Play on Words

full length · drama

The Double-Dealer: A Comedy

by William Congreve

12 roles (0M / 0F / 12 any) · approx 138–191 minutes · 5 acts

Royalty-free Public domain — free to read, perform, and adapt. No licence needed.

Characters

Mel supporting 125 speeches
Mask supporting 117 speeches
Lady Touch supporting 91 speeches
Sir Paul supporting 84 speeches
Lord Touch supporting 77 speeches
Cynt supporting 74 speeches
Lady Plyant supporting 66 speeches
Care supporting 65 speeches
Lady Froth supporting 63 speeches
Brisk supporting 62 speeches
Lord Froth supporting 48 speeches
Saygrace minor 5 speeches

Read the play

[_To them_] LORD FROTH, CYNTHIA.

Sir Paul. How does my girl? Come hither to thy father, poor lamb: thou'rt melancholic.

Lord Froth. Heaven, Sir Paul, you amaze me, of all things in the world. You are never pleased but when we are all upon the broad grin: all laugh and no company; ah, then 'tis such a sight to see some teeth. Sure you're a great admirer of my Lady Whifler, Mr. Sneer, and Sir Laurence Loud, and that gang.

Sir Paul. I vow and swear she's a very merry woman; but I think she laughs a little too much.

Lord Froth. Merry! O Lord, what a character that is of a woman of quality. You have been at my Lady Whifler's upon her day, madam?

Cynt. Yes, my lord. I must humour this fool. [_Aside_.]

Lord Froth. Well, and how? hee! What is your sense of the conversation?

Cynt. Oh, most ridiculous, a perpetual comfort of laughing without any harmony; for sure, my lord, to laugh out of time, is as disagreeable as to sing out of time or out of tune.

Lord Froth. Hee, hee, hee, right; and then, my Lady Whifler is so ready--she always comes in three bars too soon. And then, what do they laugh at? For you know laughing without a jest is as impertinent, hee! as, as--

Cynt. As dancing without a fiddle.

Lord Froth. Just i'faith, that was at my tongue's end.

Cynt. But that cannot be properly said of them, for I think they are all in good nature with the world, and only laugh at one another; and you must allow they have all jests in their persons, though they have none in their conversation.

Lord Froth. True, as I'm a person of honour. For heaven's sake let us sacrifice 'em to mirth a little. [_Enter_ BOY _and whispers_ SIR PAUL.]

Sir Paul. Gads so.--Wife, wife, my Lady Plyant, I have a word.

Lady Plyant. I'm busy, Sir Paul, I wonder at your impertinence.

Care. Sir Paul, harkee, I'm reasoning the matter you know. Madam, if your ladyship please, we'll discourse of this in the next room.

Sir Paul. O ho, I wish you good success, I wish you good success. Boy, tell my lady, when she has done, I would speak with her below.

Monologues from this play