William Congreve was born on January 24, 1670, and died on January 19, 1729. He was an English writer who wrote plays, poems, and satirical works. Congreve helped shape English comedy and is considered one of the most important playwrights during the Restoration period. His plays were very popular in the late 1600s and early 1700s and played a key role in developing a type of comedy called "satirical comedy of manners." He is best known for his quotes, such as "O fie, miss, you must not kiss and tell" and "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

Congreve worked in London and Dublin early in his career. He studied under the poet John Dryden and became known for his clear and elegant writing style. He first wrote under the name Cleophil and gained fame in 1693 with some of the most popular plays of his time. His most famous works include The Way of the World (1700), which is seen as a major example of Restoration comedy, and The Mourning Bride (1697).

Most of Congreve's works were written in London. His plays and poems were well-received by audiences for their use of humor and satire. During this time, he also wrote The Old Bachelor (1693), The Double Dealer (1693), and Love for Love (1695), which helped establish him as a leading writer in the comedy of manners genre. Many plays of his time featured female actors, and he had a close friendship with the actress Anne Bracegirdle, who performed in many of his plays. However, Congreve only wrote five plays over seven years (from 1693 to 1700).

Congreve may have stopped writing plays because people became concerned about the moral messages in his comedies. After leaving the theater, he remained involved in politics with the Whig party in the early 1700s. Though he lived until 1729, he did not write any plays after 1700. He was buried in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey in London. Congreve's works are still studied today and remain an important part of English literature.

Early life

William Congreve was born in Bardsey Grange, a village in Bardsey, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Even though Samuel Johnson disagreed, records later proved this by showing a baptism entry for "William, son of Mr. William Congreve, of Bardsey Grange, baptised 10 February 1669" (which is 1670 using the modern way of counting years). His parents were Colonel William Congreve (1637–1708) and Mary Browning (born around 1636–1715). They moved to London in 1672 and later to the Irish port of Youghal.

Congreve studied at Kilkenny College, where he met Jonathan Swift, and later at Trinity College in Dublin. He moved to London to study law at the Middle Temple but chose instead to focus on literature, drama, and the social life of the time. He used the name Cleophil when he published Incognita: or, Love and Duty reconcil'd in 1692. This early work, written when he was about 17 years old, earned him recognition from important writers and helped him join the literary world. He became a follower of John Dryden, whom he met through meetings held at Will's Coffeehouse in the Covent Garden area of London. Dryden supported Congreve throughout his life, often writing introductions for his books.

Congreve was distantly related to Lady Elizabeth Hastings, whose family owned Ledston and was part of London’s intellectual community. He wrote several articles about her for the Tatler magazine.

Literary career

William Congreve influenced English comedy of manners by using satire and creating strong dialogue. He became famous in 1693 after writing some of the most popular plays during the Restoration period. This period was noted for the increasing use of women to perform female roles, which appeared in Congreve's plays. One of his favorite actresses was Mrs. Anne Bracegirdle, who played many leading female roles in his works.

His first play, The Old Bachelor, was written while he was recovering from an illness. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1693 and was considered a success, running for two weeks. Congreve’s mentor, John Dryden, praised the play highly and called it an excellent debut. His next play, The Double-Dealer, was not as successful. By age 30, he had written four comedies, including Love for Love (premiered April 30, 1695) at Lincoln's Inn Theatre, which was nearly as well-received as his first success. Another play, The Way of the World (premiered March 1700), failed when it first opened but is now regarded as one of his greatest works and is still performed today. He also wrote one tragedy, The Mourning Bride (1697), which was very popular at the time but is now less appreciated.

After Love for Love was performed, Congreve became a manager at Lincoln's Inn Fields in 1695. During this time, he wrote public poems. Because of his success and talent, he was given one of five positions as a commissioner for licensing hackney coaches.

Congreve’s career as a playwright was successful but short. He wrote only five plays between 1693 and 1700. This was partly due to changing public tastes, as audiences began to prefer different types of comedy. Congreve may have left the stage because of concerns about the morality of his plays. He was deeply affected by a critique written by Jeremy Collier titled A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage, and he responded with a long letter called Amendments of Mr. Collier's False and Imperfect Citations. Even though he stopped writing plays, he continued to create literature. He wrote scripts for two operas and translated works by Molière.

As a member of the Whig Kit-Kat Club, Congreve shifted his focus to politics. In 1714, he was appointed to a political position in Jamaica by King George I. During this time, he wrote poetry instead of full plays and translated works by Homer, Juvenal, Ovid, and Horace.

Later life

William Congreve left the theatre and lived the rest of his life using money from his earlier plays, the income he earned when his plays were performed, and his personal wealth. After 1700, he wrote very little, only a few poems and some translations, including a version of Molière's play Monsieur de Pourceaugnac. He worked with Vanbrugh on an English version of a play titled Squire Trelooby in 1704. Congreve never married. During his time and later, he was well known for his friendships with famous actresses and noblewomen who had major roles in his plays. These women included Anne Bracegirdle and Henrietta Godolphin, the 2nd Duchess of Marlborough, who was the daughter of John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Congreve and Henrietta likely met before 1703, and the duchess later had a daughter, Mary (1723–1764), who was believed to be his child. When Congreve died, he left all of his money to the Duchess of Marlborough.

As early as 1710, Congreve had health problems, including gout and cataracts in his eyes. In late September 1728, he was in a carriage accident that left him seriously injured. He did not recover from the accident and died in London in January 1729. He was buried in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.

Famous lines

Two famous phrases from Congreve's play The Mourning Bride (1697) are often misquoted or wrongly credited to William Shakespeare.

• "Musick has charms to soothe a savage breast" is the first line of the play, spoken by Almeria in Act I, Scene I. This line is frequently changed to "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast" or "savage beast." On September 9, 1956, the line was read aloud to the largest television audience at that time, about 60.7 million viewers, by Charles Laughton before he said good night to the audience on Elvis Presley's first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, which Laughton was guest hosting.
• "Heav'n has no rage, like love to hatred turn'd, Nor hell a fury, like a woman scorned" is spoken by Zara in Act III, Scene VIII. This line is often simplified to "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

Congreve also created another well-known phrase in his play Love for Love (1695):
• "O fie, Miss, you must not kiss and tell."

Works

• The Old Bachelor (1693)
• The Double Dealer (1693)
• Love for Love (1695)
• The Mourning Bride (1697)
• The Way of the World (1700)

Legacy

Congreve was seen as one of the most important playwrights during the Restoration era by experts. His five plays were very popular in the late 1600s and 1700s, and he is credited with helping to create the comedy of manners, a type of play that satirizes social behavior. In 2000, the Leeds Civic Trust, a charity in the United Kingdom, placed a blue plaque in his honor.