In the late seventeenth century, theater and print began the history of their tense relations and imperfect alliance. Plays, of course, had been printed in England for more than a century. However, it was not until the printing of fine editions of English playwrights, by Tonson and others, that it became common for dramatists to worry over the details of both performace and print and to supervise closely the publication of their own works. The theater was joining itself to the page, defining itself against the printed word. The author's focus is the most active phase of the career of William Congreve, a crucial juncture in the history of print and publishing, the two decades before the 1710 Copyright Act, when the book trade was becoming a large, intricate, and lucrative commercial business. Congreve's work in the theater began to yield to his work with the book trade (not only as playwright but also as poet, scholar, translator, and editor), culminating in the three-volume edition of his Works in 1710.

The distinguished annual in interdisciplinary textual studies

This study provides one of the most detailed and comprehensive examinations ever devoted to a critical transformation in the material substance of the printed page; it carries out this exploration in the history of the book, moreover, by embedding these typographical changes in the context of other cultural phenomena in eighteenth-century Britain. The gradual abandonment of pervasive capitalization, italics, and caps and small caps in books printed in London, Dublin, and the American colonies between 1740 and 1780 is mapped in five-year increments which reveal that the appearance of the modern page in English began to emerge around 1765. This descriptive and analytical account focuses on poetry, classical texts, Shakespeare, contemporary plays, the novel, the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, sermons and religious writings, newspapers, magazines, anthologies, government publications, and private correspondence; it also examines the reading public, canon formation, editorial theory and practice, and the role of typography in textual interpretation. These changes in printing conventions are then compared to other aspects of cultural change: the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1752, the publication of Johnson's Dictionary in 1755, the transformation of shop signs and the imposition of house numbers in London beginning in 1762, and the evolution of the English language and of English prose style. This study concludes that this fundamental shift in printing conventions was closely tied to a pervasive interest in refinement, regularity, and standardization in the second half of the century--and that it was therefore an important component in the self-conscious process of modernizing British culture.

Arising from the activities of the Centre for Seventeenth-Century French Theatre, this volume proposes a selection of eighteen essays by internationally renowned scholars aimed at all those who value and work with the theatre of seventeenth-century France, whether in teaching, research or performance. Frequently seeking out the interfaces of these areas, the essays cover historiography (including that of opera), the theory and practice of textual editing, visualizing – in terms of both theatre architecture and the significance of playtext illustration - , approaches to study and research (including the most recent applications of computer technology), and performance studies which relate the classical canon to contemporary French and other cultures. Always suggesting new directions, challenging the epistemological bases of the very concept of French classical theatre, the essays provide a snapshot of scholarship in the field at the dawn of a new millennium, and offer an ideal opportunity to reassess its past whilst looking to its future.

Hero longing for heiress. Obstacles in the way. Marriage eventually secured. It sounds simple. But the lasting appeal of this, one of the most performed and discussed of all Restoration plays, lies in Congreve's sophisticated grasp of plot, back-story, characterization and language. Set in high-society London, his comic masterpiece features scenes of uproarious comedy, Machiavellian scheming and devastating wit. Its sparring between sexes is enchanting but shadowed by melancholy and the ethical uncertainty latent in the title. If this is the way of the world, are we supposed to cheer, despair, or shrug our shoulders? In this new edition of William Congreve's The Way of the World, David Roberts peels back the layers of the plot to tell the story of the play's stage and critical history from 1700 to the present day, bringing voices from universities and theatres into debate about this enigmatic landmark in English comedy. Supplemented by a plot summary and annotated bibliography, it is ideal for students of Congreve, comedy and early modern drama.

William Congreve was deeply involved in the events of his turbulent times. That involvement reveals itself in works which have sometimes been regarded as entirely unengaged with the realities of his society. This book attempts to read Congreve’s plays and his novella, Incognita, against the political and social upheaval of the period initiated by the rebellion of 1688. A strong supporter of the new world ushered in by William III and Mary, Congreve fought against the reactionary politics of the Jacobite opposition.

Reader's Guide Literature in English provides expert guidance to, and critical analysis of, the vast number of books available within the subject of English literature, from Anglo-Saxon times to the current American, British and Commonwealth scene. It is designed to help students, teachers and librarians choose the most appropriate books for research and study.