What is the significance of the barganing scene between Mirabell and Millamant in "The Way of the World"?Re: The pre-nuptial agreement between two...

The significance of the bargaining scene between Mirabell
and Millamant in Congreve's play The Way of the Word is actually
manifold. 

The first important thing is that they
are barganing how each of them will allow each other to behave once the marriage is in
effect. This is a parody on the social expectations of men and women upon becoming
husband and wife. The requirements make the union far from romantic. Instead, the
parties involved are expected to comply with formalities that continuously reminds them
that their union is one based on networking and convenience, rather than
love.

Another important significance is that they both
discover each other's penchants with this behavior pact, and wonder about each
other. Again, this is satirical. Millamant says that she wants to be free, and allowed
basically to do as she pleases. Mirabell takes this sourly and says that his future
bride better not be scandalous nor a "fashion victim".  In turn, Millamant takes that
personal and cannot believe he would think her to be that way. Even more funny is the
fact that all this weird transaction has to be rushed as another character, Fainall,
enters the scene.

Yet, it is possible that one of the most
important parts of the bargaining scene is the underlying shallowness of the pact.
Mirabell says that, upon marriage, he would be exalted to the rank of husband.
Contrastingly, Millamant says that she will be demoted to the rank of wife. This is a
clear indicator that Millamant is not marriage material, and that Mirabell may not be
the dream husband that we assume he wants to be. Hence, the significance here is
that Mirabell and Millamant are rushing through the very complex process of pre-nuptial
planning with very little evidence of what they really want out of their
marriage.