Life summary: Born in Berkshire to George Etherege and Mary Powney, he was the eldest of six children. He attended Lord William's School, apprenticed as a lawyer, and later traveled to France with his father. He visited Constantinople, serving a secretarial position for the English ambassador, Sir Daniel Harvey. He gambled, and was knighted before marrying Mary Sheppard Arnold. He served in the imperial German court, eventually following James II in exile. He died in Paris in 1692.
Major Works:The Comical Revenge or Love in a Tub, The Man of Mode or, Sir Fopling Flutter, She Would if She Could
Place in Life: Social Context: As an educated diplomat, Etherege could write at his leisure. His role in society gave him an inside view of aristocratic affairs.
His own life sometimes mirrored that of his characters. During his stay in Ratisbon, his vices had an effect on his career: "Indeed, his hostile and conspiratorial secretary sent home lurid accounts of the outrageous excesses perpetrated by his superior. Even if, as seems likely, the secretary's malice and distaste for Etherege caused him to exaggerate, tit remains clear that discretion was still not one of the latter's qualities." (Cordner xi)
18th Century Lit. Importance: Etherege's comedies delighted audiences; his work with the fops and beaux of London painted a representation of 18th century social relationships, and the vices that accompanied them.
The comedy of manners became a popular genre during the late 17th century and Etherege's contributions became inspirations for authors in the 18th century public sphere.