ENGLISH LITERATURE
The Pride cause of Prejudice in “The Way of The World” Stories by William Congreve

by:
Nisa Primadita (12130032)
Lecturers:
Titik Minarti, SE, SS, M.Hum

DARMA PERSADA UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF LITERATURE
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
JAKARTA 2014
CONTENTS

1. Contents 2 2. Background 3 3. Chapter I: Introduction 4 a. Summary 4 b. Theory 4 1. Pride 4 2. Prejudice 5 4. Chapter II: Analysis 6 a. Pride 6 b. Prejudice 10 c. Conclusion 18 5. Bibliography 19

BACKGROUND
William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet. Congreve was born in Bardsey, West Yorkshire, England (near Leeds). William Congreve wrote some of the most popular English plays of the Restoration period of the late 17th century. By the age of thirty, he had written four comedies, including Love for Love (premiered 30 April 1695) and The Way of the World (1700), and one tragedy, The Mourning Bride (1697).
Unfortunately, his career ended almost as soon as it began. After writing five plays from his first in 1693 until 1700, he produced no more as public tastes turned against the sort of high-brow sexual comedy of manners in which he specialized. He reportedly was particularly stung by a critique written by Jeremy Collier to the point that he wrote a long reply, “Amendments of Mr. Collier’s False and Imperfect Citations.” A member of the Whig Kit-Kat Club, Congreve's career shifted to the political sector, where he held various minor political positions despite his stance as a Whig among Tories.
Congreve withdrew from the theatre and lived the rest of his life on residuals from his early work. His output from 1700 was restricted to the occasional poem and some translation. Congreve never married in his own era and through subsequent generations, he was famous for his friendships with prominent actresses and noblewomen, including Anne Bracegirdle, for whom he wrote major parts in all his plays, and Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough, daughter of the famous general, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, whom he had probably met by 1703 and who had a daughter, Mary (1723–1764), believed to be his.
As early as 1710, he suffered both from gout and from cataracts on his eyes. Congreve suffered a carriage accident in late September 1728, from which he never recovered (having probably received an internal injury); he died in London in January 1729, and was buried in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Summary
Mirabell and Fainall have just finished playing cards. A footman comes and tells Mirabell that Waitwell (Mirabell male servant) and Foible (Lady Wishfort female servant) were married that morning. Mirabell tells Fainall about his love of Millamant and is encouraged to marry her. Witwoud and Petulant appear and Mirabell is informed that should Lady Wishfort marry, he will lose £6000 of Millamant inheritance.He will only get this money if he can make Lady Wishfort consent to his and Millamant's marriage.
Mrs. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood are discussing their hatred of men. Fainall appears and accuses Mrs. Marwood (with whom he is having an affair) of loving Mirabell. Meanwhile, Mrs. Fainall (having previously been his lover) tells Mirabell that she hates her husband, and they begin to plot about tricking Lady Wishfort to give her consent to the marriage. Millamant appears in the park, and angry about the previous night (where Mirabell was confronted by Lady Wishfort) she lets him know her displeasure in Mirabell plan, which she only has a vague idea about. After she leaves, the newly wed servants appear and Mirabell reminds them of their roles in the plan.
We are introduced to Lady Wishfort who is encouraged to marry Sir Rowland by Foible so that Mirabell will lose his inheritance. Sir Rowland is however Waitwell in disguise, the plan being to arrange a marriage with Lady Wishfort, which cannot go ahead because it would be bigamy, not to mention a social disgrace. Mirabell will offer to help her out of the embarrassing situation if she consents to his marriage. Later, Mrs. Fainall discusses this plan with Foible, but this is overheard by Mrs. Marwood. She later tells the plan to Fainall, who decides that he will take his wife's money and go away with Mrs. Marwood.
