Genre
Drama
Language
English
Setting and Context
Restoration England (17th century)
Narrator and Point of View
Multiple third-person limited narrators, as is typically the case in a play.
Tone and Mood
Light-hearted; flippant; catty; sparkling; superficial; ironic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Dorimant is the protagonist; Mrs. Loveit is the antagonist
Major Conflict
Whether or not Dorimant will succeed in modifying his bad behavior and winning Harriet's hand. There is also tension in regards to whether or not he can effectively rid of Mrs. Loveit.
Climax
When Dorimant's disguise is revealed, Lady Woodvill is horrified, and Harriet finally proclaims to the group that she loves Dorimant.
Foreshadowing
The treatment of Mrs. Loveit foreshadows Belinda's treatment at the hands of Dorimant.
Understatement
n/a
Allusions
-There are multiple allusions, including the first lines of the play, that are taken directly from Waller's "Upon a War With Spain" poem.
-Dorimant quotes Waller's "Of Her Chamber" (72).
-Harriet compares herself to Merab from the Bible; see Samuel 14.49 & 18.17-19.
Imagery
See other entry.
Paradox
n/a
Parallelism
n/a
Personification
Regarding jealousy, Mrs. Loveit explains, "'Tis the strongest cordial we can give to dying love. It often brings it back when there's no sign of life remaining. But I design not so much the reviving his as my revenge" (98).
Use of Dramatic Devices
There are occasionally stage directions, such as the characters dancing, entering and exiting, etc.. Many of the characters use asides to speak their thoughts.
