REVISE – The battle of the sexes

Match the witty remarks from the passage (1-6) to their paraphrased versions (A-F). Write the correct letters in the gaps.

1 MIRABEL Would you have 'em both before marriage? Or will you be contented with the first now and stay for the other till after grace? ________
2 MILLAMANT My dear liberty, shall I leave thee? My faithful solitude, my darling contemplation, must I bid you then adieu? ________
3 MILLAMANT Positively, Mirabell, I'll lie abed in a morning as long as I please. ________
4 MILLAMANT And d'ye hear, I won't be called names after I'm married; positively I won't be called names. ________
5 MILLAMANT Good Mirabell, don't let us be familiar or fond, nor kiss before folks. ________
6 MILLAMANT To have my closet inviolate; to be sole empress of my tea-table, which you must never presume to approach without first asking leave. ________

A I absolutely refuse to be called pet names like 'wife' or 'sweetheart' after we're married.
B My private room is off-limits, and I'll control the tea table; don't even think about coming near it without my permission.
C Let's not be affectionate in public.
D I absolutely insist on staying in bed as long as I want in the mornings.
E You want both control and pleasure before marriage? Or will you agree for control now and wait for pleasure after the wedding?'
F Must I really give up my freedom, my solitude, and my private thoughts?

Choose the correct alternative that best interprets some contents of the marriage contract between Millamant and Mirabell.

1 Millamant and Mirabell's contract challenges the social norms of their time ________.
2 The contract makes fun of marriage showing it ________.
3 The contract represents ________.
4 Congreve is trying to say through this contract that ________.

Complete the text with the words given. Then look at the prompts in bold and write some extra reflections in your exercise book. You can use the final text as revision material for your test.

Millamant and Mirabell, in William Congreve's The Way of the World, are complex characters who both conform to and challenge the social ________ of their time. (Refer to sections 4.13 and 4.14 in your textbook and say how they reflect conformity.) Their famous contract scene is a testament to their sharp ________ and their desire for ________ within the institution of marriage. (Refer to STEP 4 and quote some examples of their wit and wish for independence.)
While they operate within the limits of 18^th-century society, their relationship suggests a shift towards a new social organisation. Indeed, their carefully arranged ________ reflects a move towards ________ love. This emphasis on personal agreement and mutual respect marks a departure from purely ________ unions and signals the emergence of a more ________ understanding of partnerships. (Compare relationships then to relationships now: how are they different? Are there any similarities?)

Millamant poses a lot of conditions on her marriage with Mirabell. Look at the modal verb or imperative she uses in each quote and select the correct function.

1 MILLAMANT I shall never bear that.
________
2 MILLAMANT Don't let us be familiar or fond.
________
3 MILLAMANT Let us never visit together nor go to a play together.
________
4 MILLAMANT You must never presume to approach without first asking leave.
________
5 MILLAMANT And d'ye hear, I won't be called names after I'm married; positively I won't be called names.
________
6 MILLAMANT These articles subscribed, if I continue to endure you a little longer, I may by degrees dwindle into a wife.'
________

Imagine that, like Millamant, you want to set conditions to your future partner. Complete the sentences with the correct modal verb to express the function in brackets.

1 I ________ ask for a schedule for sharing household chores. (warning)
2 You ________ check your social media notifications during dinner. (negative obligation)
3 We ________ try a new hobby to do together, if we both feel like it. (possibility)
4 You ________ inform me if you are going to be late, even if it is just by a few minutes. (obligation)
5 ________ allow work or study time to take the place of our time together. (negative suggestion)