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Congreve, William

biographical name

William Congreve, oil painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1709; in the National Portrait Gallery, …—Courtesy of The National Portrait Gallery, London

(born Jan. 24, 1670, Bardsey, near Leeds, Yorkshire, Eng.—died Jan. 19, 1729, London) English dramatist. He was a young protégé of John Dryden when his first major play, The Old Bachelour (1693), met with great success. Later came The Double-Dealer (1693), Love for Love (1695), and The Way of the World (1700), his masterpiece. Other works include the once-popular tragedy The Mourning Bride (1697), many poems, translations, and two opera librettos. Congreve shaped the English comedy of manners with his brilliant comic dialogue, satirical portrayal of fashionable society, uproarious bawdiness, and ironic scrutiny of the affectations of his age. See also Restoration literature.

This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on Congreve, William, visit Britannica.com.