''Love for Love'' is a
Restoration comedy written by British
playwright William Congreve
William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. He is known for his clever, satirical dialogue and influence on the comedy of manners style of that period. He was also a mi ...
. It premiered on 30 April 1695 at the
Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre. Staged by
Thomas Betterton
Thomas Patrick Betterton (August 1635 – 28 April 1710), the leading male actor and theatre manager during Restoration England, son of an under-cook to King Charles I, was born in London.
Apprentice and actor
Betterton was born in August 16 ...
's company the original cast included Betterton as Valentine,
William Smith as Scandal,
John Bowman as Tattle,
Thomas Doggett as Ben,
Samuel Sandford
Samuel Sandford (fl. 1661–1699) was an English character actor, known for his roles as villains.
Career
He joined William D'Avenant's company at Lincoln's Inn Fields about a year after its formation, and was, on 16 December 1661, the original ...
as Foresight,
William Bowen as Jeremy,
John Freeman as Buckram,
Anne Bracegirdle as Angelica,
Elizabeth Bowman
Elizabeth Bowman (c. 1677 – 1707) was an English stage actor of the seventeenth and early eighteenth century.Caines p.149 The daughter of Sir Francis Watson, 1st Baronet she was adopted by the actor manager Thomas Betterton. In 1692 she married ...
as Mrs Foresight,
Elizabeth Barry
Elizabeth Barry (1658 – 7 November 1713) was an English actress of the Restoration period.
Elizabeth Barry's biggest influence on Restoration drama was her presentation of performing as the tragic actress. She worked in large, prestigious ...
as Mrs Frail,
Elinor Leigh
Elinor Leigh was a British stage actor of the seventeenth century.
Born Elinor Dixon, she was billed as Mrs Leigh or Mrs Lee after she married the actor Anthony Leigh in 1671. This has led to some difficulty distinguishing on playbills between he ...
as Nurse and
Abigail Lawson
Abigail Lawson was an English stage actor of the seventeenth and early eighteenth century. She was a member of the United Company, making her first known appearance in ''The Marriage-Hater Matched'' by Thomas D'Urfey in 1692. From 1695 she was pa ...
as Jenny.
Characters
The play is a comical farce enlivened by its witty dialogue and its humorous characters, and perhaps more successful in its day than ''
The Way of the World
''The Way of the World'' is a play written by the English playwright William Congreve. It premiered in early March 1700 in the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. It is widely regarded as one of the best Restoration comedies and is stil ...
'', now considered Congreve's best. The main character is Valentine, then Jeremy, Valentine's resourceful servant; Sir Sampson, with his 'blunt vivacity'; Ben, the rough young sea-dog, who intends to marry whom he chooses; Miss Prue, only too ready to learn the lessons in love given her by Tattle, the vain, half-witted beau, who finds himself married to Mrs. Frail, the lady of easy virtue, when he thinks he has captured Angelica; and Foresight, the gullible old astrologer.
Dramatis Personae
*''Sir Sampson Legend'', father to Valentine and Ben
*''Valentine'', fallen under his father's displeasure by his expensive way of living, in love with Angelica
*''Scandal'', his friend, a free speaker
*''Tattle'', a half-witted beau, vain of his amours, yet valuing himself for secrecy
*''Ben'', Sir Sampson's younger son, half home-bred and half sea-bred, designed to marry Miss Prue
*''Foresight'', an illiterate old fellow, peevish and positive, superstitious, and pretending to understand astrology, palmistry, physiognomy, omens, dreams, etc., uncle to Angelica
*''Jeremy'', servant to Valentine
*''Trapland'', a scrivener
*''Buckram'', a lawyer
*''Angelica'', niece to Foresight, of a considerable fortune in her own hands
*''Mrs. Foresight'', second wife to Foresight
*''Mrs. Frail'', sister to Mrs. Foresight, a woman of the town
*''Miss Prue'', daughter to Foresight by a former wife, a silly, awkward country girl
*''Nurse'', to Miss Prue
*''Jenny'', maid to Angelica
*A Steward, Officers, Sailors, and several servants
Plot
Valentine has fallen under the displeasure of his father by his extravagance, and is besieged by creditors. His father, Sir Sampson Legend, offers him £4000 (only enough to pay his debts) if he will sign a
bond
Bond or bonds may refer to:
Common meanings
* Bond (finance), a type of debt security
* Bail bond, a commercial third-party guarantor of surety bonds in the United States
* Chemical bond, the attraction of atoms, ions or molecules to form chemica ...
engaging to make over his right to his inheritance to his younger brother Ben. Valentine, to escape from his embarrassment, signs the bond. He is in love with Angelica, who possesses a fortune of her own, but so far she has not yielded to his suit. Sir Sampson has arranged a match between Ben, who is at sea, and Miss Prue, an awkward country girl, the daughter of Foresight, a superstitious old fool who claims to be an astrologer. Valentine, realizing the ruin entailed by the signature of the bond, tries to move his father by submission, and fails; then pretends to be mad and unable to sign the final deed of
conveyance to his brother. Finally Angelica intervenes. She induces Sir Sampson to propose marriage to her, pretends to accept, and gets possession of Valentine's bond. When Valentine, in despair at finding that Angelica is about to marry his father, declares himself ready to sign the conveyance, she reveals the plot, tears up the bond, and declares her love for Valentine.
[G. Salgado, ''Three Restoration Comedies: The Man of Mode, The Country Wife, Love for love'', Penguin Classics (2005), ''s.v. "Love for Love"''.]
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
*Congreve, William (2000). ''Love for Love''. London, England: A & C Black Limited.
*Salgado, Gamini ''Three Restoration Comedies: The Man of Mode, The Country Wife, Love for love'', Penguin Classics (2005).
*Erskine-Hill, H., Lindsay, A. (eds), ''William Congreve: The Critical Heritage'', Routledge (1995).
External links
* .
*
Scene from Love for Love*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Love for Love
1695 plays
Restoration comedy
Plays by William Congreve
Plays set in the 17th century