William Congreve

William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright, satirist, poet and Whig politician. Considered by critics to be one of the preeminent dramatists of the Georgian era, he is credited with developing the comedy of manners genre during the 17th century, and his works, which formed a major component of Restoration literature, were popular for their use of satire and comedy. Congreve is best remembered for his comedy play, ''The Way of the World'', first published in 1700, which is widely regarded by commentators to be one of the finest works in Restoration comedy literature.

Congreve also wrote several other notable plays, including ''The Old Bachelor'' (1693), ''The Double Dealer'' (1693), ''Love for Love'' (1695), and ''The Mourning Bride'' (1697), which helped establish him as a great writer in the genre of comedy of manners. He died in London in 1729, and was honored with burial at the Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. Provided by Wikipedia