Mirabell and Millamant, equally strong-willed, discuss in detail the conditions under which they would accept each other in marriage, showing off their feeling toward each other. Mirabell finally proposes to Millamant and, with Mrs. Fainall's encouragement, Millamant accepts. Mirabell leaves as Lady Wishfort arrives, and she lets it be known that she wants Millamant to marry her nephew, Sir Wilfull Witwoud, who has just arrived from the countryside. Lady Wishfort later gets a letter telling her about the Sir Rowland plot. Sir Rowland takes the letter and accuses Mirabell of trying to sabotage their wedding. Lady Wishfort agrees to let Sir Rowland bring a marriage contract that night.
Lady Wishfort has found out the plot, and Fainall has had Waitwell arrested. Mrs. Fainall tells Foible that her previous affair with Mirabell is now public knowledge. Lady Wishfort appears with Mrs. Marwood, whom she's thanking for unveiling the plot. Fainall then appears and uses the information of Mrs. Fainall previous affair with Mirabell and Millamant's contract to marry him to blackmail Lady Wishfort, telling that she should never marry and that she is to transfer all the money over to him. Lady Wishfort tells Mirabell that she will offer consent to the marriage if he can save her fortune and honour. Mirabell calls on Waitwell who brings a contract from the time before the marriage of the Fainalls in which Mrs. Fainall gives all her property to Mirabell. This neutralises the blackmail attempts, after which Mirabell restores Mrs. Fainall property to her possession and then is free to marry Millamant with the full £6000 inheritance. B. Theory
1. Pride
Pride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings. With a negative connotation, pride refers to an inflated sense of one personal status or accomplishments, which is often used synonymously with hubris. With a positive connotation, pride refers to a satisfied sense of attachment toward one’s own or another's choices and actions, or toward a whole group of people, and is a product of praise, independent self-reflection, or a fulfilled feeling of belonging. Philosophers and social psychologists have noted that pride is a complex secondary emotion which requires the development of a sense of self and the mastery of relevant conceptual distinctions, that pride is distinct from happiness and joy) through language-based interaction with others. Some social psychologists identify it as linked to a signal of high social status. In contrast pride could also be defined as a disagreement with the truth. One definition of pride in the first sense comes from St. Augustine: “the love of one’s own excellence”. In this sense, the opposite of pride is either humility or guilt, the latter in particular being a sense of one own failure.
2. Prejudice
Prejudice is an unjustified or incorrect attitude (usually negative) towards an individual based solely on the individual’s membership of a social group. The concept of prejudice emerged during the early twentieth century and soon became the most prominent social scientific and lay concept to describe antipathy for others based on their social group or category membership. Social scientists have typically defined prejudice as a negative intergroup attitude. Many, however, have added the rider that this negative intergroup attitude is bad or unjustified in some way, and it is this broader concept that has been entrenched in lay discourse. This conceptualization raises several issues. One is whether it is indeed possible to distinguish between negative intergroup attitudes that are prejudiced (that is, bad or unjustified) and those that are not. A second issue is that of the structure and dimensionality of these negative intergroup attitudes, a third is whether there are different types or kinds of prejudice, and a fourth is that of how prejudice has been explained and understood.
Prejudice is prejudgment, or forming an opinion before becoming aware of the relevant facts of a case. The word is often used to refer to preconceived, usually unfavorable, judgments toward people or a person because of gender, political opinion, social class,age, disability, religion, sexuality, race/ethnicity, language, nationality, or other personal characteristics. In this case, it refers to a positive or negative evaluation of another person based on their perceived group membership. Prejudice can also refer to unfounded beliefs and may include “any unreasonable attitude that is unusually resistant to rational influence”.Gordon Allportdefined prejudice as a “feeling, favorable or unfavorable, toward a person or thing, prior to, or not based on, actual experience”.

CHAPTER II
ANALYSIS
A. Pride
As it was described above the concept of being pride which is mean an unjustified or incorrect attitude (usually negative) towards an individual based solely on the individual’s membership of a social group or its directed by people emotion that carries of two common meanings with a negative connotation and possitive connotation, which the negative one were told that pride are refers to an inflated sense of one personal status or accomplishments, which is often used synonymously with hubris. But right here in the story of The Way of The World, it was proven that they are using the world of negative connotation about their pride for being starving over some people wealth.
