Literary career William Congreve shaped the English comedy of manners through his use of satire and well-written dialogue. Congreve achieved fame in 1693 when he wrote some of the most popular English plays of the Restoration period. This period was distinguished by the fact that female roles were beginning to be played predominantly by women, which was evident in Congreve's work. One of Congreve's favourite actresses was Mrs. Anne Bracegirdle, who performed many of the female lead roles in his plays.
Literary career William Congreve shaped the English comedy of manners through his use of satire and well-written dialogue. Congreve achieved fame in 1693 when he wrote some of the most popular English plays of the Restoration period. This period was distinguished by the fact that female roles were beginning to be played predominantly by women which was evident in Congreve's work. One of Congreve's favourite actresses was Mrs. Anne Bracegirdle, who performed many of the female lead roles in his plays.