A Pragmatic Analysis of Cont(r)acts in Congreve’s The Way of the World

Abstract

The present essay analyses selected dialogues drawn from William Congreve’s The Way of the World (1700) from a pragmatic perspective. By focusing on the utterances spoken by the main characters, Mirabell and Millamant, I intend to demonstrate that emotions affect language and irreversibly shape both the reputation and the relationships of the individuals. The essay is organised into two sections: the former spans the methodology; the latter analyses a series of excerpts. In the final remark, I argue that Congreve’s masterpiece can be considered as a mirroring representation of the social and cultural background of late seventeenth-century England.