Mirabell

Mirabell

Edward Mirabell is one of the most admirable characters in The Way of the World. In the earlier "Comedy of Humours," characters were named after their main qualities. Similarly, the name Mirabell comes from the word "admirable." Congreve admired this character greatly, and many critics say Mirabell is almost Congreve’s self-portrait.

Admiration from the Ladies:

All the ladies in the play admire Mirabell. Lady Wishfort’s daughter (later Mrs. Fainall) once deeply loved him and was even persuaded into an intimate relationship. Instead of forcing Mirabell to marry her, she agreed to marry Fainall. Even after this, she did not hate Mirabell. When she saw that he loved her cousin Millamant, she did not feel jealous but rather helped him to win Millamant. She even supported him when he tricked her own mother, Lady Wishfort, because she trusted his genuine love for Millamant.

Lady Wishfort’s Reaction:

Lady Wishfort, though old, still longs for romance and hopes to marry a young man. Mirabell pretends to love her, only to get closer to Millamant. But Lady Wishfort takes it seriously and falls for him. When she realizes he was only mocking her, she becomes furious. Still, her anger has more jealousy than true hatred. Even in her anger, she admits:

"He has witchcraft in his eyes and tongue."

Finally, she forgives Mirabell when he saves her from Fainall’s greed.

Enemies of Mirabell:

Mrs. Marwood strongly dislikes Mirabell, but the reason is personal—he had once rejected her love. Her bitterness comes from jealousy and disappointment rather than real hatred.

Millamant’s Love and Fear:

Millamant loves and admires Mirabell. Yet, because she has seen many unhappy marriages around her, she is afraid to risk it. She trusts Mirabell but wants freedom even after marriage. Once she is assured of this liberty, she confesses openly that she is “violently in love” with him.

Growth of Character:

In the beginning, Mirabell looks little better than Fainall. He has flirted with Mrs. Fainall and tricked Lady Wishfort. But as the play moves on, his true character shines. He shows himself to be sincere, generous, and honourable. For example, when he sends Waitwell to woo Lady Wishfort disguised as Sir Rowland, he first marries Waitwell to Foible so that Lady Wishfort will not suffer real harm. At the end, Mirabell restores Mrs. Fainall’s property documents, exposes the treachery of Fainall and Mrs. Marwood, and saves Lady Wishfort from ruin.

Hazlitt, praises Congreve’s skill and remarked that “Mirabell is a fine gentleman, full of wit himself, and alive to the wit of others.” This shows that Hazlitt valued Mirabell not only for his role in the plot but also for his charm and brilliance as a Restoration hero.

Witty and Intelligent:

Mirabell is well-read and witty. When Millamant quotes Suckling, he quickly responds with another quotation from the same poet. Unlike the foolish Sir Wilfull, Mirabell shows poise and self-control. In the famous bargaining scene with Millamant, when she says she may “dwindle into a wife,” he replies cleverly that he would in due course be “enlarged into a husband.”

A Designing Lover:

Mirabell may be called a “designing lover” because he uses tricks to achieve his love. He pretends to love Lady Wishfort and later arranges the plot of Waitwell as Sir Rowland. His goal is to make Lady Wishfort desperate enough to agree to his marriage with Millamant. Although it is all intrigue, the proverb “all is fair in love and war” fits Mirabell perfectly. Still, his devotion is genuine, as Millamant herself admits:

"His constancy to me has quite destroyed his complaisance for all the world beside."

A Serious Gentleman in a Frivolous World:

Unlike most young men of the Restoration period, Mirabell is not a careless flirt. He is serious by temperament. Millamant teases him for this quality:

Mira. : I say that a man may as soon make a friend by his wit, or a fortune by his honesty, as win a woman with plain dealing and sincerity.

Milla. : Sententious Mirabell! Prithee don't look with that violent and inflexible wise face, like Solomon at the dividing of the child in an old tapestry hanging.

Mira. :You are merry, madam, but I would persuade you for a moment to be serious.

This shows that Mirabell is a man of seriousness and principle in a world full of light-hearted, playful men.

Saintsbury observed Mirabell as “a gentleman in the highest sense of the term.” This points out how Mirabell’s dignity and restraint set him apart from the other gallants of Restoration comedy.

Summing up:

The whole play is about Mirabell’s intrigue, and he finally succeeds in winning Millamant. His sense of honour and generosity save Lady Wishfort and Mrs. Fainall from disaster. Thus, Mirabell stands out as one of the most admirable, witty, and honourable gentlemen in Restoration comedy.