Legal concerns and the representation of women in the "Way of the World"

Various kinds of discourses shape our social lives, for instance, natural and legal. Natural discourse governs our passions while legal discourse provides an authentic way to control as well as manage them effectively. Passions are very impulsive & predatory that could result in fragmentation of our social lives if not governed properly, while the legal guarantees establish this very same governance.  Though we can never polarize these two discourses because these are so intertwined within each other that it is hardly possible to work with only one in hand. Neither we can work with the complete isolation of both because that would come at the cost of denying our history which is an integral part of our social lives and whatever freedom we have been trying to get by doing so that would only be relative. So, it is utter stupidity to suppress our natural discourse to nourish the legal and vice-versa. "Way of the World" deals with this very same dilemma that endorses that an apt manipulation of our ordinary language, natural as well as legal is terribly required to have knowledge of our social powers. That is why, "wit" constitutes most of the discourses in the entire play as it provides judgement of persons, things & ideas that further helps in knowing one's character which is a congregation of the same ideas. If it hasn't been for "wit", the play on the whole is very complex to dismantle, consisting of notorious relationships mostly between relatives; interpretation of various social signs and characters become very chaotic otherwise. Plain speech on the other hand causes failure of social responsibility as Sir Willful is good hearted but in a rough way and hence doesn't understand social speech. The knowledge of a character for instance is hardly possible to interpret, if it were not for his external observation that says much about his inner qualities which becomes clear only by fragmenting his prisonhouse using "wit" intelligently. But, this external observation that is analysed by what words one speaks can't be trusted if it is not guaranteed by some means of social agreement which is a kind of conscious control that allows us to distance ourselves from others that further distinguishes one from another. Lady Wishfort's cabal is a fantastic example of this. The gossip there condemns reputations that make some kind of social agreement necessary. Even our face speaks. The various contortions in eyes, nose, cheeks, head, lips, all represent different moods which are also interpreted as social signs. For instance, blushing is considered as a sign of shame. Turning pale and changing colour are signs of being at fault somewhere. These natural discourses also shape to legal ones as we are allowed to believe from the beginning of the play that Mirabell can only secure Millament and her fortune(legal) because he loves her(natural). It also underscores the legal position of women in terms of inheritance related issues. Hence, there are recurring concerns with law, proofs and witnesses in the entire play. Foible & Mincing become witnesses of Marwood & Fainall's liaison whereas Petulant & Witwoud of Mirabell's. Judgement & knowledge in such cases betoken power but we are also shown that sometimes these are not enough because there is a problem with such kind of knowledge ( legal) as it is flexible, can be known in a faulty way, can be misread. Paperwork is not always enough, sometimes natural discourse could also result in betokening power. For instance, the male world is fascinated by Millament so she is of value & character.  However, this natural discourse can help but cannot blurr the importance of legal power which is connected with Millament's fortune. We can have a fantastic play between these two discourses when Millament says she pins up her hairs with the letters, it in one way belittles the importance of letters which are considered as solid evidences in a legalized way but on the other it also shows that she wants to deflect the attention from men's designs because she herself can't escape from their vulnerability. This vulnerability of women is also shown in many cases. It was said that Lady Wishfort is just like her picture, whereas her picture used to be just like her before. Her face used to be painted now she paints her face. Betokening of power by using natural discourse does not last long, it is liable to frailty.  It is always partial as it is taken out from within the strict fabric of society. Mrs. Fainall too can't satisfy herself because she is married now, she by that token is not free and so she cannot be involved with Mirabell. Marwood's predatory nature can also be justified by the same principle, because of the frailty of women's beauty, she doesn't want to lose out. Millament echoes this too. 

Lady Wishfort knows the reality so she adapts and becomes more legal rather than natural (She controls Millament's fortune) but still she fails when Fainall tricks her and then she is left with no other option than turning to Mirabell( a man). This once again justifies how much freedom whether, natural or legal, the strict fabric of society dominated by men allows women. But, Millament went a step further, she recognized the inevitability of age so seeks for social liberty rather than Wisfort & Marwood's pastoral one which sprang out of frustration only. Whereas Millament is determined. She doesn't want unconstrained freedom, she doesn't want pure natural discourse because she understands it is stupid. Mirabell too doesn't want to obey without his autonomy. So, we can see a war between sexes here in the famous proviso scene. Can we say then the war is crudely legal and not natural about which male chauvinists have been partial for so long? Millament makes this masculine desire of control naked and shows it's hypocrisy. Control brings power and power has great connotation of consumer desire. Millament recognizes the necessity of power and so ties it with beauty. She made her this beauty a capital. She made the very frailty of women their power. She knows as long as one has it, one needs to make sure it perpetuates and doesn't get destroyed. To make lovers "as fast as one pleases",  the echoing of beauty as "lover's gift", to  give face a metaphor of "coin" ; all represents strategy of consumerism. Does it portray social relations as nothing but transactional? Is it not signifying that one cannot help but turn exploitative? Millament endorses that her beauty is a commodity and thus wants to trade it before it fails her. She recognizes there is value in process rather than in stagnant resources, so Mirabell's high breeding doesn't move her much as it doesn't increase itself.

Hence, the play puts forward legal concerns existing within the society with the help of its various characters, shatters them in the process, shows the loopholes within the system and suggests some new alternatives and makes us ponder, "What exactly is the Way of the World"?