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The Way of the World · Character

Mrs. Millamant

A celebrated beauty and heiress who will consider marriage only on her own outrageous terms, Millamant turns courtship into a battle of wits she intends to win.

major

Also known as Millamant, Madam Millamant

First appearance: act i

As a major figure in The Way of the World, Mrs. Millamant is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

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Millamant is the prize of the play's marriage market, pursued by Mirabell, proposed to Sir Wilfull, and watched over by her aunt, yet she treats the whole business as an occasion for brilliant conditions. She refuses…

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See Mrs. Millamant in act i

Character Web

15 connections

A slice of how Mrs. Millamant sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

LWLady WishfortMIMirabellSWSir Wilfull Wi…WIWitwoudFAFainallMMMrs. Millamant

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Scheming social network
  • Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This scene represents the dramatic climax because Mrs. Marwood directly confronts Millamant with the truth tha…

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Who is Mrs. Millamant in The Way of the World?