The Way of the World Character
M
Mirabell
Protagonist
Clever
Witty
Polite
Strategic
Mirabell is a young and intelligent man who is genuinely in love with Millamant. He is witty, polite, and uses a carefully devised plan to win Millamant's hand in marriage. He also works to defeat the villainous characters who threaten those he cares about.
M
Millamant
Protagonist
Witty
Beautiful
Fashionable
Proud
Millamant is a beautiful and fashionable young lady who is Lady Wishfort's niece. She loves Mirabell and wishes to marry him, but insists on freedom and respect within the relationship. She is witty, proud, and progressive in her thinking.
MF
Mr. Fainall
Antagonist
Also known as: Fainall
Greedy
Scheming
Deceptive
Manipulative
Mr. Fainall is Mirabell's primary enemy who married Mrs. Fainall solely for her money. He conducts a secret affair with Mrs. Marwood while plotting to seize the property of both Millamant and Lady Wishfort. He is a calculating and morally corrupt antagonist.
MF
Mrs. Fainall
Supporting
Clever
Loyal
Protective
Resourceful
Mrs. Fainall is the wife of Mr. Fainall and the daughter of Lady Wishfort. She was once in love with Mirabell before her marriage and now actively supports his plan. She is determined to protect her fortune from her scheming husband.
MM
Mrs. Marwood
Antagonist
Jealous
Clever
Dangerous
Deceptive
Mrs. Marwood is Mr. Fainall's secret lover who once harboured feelings for Mirabell, which he did not reciprocate. Driven by jealousy, she betrays Mirabell's plan by revealing it to Lady Wishfort. She is a clever but treacherous woman whose personal grievances fuel her antagonistic actions.
LW
Lady Wishfort
Supporting
Vain
Self-deluding
Gullible
Domineering
Lady Wishfort is Millamant's guardian and Mrs. Fainall's mother, approximately fifty-five years old. She desperately attempts to appear young and attractive, making her susceptible to romantic manipulation. She falls for both Mirabell and the disguised Waitwell, known to her as 'Sir Rowland.'
SW
Sir Wilfull Witwoud
Supporting
Kind
Simple
Unpolished
Good-natured
Sir Wilfull Witwoud is Lady Wishfort's nephew and a kind but unsophisticated man who speaks in a loud and unrefined manner. Lady Wishfort intends for him to marry Millamant, but she politely declines. He accepts the rejection graciously and departs on a tour of Europe.
YW
Young Witwoud
Minor
Also known as: Witwoud
Foolish
Pretentious
Fashion-obsessed
Superficial
Young Witwoud is Sir Wilfull's younger brother who aspires to appear witty and sophisticated. He is a foolish young man who slavishly follows fashion and pretends to an intelligence he does not possess. He enjoys Millamant's company without any genuine romantic attachment.
P
Petulant
Minor
Rude
Silly
Prideful
Childish
Petulant is a friend of Young Witwoud whose name aptly reflects his disagreeable personality. He is rude, silly, and prone to using bad language while behaving in a childish and immature manner. He serves largely as a comic figure highlighting the folly of fashionable society.
W
Waitwell
Supporting
Also known as: Sir Rowland
Loyal
Obedient
Resourceful
Trustworthy
Waitwell is Mirabell's loyal and devoted servant who plays a crucial role in his master's scheme. He marries Foible as part of the plan and disguises himself as 'Sir Rowland,' a fictitious uncle, in order to deceive Lady Wishfort. His faithful execution of the plan is central to its progress.
F
Foible
Supporting
Clever
Loyal
Resourceful
Cunning
Foible is Lady Wishfort's maid who secretly assists Mirabell in his plan against her mistress. She marries Waitwell as part of the scheme and uses her intimate knowledge of Lady Wishfort to help manipulate events. Her intelligence and initiative are instrumental in driving the plot forward.
M
Mincing
Minor
Talkative
Proud
Observant
Gossipy
Mincing is Millamant's personal maid who is talkative and somewhat vain. She is privy to knowledge of Fainall's secret affair with Mrs. Marwood and plays a role in exposing the truth at the play's conclusion.
P
Peg
Minor
Obedient
Peripheral
Domestic
Peg is a maid employed in Lady Wishfort's household whose role in the story is very small. She exists as part of the servant world that underpins and supports the main narrative action.