Love for Love

The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature | 2003 | 700+ words | Copyright

Love for Love, a comedy by Congreve, performed 1695.

Sir Sampson Legend offers his extravagant son Valentine £4,000 (only enough to pay his debts) if he will sign over his inheritance to his younger brother Ben. Valentine signs the bond. He is in love with Angelica, who possesses a fortune of her own. 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 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, and gets possession of Valentine's bond. Valentine, finding that Angelica is about to marry his father, generously declares himself ready to sign the conveyance in order to make her happy. She reveals the plot, tears up the bond, and declares her love for Valentine.

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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Love for Love." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Love for Love." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-LoveforLove.html

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Love for Love." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-LoveforLove.html

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