Tone

The Way of the World

by William Congreve

The Way of the World: Tone 1 key example

Definition of Tone

The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on. For instance... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical... read full definition
Act 1, Scene 1
Explanation and Analysis:

The tone of the play is satirical and ironic: it is funny, but there is almost always something more serious going on beneath what the characters are actually saying. Congreve establishes this tone from the beginning, both in the prologue and in Act 1, Scene 1, when Fainall asks Mirabell about why he is in a bad mood while they are playing cards:

Confess, Millamant and you quarrelled last night after I left you; my fair cousin has some humours that would tempt the patience of a Stoic. What, some coxcomb came in and was well received by her, while you were by?