born Jan. 24, 1670, Bardsey, near Leeds, Yorkshire, Eng.
died Jan. 19, 1729, London
English dramatist.
He was a young protégé of 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 {{link=comedy of manners">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 .
William Congreve, oil painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1709; in the National Portrait Gallery, ...
Courtesy of The National Portrait Gallery, London