William Congreve Biography
English Playwright and Poet
English playwright and poet William Congreve is remembered for his comedies, which are among the best Restoration dramas written in the period after 1660.
Congreve was one of the leading figures in a style of drama known today as Restoration comedy. This style is based on making fun of fashionable people that includes clever, funny and lively speeches, developed after monarchy was restored in England in 1660. Theatres previously closed were reopened for the English drama, particularly comedy.
Early Life of William Congreve
William Congreve was born on January 24, 1670 near the city of Leeds. He spent his childhood in Ireland and was educated there, where his father, also William, commanded a garrison of soldiers during the reign of Charles II. He was educated at Dublin's Trinity College and became a friend of Jonathan Swift, a satirist and a fellow poet.
Career in Writing
In 1691, he studied law in Middle Temple, London. It was also this time when he strongly felt his love for literature rather than law, and when he started writing. At the age of 17, he wrote his first book, Incognito, a romantic novel published few years later, in 1692. Acclaim was on his side. The following year he became instantly famous with the success of The Old Bachelor, his first comedy drama. In many ways, he was greatly influenced by John Dryden, the leading English Restoration writer at that time who recognized his talent and early on in his career, had encouraged him.
When he was just 25, Congreve became the joint manager of a new theatre. He wrote a new play every year until 1700, the year he completed The Way of the World, considered his best-known comedy. Prior, he had written two other comedies, Love for Love and The Mourning Bride, a tragedy.
Congreve Later Life
Congreve's career unfortunately ended at the same time it blossomed until 1700. Apparently, the admiring audience turned against his work when he adhered to sexual comedy of manners which was not appreciated at that time. Some prominent writers who held him in high esteem include Voltaire and Alexander Pope.
In the early 1700s, Congreve suffered from cataracts and gout, and in late 1728, suffered from a carriage accident. He died at the age of 58, on January 19, 1729.
Works by William Congreve
- Incognito, 1692
- The Old Bachelor, 1693
- The Double Dealer, 1693
- Love for Love, 1695
- The Mourning Bride, 1697
- The Way of the World, 1700
Sources:
Goring, Rosemary (editor), Larousse Dictionary of Writers. New York: Larousse, 1994
McGovern, Una (editor), Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap, 2002
Ousby, Ian. The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English. Cambridge: CUP, 1993
William Congreve, English Playwright and Poet
|
Latest Articles