The Way of the World: every role by lines, words, and stage time

William Congreve. 17 speaking roles, 25,194 words, about 180 minutes of speech.

The Offbook team

Oct 8, 2026

Mirabell has the most to say in The Way of the World: about 482 lines and 4,038 words, 16% of the play. Congreve’s comedy follows Mirabell as he schemes to marry Mrs. Millamant and secure her fortune from her aunt, Lady Wishfort. Mirabell and Lady Wishfort are almost exactly level, with about 16% of the words each. Lady Wishfort does not speak until Act 3, so her part is packed into the second half.

Speaking roles: 17
Scenes: 12
Words: 25,194
Speech time: 180 min

Every role, largest first

Role	Lines	Words	Share	Minutes	Scenes
Mirabell	482	4,038	16%	28.8	7
Lady Wishfort	453	3,989	15.8%	28.5	8
Fainall	338	2,857	11.3%	20.4	6
Mrs. Marwood	292	2,449	9.7%	17.5	6
Mrs. Millamant	288	2,438	9.7%	17.4	6
Sir Wilful	252	2,258	9%	16.1	5
Witwoud	240	1,983	7.9%	14.2	6
Foible	195	1,674	6.6%	12.0	7
Mrs. Fainall	170	1,326	5.3%	9.5	7
Petulant	102	825	3.3%	5.9	4
Waitwell	88	739	2.9%	5.3	3
Mincing	36	300	1.2%	2.1	4
Footman	21	162	0.6%	1.2	2
Peg	8	50	0.2%	0.4	1
Betty	9	49	0.2%	0.4	2
Coachman	4	31	0.1%	0.2	1
Messenger	4	26	0.1%	0.2	1

Who speaks in which scene

Darker cells mean more words in that scene. Use it to plan rehearsal calls, or to see how long an actor waits between entrances.

Role	1.1	1.2	2.1	2.2	3.1	3.2	3.3	4.1	4.2	5.1	5.2	5.3
Mirabell
Lady Wishfort
Fainall
Mrs. Marwood
Mrs. Millamant
Sir Wilful
Witwoud
Foible
Mrs. Fainall
Petulant
Waitwell

The longest speeches

Speech	Scene	Words	Lines
Mrs. Marwood: “Indeed, Mrs. Engine, is it thus with you? Are …”	Act 3, Scene 2	237	24
Sir Wilful: “In vino veritas, aunt.—If I drunk your health …”	Act 4, Scene 2	199	20
Mirabell: “And for a discerning man somewhat too passiona…”	Act 1, Scene 2	177	18
Lady Wishfort: “Why, if she should be innocent, if she should …”	Act 5, Scene 2	164	17
Lady Wishfort: “Well, and how shall I receive him? In what fig…”	Act 4, Scene 1	163	17
Mirabell: “I denounce against all strait lacing, squeezin…”	Act 4, Scene 1	162	17
Sir Wilful: “The fashion’s a fool and you’re a fop, dear br…”	Act 3, Scene 3	158	16
Mrs. Marwood: “’Twere better so indeed. Or what think you of …”	Act 3, Scene 3	156	16
Fainall: “Why, faith, I’m thinking of it.—Let me see—I a…”	Act 3, Scene 3	152	16
Mrs. Millamant: “Trifles!—As liberty to pay and receive visits …”	Act 4, Scene 1	151	16

Small roles that can be doubled

These pairs of small roles never speak in the same scene, so one actor could play both. Check entrances and silent appearances in your script before you cast it this way.

Petulant and Peg
Waitwell and Footman
Waitwell and Peg
Waitwell and Betty
Waitwell and Coachman
Waitwell and Messenger
Mincing and Peg
Mincing and Betty
Mincing and Coachman
Mincing and Messenger
Footman and Peg
Footman and Coachman

Questions actors ask

Who has the most lines in The Way of the World?

Mirabell, with about 482 lines and 4,038 words, 16% of everything spoken in the play. Lady Wishfort is next, with about 453 lines (15.8%).

How long is The Way of the World?

The full text has 25,194 spoken words, about 180 minutes at 140 words a minute before pauses, scene changes, and cuts. Most productions cut the text, so running times vary.

How many speaking roles are in The Way of the World?

17 named roles speak in this edition, across 12 scenes. 6 of them have less than 2% of the words, which is why small parts are often doubled.