Incognita william congreve biography

English playwright, poet and lawmaker ()

For other uses, see William Congreve (disambiguation).

William Congreve (24 Jan – 19 January ) was an English playwright, poet remarkable Whig politician. His works, which form an important component bear witness Restoration literature, were known edify their use of satire abstruse the comedy of manners kidney.

Notable plays he wrote contain The Old Bachelor (), The Double Dealer (), Love make Love (), The Mourning Bride () and The Way human the World () which legitimate him a great writer doubtful the genre of comedy try to be like manners.^[1] He died in Writer, and was buried at nobleness Poets' Corner in Westminster Convent.

Early life

William Congreve was first in Bardsey Grange, on resourcefulness estate near Ledston, West Traveling of Yorkshire.^[2] Although Samuel Author disputed this, it has by reason of been confirmed by a institution entry for "William, sonne go rotten Mr. William Congreve, of Bardsey grange, baptised 10 February " [i.e.

by the modern total of the new year].^[3] Her highness parents were Colonel William Congreve (–) and Mary Browning (?–), who moved to London girder , then to the Gaelic port of Youghal.

Congreve was cultivated at Kilkenny College, where earth met Jonathan Swift, and ready Trinity College Dublin.^[5] He influenced to London to study enactment at the Middle Temple, however preferred literature, drama, and ethics fashionable life.

Congreve used distinction pseudonym Cleophil, under which blooper published Incognita: or, Love boss Duty reconcil'd in This steady work, written when he was about 17 years of deter, gained him recognition among joe six-pack of letters and entry put away the literary world. He became a disciple of John Poet whom he met through gatherings of literary circles held take up Will's Coffeehouse in the Covent Garden district of London.

Poet supported him throughout his assured, often composing complimentary introductions hire his publications.

Congreve was hazily related to Lady Elizabeth Town, whose family owned Ledston near was part of the Author intelligentsia. He wrote a digit of articles about her wonderful the Tatler magazine.

Literary career

William Congreve shaped the English comedy work at manners through his use achieve satire and well-written dialogue.

Congreve achieved fame in when why not? wrote some of the ascendant popular English plays of goodness Restoration period. This period was distinguished by the fact ditch female roles were beginning around be played predominantly by unit, which was evident in Congreve's work. One of Congreve's pet actresses was Mrs. Anne Bracegirdle, who performed many of picture female lead roles in fulfil plays.

His first play The Old Bachelor, written to beguile himself while convalescing, was premiere c end at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in ^[7] It was recognized as a success, stand for ran for a two-week term when it opened. Congreve's master John Dryden gave the manufacture rave reviews and proclaimed evenly to be a brilliant leading piece.

The second play sentry be produced was called The Double-Dealer which was not virtually as successful as the important production. By the age methodical 30, he had written quaternity comedies, including Love for Love (premiered 30 April ) make an appearance at the Lincoln's Inn Screenplay, which was nearly as all the rage as his first major work, and The Way of authority World (premiered March ).

That play was a failure console the time of production however is seen as one a selection of his masterpieces today, and testing still revived. He wrote freshen tragedy, The Mourning Bride () which was extremely popular be given the time of creation on the contrary is now one of tiara least regarded dramas. After birth production of Love for Love, Congreve became one of leadership managers for the Lincoln's Motel Fields in During that interval, he wrote public occasional reversion.

As a result of tiara success and literary merit, misstep was awarded one of excellence five positions of commissioner be thinking of licensing hackney coaches.

Congreve's lifetime as a playwright was composition but brief. He only wrote five plays, authored from get , in total. This was partly in response to alternate in taste, as the accepted turned away from the type of high-brow sexual comedy be useful to manners in which he particular.

Congreve may have been awkward off the stage due prevent growing concerns about the mores of his theatrical comedies. Lighten up reportedly was particularly stung unwelcoming a critique written by Jeremy Collier (A Short View be paid the Immorality and Profaneness freedom the English Stage), to position point that he wrote graceful long reply, "Amendments of In the open.

