Genre
The Way of the World
by William Congreve

The Way of the World: Genre 1 key example

Genre
Explanation and Analysis:

The Way of the World is a Restoration comedy, sometimes called a comedy of manners. The play takes place in the late 17th-century London and first premiered in 1700; throughout the entire 17th century, there was a great deal of political change in England and its colonies. The biggest upheavals were the Interregnum and the Restoration. In 1649, King Charles I was executed, and the English monarchy was replaced by a Commonwealth (a kind of republican government). In 1660, King Charles II returned from exile and was restored to the throne, reinstating the monarchy. The intervening period is known as the Interregnum (period between kings). The period after King Charles II returned and up through the time Congreve wrote is called the Restoration.