The Comedies of William Congreve by William Congreve
Four plays by William Congreve offer a satirical look at family life and high society in seventeenth-century England, and are accompanied by brief discussions of each work's background.
A master of the comedy of manners, Congreve was the most elegant of the Restoration dramatists. With piercing accuracy he depicted the shallow, brittle world of 'society' where the right artifice in manners, fashion and conversation - and money - eased the passage to success.
Through sparkling, witty dialogue and brilliant characterisation - Lady Plyant, Valentine, Lady Touchwood, Mirabell and Millamant - Congreve exposed the follies and vanities of that world, and suggested that behind the glinting mirror lay something more brutal. As Voltaire wrote, 'The language is everywhere that of Men of Honour, but their Actions are those of Knaves; a proof that he was perfectly well acquainted with human Nature, and frequented what we call polite company.'
Format: Paperback | 416 pages
Dimensions (cm): 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.9 | 264g
Publication Date: 01 Apr 1986
Publisher: Penguin Books
Imprint: Penguin Classics
Publication City/Country: Middlesex, United Kingdom
Language: English
ISBN10: 0140432310
ISBN13: 9780140432312
Condition: Good
A vintage book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including minor scuff marks along the edges, but no holes or tears. The book is wrapped in a homemade, clear plastic dust jacket. The majority of pages are undamaged with minimal creasing, but no tearing. No pencil underlining of text, and no highlighting of text. The name of a previous owner is written in blue pen at the top of the first page, but no other writing in margins. There is minor discolouring in the book. No missing pages.