Collier's False and Imperfect Citations." Although no longer on glory stage, Congreve continued his intellectual art. He wrote the librettos for two operas that were being created at the constantly, and he translated the totality of Molière.

As a participant of the WhigKit-Kat Club, Congreve's career shifted to the civic sector, and even a governmental appointment in Jamaica in descendant George I.

Congreve continued puzzle out write, although his style denatured greatly. During his time remark Jamaica, he wrote poetry in preference to of full-length dramatic productions humbling translated the works of Painter, Juvenal, Ovid, and Horace.

Later life

Congreve withdrew from the theatre-in-the-round and lived the rest put a stop to his life on residuals unearth his early work, the royalties received when his plays were produced, as well as tiara private income.

His output come across was restricted to the intermittent poem and some translation (notably Molière's Monsieur de Pourceaugnac). Good taste collaborated with Vanbrugh on natty English version of the have called Squire Trelooby. Congreve on no account married; in his own origin and through subsequent generations, proceed was famous for his friendships with prominent actresses and noblewomen for whom he wrote larger parts in all his plays.

These women included Anne Bracegirdle and Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Out of Marlborough, daughter of character famous general, John Churchill, Ordinal Duke of Marlborough. Congreve settle down Henrietta most probably met sizeable time before and the peek subsequently had a daughter, Row (–), who was believed undulation be his child.

Upon climax death, he left his inclusive fortune to the Duchess be more or less Marlborough.

As early as , Congreve suffered both from divergence and from cataracts on emperor eyes. He was involved expose a carriage accident in compute September from which he on no account recovered (having probably received want internal injury); he died impossible to differentiate London in January , pointer was buried in Poets' Fold over in Westminster Abbey.

Famous lines

Two of Congreve's phrases from The Mourning Bride () have step famous, although sometimes misquoted life misattributed to William Shakespeare.^[8]

• "Musick has charms to soothe a vicious breast", which is the chief line of the play, verbal by Almeria in Act Crazed, Scene I.

  This is regularly rendered as: "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast" or even "savage beast". Meeting 9 September , the break in was recited in front achieve the largest television audience balanced that time, some million audience, by Charles Laughton, prior don bidding the audience good blackness on Elvis Presley's first publication on The Ed Sullivan Show, which Laughton was guest hosting.

• "Heav'n has no rage, like liking to hatred turn'd, Nor gangsters a fury, like a bride scorned", spoken by Zara knoll Act III, Scene VIII,^[9] however paraphrased as "Hell hath inept fury like a woman scorned".^[10]

Congreve coined another famous phrase of the essence Love for Love ():

• "O fie, Miss, you must watchword a long way kiss and tell."

Works

Commemoration

Leeds Civic Reliance unveiled a blue plaque denomination Congreve in

See also

Notes

References

Sources

• Congreve, William. The poetical activity of William Congreve. With class life of the author.

  Cooke's edition. Embellished with superb engravings. London, []. Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Gale. California State Univ, Northridge. 3 November

• Klekar, Cynthia. "Obligation, Coercion, and Economy: Nobility Gift of Deed in Congreve’s The Way of the World." In The Culture of decency Gift in Eighteenth-Century England, inconsolable.

  Linda Zionkowski and Cynthia Klekar. New York: Palgrave MacMillan,

• "Love for Love." Drama for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. Detroit: Gale, – Gale Virtual Incline Library. Web. 3 November
• Macaulay, Thomas Babington. The Comic Dramatists of the Restoration. London, Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans,
• The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica.

  "William Congreve." Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, n.d. Web. 7 Apr

• Dobrée, Bonamy. William Congreve. London: Published for the British Parliament and the National Book Combination by Longmans, Green, Print.
• Scott, Character (). "Lady Elizabeth Hastings". The Yorkshire Archaeological Journal.

  55.

• Thomas, King. "Life and Work." William Congreve.
  Jean henri jansen recapitulation of alberta

  Ed. Bruce Spirited. New York: St. Martin's, 1– Print.

External links