MIR
Ay; I have been engaged in a matter of some sort of mirth, which is not yet ripe for discovery. I am glad this is not a cabal night. I wonder, Fainall, that you who are married, and of consequence should be discreet, will suffer your wife to be of such a party.
FAIN
Faith, I am not jealous. Besides, most who are engaged are women and relations; and for the men, they are of a kind too contemptible to give scandal.
(ACT I, SCENE II, P.4)
Above were describe of Mirabell and Fainall being so haughty about their pride that spent their life with having fun.
BET
Sir, the coach stays.
PET
Well, well;- I come.- ‘Sbud, a man had as good be a professed midwife, as a professed whoremaster, at this rate! to be knocked up and raised at all hours, and in all places. Pox on ‘em, I won’t come!- D’ye hear, tell ‘em I won’t come:- let ‘em snivel and cry their hearts out.
(ACT I, SCENE II, P.10)
As is Petulant for being so cruel that saying he didn’t want meet one of his guest, which he assume to look a like one of a high-master.
PET
Pass on, Witwoud.- Hark’ee, by this light his relations:- two co-heiresses his cousins, and an old aunt, who loves caterwauling better than a conventicle.
PET
Not I- I mean nobody- I know nothing:- but there are uncles and nephews in the world- and they may be rivals- what then! all’s one for that.
MIR
How! hark’ee, Petulant, come hither:- explain, or I shall call your interpreter.
PET
Explain! I know nothing.- Why, you have an uncle, have you not, lately come to town, and lodges by my Lady Wishfort’s?
MIR
True.
PET
Why, that’s enough- you and he are not friends; and if he should marry and have a child, you may be disinherited, ha?
(ACT I, SCENE II, P.11)
As what Petulant say right above are about the cousins of Lady Wishfort who become the heiress, told them how old Lady Wishfort are for so cocky about her wealthy, and saying if their other cousins married, Mirabell won’t get any inheritance by her if he didn’t marrying Mrs. Millamant. As if you can tell this is all about the pride whose one gonna ruling their own world by having the inheritance from the master.
MRS. MAR
By all my wrongs I’ll do’t!- I’ll publish to the world the injuries you have done me, both in my fame and fortune! Withboth I trusted you, you bankrupt in honour, as indigent of wealth.
FAIN
Your fame I have preserved: your fortune has been bestowed as the prodigality of your love would have it, in pleasures which we both have shared. Yet, had not you been false, I had ere this repaid it- ‘tis true- had you permitted Mirabell with Millamant to have stolen their marriage, my lady had been incensed beyond all means of reconcilement: Millamant had forfeited the moiety of her fortune; which then would have descended to my wife;- and wherefore did I marry, but to make lawful prize of a rich widow’s wealth, and squander it on love and you?
(ACT II, SCENE II, P.18)
Fainall who has been bankrupt all of his pride in honour but still confidently fame and fortune. But Fainall has to repaid it well, which is Mirabell and Millamant has stolen the chance of their marriage since Mrs. Marwood didn’t agreed at all if they were married because if Millamant married that man, Millamant would lose half of her fortune to Mirabell, which is why Fainall marrying his wife now Mrs. Fainall to spent the lawful prize of rich widow by himself, and that’s why from the fortune itself come into love.
MRS. FAIN
You have been the cause that I have loved without bounds, and would you set limits to that aversion of which you have been the occasion? why did you make me marry this man?
MIR
Why do we daily commit disagreeable and dangerous actions? To save that idol, reputation. If the familiarities of our loves had produced that consequence of which you were apprehensive, where could you have fixed a father’s name with credit, but on a husband? I knew Fainall to be a man lavish of his morals, an interested and professing friend, a false and a designing lover; yet one whose wit and outward fair behaviour have gained a reputation with the town enough to make that woman stand excused who has suffered herself to be won by his addresses. A better man ought not to have been sacrificed to the occasion; a worse had not answered to the purpose. When you are weary of him you know your remedy.
