Proviso scene

Scene in which the witty couple of a Restoration comedy (usually a witty, but virtuous lady and a rake) agree on conditions for their marriage. These conditions usually comprise the demand that the rake give up his promiscuous and irresponsible ways and thus show a tendency towards a more (or less) equal relationship of the genders. Proviso scenes were typically used in Restoration comedy after 1690. They were influenced by Locke’s contract theory model (contracts between equals) and reflect a shift in cultural values and society, as well as an orientation on a mainly middle class audience and females.

An especially famous example of a proviso scene is the debate between the witty couple Mirabell and Millamant in William Congreve’s ''The Way of The World'' (1700).

Sources

Pankratz, Annette. “Restoration Comedy : Theatre and Drama”. Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum. 14 July 2009.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restoration_literature.22 July 2009.