Play on Words

full length · drama

The Old Bachelor: A Comedy

by William Congreve

16 roles (0M / 0F / 16 any) · approx 131–182 minutes · 5 acts

Royalty-free Public domain — free to read, perform, and adapt. No licence needed.

Characters

Bell lead 152 speeches
Sharp supporting 119 speeches
Sir Jo supporting 89 speeches
Vain supporting 66 speeches
Heart supporting 64 speeches
Belin supporting 64 speeches
Fond supporting 61 speeches
Læt supporting 61 speeches
Aram supporting 58 speeches
Bluff supporting 52 speeches
Lucy minor 46 speeches
Set minor 31 speeches
Silv minor 28 speeches
Setter minor 24 speeches
Bar minor 6 speeches
Foot minor 5 speeches

Read the play

_A Room in Fondlewife’s House_.

A SERVANT _introducing_ BELLMOUR, _in fanatic habit_, _with a patch upon one eye and a book in his hand_.

SERV. Here’s a chair, sir, if you please to repose yourself. My mistress is coming, sir.

Bell. Secure in my disguise I have out-faced suspicion and even dared discovery. This cloak my sanctity, and trusty Scarron’s novels my prayer-book; methinks I am the very picture of Montufar in the Hypocrites. Oh! she comes.

Monologues from this play