William Congreve is a super-important playwright of the Restoration period, and a disciple of John Dryden's. He is known for his comedies, which catered to the tastes of the time: bawdy and full of sexual innuendo. Hmm. That sounds kind of like comedy today. Maybe some comedy themes are timeless?

Congreve's popularity didn't last long, however. By the end of the Restoration period in 1700, audiences were turning away from the "Comedies of Manners" that Congreve specialized in, and the author pretty much much gave up on theater toward the end of his life. We hope he found a new, old people-friendly hobby, like shuffleboard.

Love for Love (1695)

Love for Love is a comedy about love and money. It involves a romantic triangle between Valentine, his father Sir Sampson, and the woman they both fall in love with: Angelica. Things get really messy when Sir Sampson, who is mad at his son for wasting so much money, proposes to Angelica.

Uh, yeah. That sounds insanely awkward.

Love for Love is a typical Restoration comedy. In it we find the usual themes of romance, trickery and a focus on social class and social hypocrisy.

The Way of the World (1700)

This is another comedy whose plot revolves around all sorts of romantic entanglements. The two lovers at the center of the play—Mirabell and Millamant—want to get married, but Millamant's rich old aunt stands in the way. The play focuses on the two lovers' attempts to get around the aunt.

The Way of the World is considered to be Congreve's most accomplished comedy. It was published right at the end of the Restoration period (in 1700), at which point theatrical tastes were beginning to change. Congreve's work fell out of favor soon after this play was performed. It took some time before critics began appreciating the work again.

Chew on This

William Congreve's Love for Love is a classic of Restoration comedy.

William Congreve's The Way of the World deals with themes of social class, money, and romance. Like many works of the period, it focuses on the ins and outs of social life.