Click Here to know about Congreve’s The Way of the World as a comedy of manners– https://getsetnotes.com/william-congreves-the-way-of-the-world-as-a-comedy-of-manners/
William Congreve (1670-1729) was a Restoration playwright and a political figure of the British Whig Party. He used a pseudonym Cleophil to publish Incognita or, Love and Duty Reconciled (1692) and gained reputation of men of letters. He also wrote a number of articles about Lady Elizabeth Hastings in Tatler Magazine. His first play was The Old Bachelor(1693) and followed by The Double Dealer(1693) , Love for Love(1695) and The Way of the World(1700). As a playwright, he also wrote one tragedy The Mourning Bride(1697) at Betterton’s Co., Lincoln’s Inn Fields. He was critically attacked by Jeremy Collier in his book A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage(1698) for depicting social hypocrisy and realism of English society.
Congreve as a playwright exploited with the Comedy of Manners to depict the social reality of the Age. His writings was heavily influenced by the French playwright Moliere. Congreve showed the image of the living standards of the English society which produced humors and farce to the audience. The Old Bachelor(1693) was produced at Theatre Royal ,Drury Lane that combines farce, satire and Jonsonian humors. The play portrays the pretensions and disguises of the characters who indulge in extramarital affairs. Marriage was not considered sacred and one can see the pretension of Heartwell who is the old bachelor who “pretending to slight women” marries a forsaken lady Silvia by Vainlove and was relieved that their marriage was a pretence as he unravels the truth of his wife through his acquaintances.
Furthermore, one can observe in the play that the characters disguises themselves to woo others wife. Belmour , a friend of Vainlove disguises himself into a parson to arrange a marriage between Heartwell and Silvia woos Laetitia ,wife of old banker, Fondlewife. These depictions shows the image of the English society who strictly deviated away from the Puritanical morality while enjoying the social liberty and engaged with social taboos.
In addition to this, Congreve was a satirical writer. Love for Love(1695) is considered to be one of the most satirical plays of Congreve. He attacks the hypocrisy of the upper class society and the stupidity and cuckoldry of the upper class. The hypocrisy is seen in the attitude of Mrs. Frail who considers Miss Prue, a country girl as less intellectual and witty. One can observe the jealousy of Mrs. Frail who wanted to marry Ben who was being bond to Miss Prue and supposed to inherit Sir Sampson, his father’s property. Mrs. Frail can be considered as a woman of fortune hunter who tried to woo Ben and enjoy the luxury of wealth he is inheriting.
Mr. Foresight is a pretentious character who constantly read the stars and constellations and predict the future. His presence and pretending to know astrology is mocked and criticized by Sir Sampson with ironical comments which brings about laughter and humor to the audience. One can notice that Mr. Foresight was a victim of cuckoldry and Angelica, niece to Mr.Foresight called him a cuckold as his second wife Mrs. Foresight had been sleeping with other man without his knowledge. Congreve uses satire in his approach to attack the behaviour and actions of the upper class society.
Congreve’s mapping of the play is creative and he weaves various love intrigues in the play Love for Love. There are many love intrigues which shows the human relationships and bonds of the family. There are a love intrigues between servant and a master who is Valentine and Jeremy and between sisters who is Mrs. Foresight and Mrs. Frail who shares their personal problems and advice each other of upgrading their social life in the society. It can also be seen between a father and a son who is Sir Sampson and Ben where his father is willing to give away his property to his son and the love intrigue between Ben and his profession. Ben is an inactive character in the family matters and loves his profession of working in the sea than marital life and societal etiquette.
Congreve delineates the anti-puritanical in his writings. The society was a source of material for the profanity of his writings and exposes the levels of behaviour and breaking of certain social norms and morality. The Double Dealer(1693) showcases the anti- puritanical picture of deception and immorality. Maskwell is a double dealer who wanted to break the marriage between Cynthia and Mellefont and deceives both the parents claiming that Mellefont wants to sleep with Cynthia and his uncle’s wife , Lady Touchwood. One can observe the insanity of Maskwell who addresses the immoral social taboos only to ruin the reputation of Mellefont. The anti- puritanical writing is seen when Lady Touchwood admits her guilt and her desire to his sleep with his nephew Mellefont and the entire plot to ruin the marriage using Maskwell. One can observe the immoral behaviour of Lady Touchwood who broke the social boundaries and indulge in incestuous desires with her own nephew and cuckolding her husband Lord Touchwood to Maskwell who remained adamant to her desires.
Therefore, in conclusion we can say that William Congreve was a creative writer and the vocal of Comedy of Manners. His writings depicted the anti-puritan spirit which gradually stops after the Restoration of Charles II. The freestyle and certain immoral standards of living was practiced in the English society to which the Restoration dramatists responded with the use of satire, puns, witty dialogues to evoke a sense of humor and laughter in the audience. Hence, the Restoration Age was famous for its satires and lavish lifestyle which all the Restoration dramatists portrayed and given a new taste of literary style.
Click here to know about Congreve’s Love for Love as a Comedy of Manners– https://getsetnotes.com/william-congreves-love-for-love-as-a-comedy-of-manners/
Click Here to know about Comedy of Manners – https://getsetnotes.com/a-short-notes-on-comedy-of-manners/
