Discuss the character of Mirabell as a true wit.
Mirabell is the ideal Restoration
beau, a combination of the cynical and the gracious. He has the vices and the
virtues of his kind. In his day, he has been a successful woman-chaser. As a
cover for an affair, he cynically arranged for the marriage of his mistress to
a man presumably his friend. He cynically flattered Lady Wishfort, for whom he
feels contemptuous amusement. He devises a plot that would blackmail Lady
Wishfort into consenting to her ward's marriage; it would also humiliate her
grossly. And he has no faith in his assistants in his plot; before Waitwell can
masquerade and woo Lady Wishfort, he makes certain that Waitwell be married,
for he "would not tempt [his] servant to betray [him] by trusting him too
far." It is easy to see why he would trust very few people; he has only to
consider how he would act under similar circumstances. He can anticipate
treachery on Waitwell's part. He can distrust Fainall and forestall his
villainy to protect Mrs. Fainall's future.
Yet the character is made acceptable
even from the point of view of a generation that disapproves. Mirabell handles
the situation with dignity and the style of his period. The irony in his
comments on other people reveals his common sense; his judgment of Fainall is
ruthless, but it is clear-eyed. The comments on young Witwoud are shrewd and
accurate, and it is worth observing that he directs little irony against Sir
Wilfull Witwoud. On the other hand, his ironic self-criticism leads him to
realize that he is indeed in love with Millamant.
In the play, we are most interested in Mirabell as lover. He never loses his control, despite provocation, in his affair with Millamant. He laughs at himself — but his speech indicates the depth of his feeling. He accepts Millamant's mischievous mistreatment with some resentment, but he still manages to remain the polished courtier.