(ACT II, SCENE II, P.20)
Mrs. Fainall which why she’s been confusing by marrying Fainall and told Mirabell to explain how to solve it, that everyone are suddenly doing dangerous action only for reputation. If they not make it by themselves, they would be embarrassed and feel that they don’t have the world again. Like what happens in Fainall sided by his morals toward their lover only just for reputation in people sights. It’s actually happen during that time.
B. Prejudice
As what the theory above said prejudice is a meaning of unjustified or incorrect attitude that usually used negatively toward an individual which based solely on the individual’s membership of a social group. It was also happened inside of these stories which easily have prejudgement toward people by only looking how they looks and how rich they were. In here I would explain any kind of prejudice inside the character of The Way of The World.

LADY WISH
With Mirabell!- You call my blood into my face, withmentioning that traitor. She durst not have the confidence! I sent her to negotiate an affair, in which, if I’m detected, I’m undone. If that wheedling villain has wrought upon Foible to detect me, I’m ruined. O my dear friend, I’m a wretch of wretches if I’m detected.
MRS. MAR
O madam, you cannot suspect Mrs. Foible’s integrity!
LADY WISH
Oh, he carries poison in his tongue that would corrupt integrity itself! If she has given him an opportunity, she has as good as put her integrity into his hands. Ah, dear Marwood, what’s integrity to an opportunity?- Hark! I hear her!- dear friend, retire into my closet, that I may examine her with more freedom.- You’ll pardon me, dear friend; I can make bold with you.- There are books over the chimney.- Quarles and Prynne, and “The Short View of the Stage,” with Bunyan’s works, to entertain you
(ACT III, SCENE I, P.28)
Right here it was describe that Lady Wishfort are looking for a key which is on Foible, but as we seen Lady Wishfort take her suspicious and been suspecting on Foib that for getting detected her identity or known that she want an affair with someone. She can’t helping at all of what Foib has been doing without being noticed by the madam and worried to get noticed by getting the affair.
LADY WISH
But what hast thou done?

FOIB
Nay, ‘tis your ladyship has done, and are to do; I have only promised. But a man so enamoured- so transported!- Well, here it is, all that is left; all that is not kissed away.- Well, if worshipping of pictures be a sin- poor Sir Rowland, I say.
LADY WISH
The miniature has been counted like;- but hast thou notbetrayed me, Foible? hast thou not detected me to that faithless Mirabell?- What hadst thou to do with him in the Park? Answer me, has he got nothing out of thee?
(ACT III, SCENE I, P.29)
The worriedness of Lady Wishfort by getting noticed by Mirabell by sending Foib to look and spied on him.
FOIB[Aside.]
So the devil has been beforehand with me. What shall I say?[Aloud.] Alas, madam, could I help it, if I met that confident thing? was I in fault? If you had heard how he used me, and all upon your ladyship’s account, I’m sure you would not suspect my fidelity. Nay, if that had been the worst, I could have borne; but he had a fling at your ladyship too; and then I could not hold; but i’faith I gave him his own.
LADY WISH
Me? what did the filthy fellow say?
FOIB
O madam! ‘tis a shame to say what he said- with his taunts and his fleers, tossing up his nose. Humph! (says he) what, you are a hatching some plot (says he), you are so early abroad, or catering (says he), ferreting some disbanded officer, I warrant.- Half-pay is but thin subsistence (says he);- well, what pension does your lady propose? Let me see (says he), what, she must come down pretty deep now, she’s superannuated (says he) and
(ACT III, SCENE I, P.29)
The suspicious and prejudgment of Lady Wishfort and Foib toward Mirabell that he used her account to get loaded, and by the thee she can’t accept by what of Mirabell gonna do to her, which is we know Mirabell won’t stab Lady in the back until the story told us in the next page. So Lady Wish and Foib just mistook him by prejudice him only looking in their own sided.
LADY WISH
Odds my life, I’ll have him, I’ll have him murdered! I’ll have him poisoned! Where does he eat?- I’ll marry a drawer to have him poisoned in his wine. I’ll send for Robin from Locket’s immediately
FOIB
Poison him! poisoning’s too good for him. Starve him, madam, starve him; marry Sir Rowland, and get him disinherited. Oh you would bless yourself to hear what he said!
