Congreve, William

Congreve, William
(1670-1729)
   Dramatist, was b. in Yorkshire. In boyhood he was taken to Ireland, and ed. at Kilkenny and at Trinity Coll., Dublin. In 1688 he returned to England and entered the Middle Temple, but does not appear to have practised, and took to writing for the stage. His first comedy, The Old Bachelor, was produced with great applause in 1693, and was followed by The Double Dealer (1693), Love for Love (1695), and The Way of the World (1700), and by a tragedy, The Mourning Bride (1697). His comedies are all remarkable for wit and sparkling dialogue, but their profanity and licentiousness have driven them from the stage. These latter qualities brought them under the lash of Jeremy Collier (q.v.) in his Short View of the English Stage. Congreve rushed into controversy with his critic who, however, proved too strong for him. C. was a favourite at Court, and had various lucrative offices conferred upon him. In his latter years he was blind; otherwise his life was prosperous, and he achieved his chief ambition of being admired as a fine gentleman and gallant. Life, Gosse (1888). Works, ed. by Henley (1895), also Mermaid Series (1888).

Short biographical dictionary of English literature . . 2011.

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  • Congreve, William — 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 …   Universalium

  • Congreve, William — (1670 1729)    Congreve, the most prominent writer of Restoration comedies, was born at Bardsey, near Leeds, and educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He abandoned law for literature. His first comedy, The Old Bachelor (1693) established him as a… …   British and Irish poets

  • Congreve, William — (24 ene. 1670, Bardsey, cerca de Leeds, Yorkshire, Inglaterra–19 ene. 1729, Londres). Dramaturgo inglés. Era protegido de John Dryden cuando causó sensación con el estreno de su primera obra, The Old Bachelour [El solterón] (1693). Más tarde… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Congreve,William — Con·greve (kŏnʹgrēv , kŏngʹ ), William. 1670 1729. English playwright known for his comedies, including Love for Love (1695) and The Way of the World (1700). * * * …   Universalium

  • CONGREVE, WILLIAM —    English comic dramatist, born near Leeds; entered a student of the Middle Temple, but soon abandoned law for literature; the Old Bachelor first brought him into repute, and a commissionership of substantial value; the production of Love for… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Congreve, William —  (1670–1729) English playwright …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

  • William congreve (auteur) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir William Congreve. William Congreve. Tableau de Godfrey Kneller. William Congrev …   Wikipédia en Français

  • William congreve (inventeur) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir William Congreve. William Congreve Sir William Congreve (20 mai …   Wikipédia en Français

  • CONGREVE (W.) — CONGREVE WILLIAM (1670 1729) D’une intelligence pétillante, et le plus brillant des dramaturges de la Restauration qui, après la longue censure imposée par Cromwell, surent donner au théâtre anglais un nouveau souffle, Congreve était tout à son… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • William — puede referirse a: Contenido 1 Nombre 1.1 Personajes 1.2 Desambiguaciones de nombre y apellido 2 Véase también …   Wikipedia Español

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