be happy but are unhappy inside Mirabell s Conditions and Balance Mirabell is not angry with Millamant s demands Instead he accepts them calmly and intelligently This shows his maturity and true love He also gives his own provisos He wants honesty and trust Mirabell also does not want false beauty He jokes about women using too much makeup and medicine This humour also makes the play very funny Mirabell asks Millamant Have I liberty to offer conditions This question proves that marriage here is a mutual agreement not domination by one partner Equality and True Love The Proviso Scene is important because it presents marriage as a partnership Both Mirabell and Millamant speak freely Both listen Both compromise This scene shows true love based on understanding not money or social pressure At the end Mirabell accepts Millamant s strong nature and Millamant accepts Mirabell s honesty Mirabell says Then we re agreed Shall I kiss your hand upon the contract It shows that their marriage is based on consent respect and love This scene is Congreve s way of saying how marriages should be Comic and Dramatic Importance The scene is full of wit humour and playful argument It makes the play lively and intelligent At the same time it prepares us for the happy ending of the play It also contrasts with unhappy marriages like that of Lady Wishfort In fine the Proviso Scene is the heart of The Way of the World It shows Congreve s modern idea of marriage where love freedom equality and respect are most important The scene is serious in meaning but comic in style That is why the Proviso Scene is the most significant and memorable scene in the play