Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Richard Brinsley Sheridan was born in Dublin, Ireland, on October 30, 1751. He was the third son of Thomas and Frances Sheridan, both of whom were writers and educators. He attended Harrow School from 1762 to 1768, where he showed a talent for writing and debating. In 1770, he moved with his family to Bath, where he met and fell in love with Elizabeth Ann Linley, a celebrated singer. He eloped with her to France in 1772, after fighting two duels with her admirer, Thomas Mathews. They married in London in 1773, and Sheridan began his career as a playwright. His first play, The Rivals, was staged at Covent Garden Theatre in 1775, and was followed by The Duenna, a comic opera, later that year. Both plays were successful and established Sheridan as a leading dramatist of his time. In 1776, he became the manager and part-owner of the Drury Lane Theatre, where he produced his most famous play, The School for Scandal, in 1777. He also wrote The Critic, a satire on the theatre, and adapted several other plays, such as A Trip to Scarborough and Pizarro. Sheridan's plays are known for their witty dialogue, comic characters, and social satire. They influenced later writers such as Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw. Sheridan also entered politics as a member of the Whig party. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1780, representing Stafford, Westminster, and Ilchester at different times. He was a close friend and ally of Charles James Fox, the leader of the Whigs, and a fierce opponent of William Pitt, the prime minister. He was renowned for his eloquence and wit as an orator, and delivered several famous speeches on topics such as the impeachment of Warren Hastings, the governor-general of India, the French Revolution, and the abolition of slavery. He also served as the Treasurer of the Navy from 1806 to 1807, under the ministry of Lord Grenville. Sheridan's personal life was marked by tragedy and financial difficulties. His first wife, Elizabeth, died in 1792, leaving him with seven children. He remarried in 1795, to Esther Jane Ogle, the daughter of the dean of Winchester. He lost his seat in Parliament in 1812, and his theatre was destroyed by fire in 1809. He was heavily in debt and suffered from ill health. He died of tuberculosis on July 7, 1816, in London. He was buried at Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey, among the most distinguished writers of Britain.