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Why did William Congreve leave the stage after The Way of the World?
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William Congreve
William Congreve, oil painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1709; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
William Congreve’s retreat from the stage following the 1700 production of The Way of the World was likely influenced by a public campaign against the perceived immorality of contemporary comedies.1
This movement was led by Jeremy Collier, who published a tract in 1698 titled A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage, which specifically censured Congreve’s work. Additionally, while The Way of the World is now considered his masterpiece, it was a failure with the audience at the time of its initial performance, which may have further contributed to his decision to stop writing plays.1