LADY WISH
A villain! superannuated!
FOIB
Humph (says he), I hear you are laying designs against me too (says he), and Mrs. Millamant is to marry my uncle (he does not suspect a word of your ladyship); but (says he) I’ll fit you for that. I warrant you (says he) I’ll hamper you for that (says he); you and your old frippery too (says he); I’ll handle you
LADY WISH
Audacious villain! handle me; would he durst!- Frippery! old frippery! was there ever such a foul-mouthed fellow? I’ll be married to-morrow, I’ll be contracted to-night.
FOIB
The sooner the better, madam
(ACT III, SCENE I, P.29-30)
Right in here Foib and Lady Wish are wishing to poison of Mirabell and got him disinherited by marrying Sir Rowland. Lady Wish would marry any people even just a drawer for at least Mirabell didn’t get one of her inheritance by marrying Millamant. As we seen Foib and Lady didn’t know the of Mirabell just by suspect and prejudice him in sideways.
LADY WISH
Frippery! superannuated frippery! I’ll frippery the villain; Ill reduce him to frippery and rags! a tatterdemalion! I hope to see him hung with tatters, like a Long-lane pent-house or a gibbet thief. A slander-mouthed railer! I warrant the spendthrift prodigal’s in debt as much as the million lottery, or the whole court upon a birthday. I’ll spoil his credit with his tailor. Yes, he shall have my niece with her fortune, he shall.
FOIB
He! I hope to see him lodge in Ludgate first, and angle into Blackfriars for brass farthings with an old mitten.
LADY WISH
Ay, dear Foible; thank thee for that, dear Foible. He has put me out of all patience. I shall never recompose my features to receive Sir Rowland with any economy of face. This wretch hasfretted me that I am absolutely decayed. Look, Foible. (ACT III, SCENE I, P.30)
The wishes of Lady Wish of Mirabell to put him down lowly without no fear, fame, and fortune. She would do anything to make Mirabell dying of poverty for not marrying her niece to him. She always have this thought to prejudice him as the one whose frippery which the same side of the villain. She would make him down lowly. That we see this one were include of the Prejudice theory.
LADY WISH
Yes, but tenderness becomes me best- a sort of dyingness- you see that picture has a sort of a- ha, Foible! A swimmingness in the eye- yes, I’ll look so- my niece affects it; but she wants features. Is Sir Rowland handsome? Let my toilet be removed- I’ll dress above. I’ll receive Sir Rowland here. Is he handsome? Don’t answer me. I won’t know: I’ll be surprised, I’ll be taken by surprise.
(ACT III, SCENE I, P.31) The feel of Lady Wishfort would marrying Sir Rowland by curious toward how did he look. She just prepared herself by taking a surprise until she met him. MRS. FAIN Nay, nay, put not on that strange face, I am privy to the whole design, and know that Waitwell, to whom thou wert this morning married, is to personate Mirabell’s uncle, and as such, winning my lady, to involve her in those difficulties from which Mirabell only must release her, by his making his conditions to have my cousin and her fortune left to her own disposal. FOIB O dear madam, I beg your pardon. It was not my confidence in your ladyship that was deficient; but I thought the former good correspondence between your ladyship and Mr. Mirabell might have hindered his communicating this secret. FOIB
O dear madam, Mr. Mirabell is such a sweet, winning gentleman but your ladyship is the pattern of generosity.- Sweet lady, to be so good! Mr. Mirabell cannot choose but be grateful. I find your ladyship has his heart still. Now, madam, I can safely tell your ladyship our success; Mrs. Marwood had told my lady; but I warrant I managed myself; I turned it all for the better. I told my lady that Mr. Mirabell railed at her; I laid horrid things to his charge, I’ll vow; and my lady is so incensed that she’ll be contracted to Sir Rowland to-night, she says; I warrant I worked her up, that he may have her for asking for, as they say of a Welsh maidenhead.
