About
William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was a British playwright, satirist, and poet. He spent most of his early career between London and Dublin, during which he became noted for his highly polished style of writing. Congreve is regarded by many critics as one of the most important dramatists of the early Georgian era, and the popularity of his comedy plays throughout the 17th and 18th centuries was central to the development of the comedy of manners satirical genre. He is remembered for his restoration play The Way of the World (1700), which is considered by commentators to be a centerpiece of Restoration comedy literature, and his tragedy play The Mourning Bride (1697).