The Old Bachelor: A Comedy

Congreve, William, 1670-1729Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 190K words
Chapters: 20

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Old Bachelor: A Comedy by William CongreveAuthor: Congreve, William, 1670-1729,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Feb 1, 1998

Editor's review

The Old Bachelor: A Comedy is an early comedy by William Congreve and an important text for understanding the starting point of his dramatic style. This edition is a free English eBook from Project Gutenberg, in the public domain and easy to obtain. The play revolves around the figure of the bachelor and his dealings with courtship and marriage, generating humor through witty dialogue and exaggerated characterization, and reflecting the Restoration comedy's fondness for gallantry and scheming. Its value for readers lies in two aspects: on the one hand, it allows observation of the continuity between Congreve's early technique and his later works; on the other, the rhetoric and satire in the dialogue provide lively material for English language learners. Because the electronic edition is plainly formatted and lacks modern annotations, it suits readers with some foundation in English literature to read independently, or for use as a companion original text in courses. With additional materials on theater history, readers can more clearly grasp the character arrangements and the tastes of the era.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English literature students who need to compare Congreve's early and later plays
Theater readers with good English who want to encounter Restoration comedy in the original
Literature enthusiasts studying the bachelor figure and courtship themes
Independent learners who need a free public-domain English play script

Not a good fit for

Readers with limited English reading ability who rely on Chinese translations and notes
Users of editions seeking detailed textual collation and scholarly introductions
Readers who prefer modern novelistic narrative and are unaccustomed to dramatic dialogue

Reading tips

First browse the character list and act structure to build a character relationship map
Read key dialogue aloud to feel the wit and rhythm, then review the plot development
Read alongside Congreve's other comedies to observe stylistic evolution
After each act, briefly summarize the central conflict to avoid confusing plot threads

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this the complete play or an excerpt?

This is the English electronic text of The Old Bachelor: A Comedy released by Project Gutenberg, comprising the complete public-domain content of the play rather than an excerpt. The specific formatting and act divisions follow the actual presentation of the electronic edition.

What background knowledge should I prepare before reading?

It is advisable to understand the social mores, views on marriage, and theatrical traditions of late seventeenth-century Restoration England, and to be familiar with the witty dialogue and character types common in comedy. With this background, the satire and humor will be easier to grasp.

Is the electronic edition suitable for printing and reading?

It can be printed, but note that this edition is plainly formatted, and the font and line spacing may not be suitable for prolonged paper reading. For close reading, it is recommended to adjust the format yourself or use an annotated edition alongside it.

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About the author

Congreve, William, 1670-1729 Author

William Congreve (1670–1729) was a major representative of English Restoration comedy. The library holds seven of his works, including the comedies The Old Bachelor, The Double-Dealer, Love for Love and The Way of the World, as well as the novella Incognita; or, Love and Duty Reconcil'd and The Library of William Congreve. His comedies mostly treat love, marriage and property entanglements among London high society; their plots are skillfully constructed, their dialogue sharp and witty, and their characters intelligent with a touch of satire, making them models of the comedy of manners. The Way of the World is especially noted for its tight structure and polished language and has deeply influenced later English comedy. Public information is limited, so biographical details are not elaborated here; readers may appreciate his style and dramatic achievement through the plays mentioned above.