(ACT III, SCENE I, P.32)
The thought of Foible of how kind Mirabell personality is. She explained all the good things she knows about Mirabell. But know what, Lady Wish still thinking bad of him and not believe what has just Foible saying towards her because all her prejudice for him is too much. FOIB Sir Wilfull is set in to drinking, madam,. in the parlour. LADY WISH Odds my life, I’ll send him to her. Call her down, Foible; bring her hither. I’ll send him as I go- when they are together, then come to me, Foible, that I may not be too long alone with Sir Rowland. (ACT IV, SCENE I, P.45) Lady Wish send Sir Wilfull to her niece, Millamant by marrying her instead of Mirabell that she hate for. LADY WISH Dear Sir Rowland, I am confounded with confusion at the retrospection of my own rudeness!- I have more pardons to ask than the pope distributes in the year of jubilee. But I hope, where there is likely to be so near an alliance, we may unbend the severity of decorums, and dispense with a little ceremony. WAIT My impatience, madam, is the effect of my transport; and till I have the possession of your adorable person, I am tantalized on the rack; and do but hang, madam, on the tenter of expectation. LADY WISH You have an excess of gallantry, Sir Rowland, and press things to a conclusion with a most prevailing vehemence.- But a day or two for decency of marriage-WAIT For decency of funeral, madam! The delay will break my heartor, if that should fail, I shall be poisoned. My nephew will get an inkling of my designs, and poison me- and I would willingly starve him before I die- I would gladly go out of the world with that satisfaction.- That would be some comfort to me, if I could but live so long as to be revenged on that unnatural viper! (ACT IV, SCENE II, P.58) The suspiciousness of Sir Rowland of Lady Wish for using him for a revenge. He didn’t agreed with all his fortune to marrying Lady Wish and cancelling the wed itself. We also know this all the causes by Lady Wish prejudice toward people shamely. MIR Ay, madam; but that is too late, my reward is intercepted. You have disposed of her who only could have made me a compensation for all my services; but be it as it may, I am resolved I’ll serve you! you shall not be wronged in this savage manner. LADY WISH How! dear Mr. Mirabell, can you be so generous at last! But it is not possible. Harkee, I’ll break my nephew’s match; you shall have my niece yet, and all her fortune, if you can but save me from this imminent danger. MIR Will you? I’ll take you at your word. I ask no more. I must have leave for two criminals to appear.
(ACT V, SCENE III, P.74) The mistaken of Lady Wish of Mirabell which probably proven wrong of what she’s been suspicious and prejudice of toward him. Lady Wish on her knee to get apologize by Mirabell, that he wish all the word she had been saying can’t be regret by saying sorry to him. LADY WISH As I am a person, I can hold out no longer;- I have wasted my spirits so to-day already, that I am ready to sink under the fatigue; and I cannot but have some fears upon me yet,that my son Fainall will pursue some desperate course. MIR Madam, disquiet not yourself on that account; to my knowledge his circumstances are such he must of course comply. For my part, I will contribute all that in me lies to a reunion; in the mean time, madam,
(ACT V, SCENE III, P.77) The apologize of Lady Wish toward Mirabell that she wish to forgiving her. And Mirabell is still that kind of man to apologizing her but in the right time, because what she’s done to him are much too long to forgive for.
C. Conclusion
On what I’ve seen in this The Way of The World story, the Life of being Pride of they had should be undone because by the pride it could make people forgot where from they start with because everyone start their life in the bottom, but if you already on top don’t forget from where you are or you might fall again. So don’t be arrogant and putting your prejudgment or prejudice toward people you just met, because it would happen because karma were exists. That’s why I examined this as The Pride causes of Prejudice in the story of The Way of The World.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Congrove, William, 1993. The Way of The World. USA: Dover Thrift Editions. http://pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/book0615.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Congreve http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_of_the_World http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prejudice http://science.jrank.org/pages/7998/Prejudice.html

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[ 2 ]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Congreve
[ 3 ]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_of_the_World
[ 4 ]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride
[ 5 ]. http://science.jrank.org/pages/7998/Prejudice.html
[ 6 ]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prejudice