Thomas Otway

Born in Sussex in 1652, he was educated at Winchester College and entered Christ Church, Oxford, but left without taking a degree. He later tried acting in London, though without much success, and turned instead to writing for the stage.

He became one of the notable dramatists of the Restoration period. His best-known works include The Orphan (1680) and Venice Preserv'd (1682), plays admired for their emotional power and their focus on love, betrayal, and moral conflict. Critics have often seen him as a writer who brought a more human, tender note to English tragedy.

His life was brief and financially troubled, and he died in London in 1685. Even so, his plays continued to be read and performed, and he remains an important figure in the history of English drama.