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Elizabeth Griffith (née Griffith) (1727 – 5 January 1793), sometimes also credited Elizabeth Griffiths,〔(''Bell's British theatre: consisting of the most esteemed English plays'', Volume 30 )〕 was an 18th-century Irish dramatist, fiction writer, essayist and actress, best known for her edition of Shakespeare's comedies published in 1775. == Biography == Elizabeth Griffith was born in Glamorgan, Wales, to Dublin theater manager Thomas Griffith and Jane Foxcroft Griffith on 11 October, 1727.() “The family settled in Dublin, where they brought up Elizabeth to be a sociable child, cheerful and at ease among the theatrical community”.〔Eger, Elizabeth. “Griffith, Elizabeth (1727–1793).” Elizabeth EgerOxford Dictionary of National Biography. Ed. H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. Oxford: OUP, 2004. Online ed. Ed. Lawrence Goldman. May 2009. 1 Dec. 2015 Elizabeth and Richard’s five year courtship provided the basis for her first publication, ''A Series of Genuine Letters Between Henry and Frances'', published in six volumes between 1757 and 1770. The letters include many references to “literary and philosophical subjects of mutual interest, like the letters of Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope or Cicero's ''Offices''; Griffith valued the opportunity to build upon her education.〔Staves, Susan. "Elizabeth Griffith." Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Dramatists: Third Series. Ed. Paula R. Backscheider. Detroit: Gale, 1989. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 89. Literature Resource Center. Web. 1 Dec. 2015〕 Letters between Henry and Frances was an immediate success that generated fame, but not wealth, for both writers. Richard traveled once the couple had married and was absent for extended periods. He had borrowed a large sum of money to develop a linen business, which went bankrupt in 1756. During this time, and while Richard was avoiding debtor's court, income generated by Griffith's writing sustained the family. Griffith continued her acting career at Covent Garden, in London, from 1753 to 1755,〔Napier, Elizabeth R. "Elizabeth Griffith." British Novelists, 1660-1800. Ed. Martin C. Battestin. Detroit: Gale, 1985. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 39. Literature Resource Center. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.〕 though she never played more than minor characters. During the initial success of the ''Letters'', Elizabeth published many translations of French works and plays. Between 1764 and 1769, she published four plays with varying degrees of success. Griffith’s third play, ''The Double Mistake'' (1766) was well received at Covent Garden, the success of which emboldened her to approach David Garrick for help staging her next play. Griffith collaborated with Garrick to produce her most successful comedy, ''The School for Rakes'', in 1769.() While the two had a tumultuous relationship, Garrick’s influence on Griffith was clear; so much so, that even after his death that in the advertisement for her comedy, ''The Times'', she attributed the “first idea of this piece” to the late Garrick. Though the connections she made at Smock Alley Theater in Dublin had more influence on the play’s production. Richard Sheridan, the son of her acting mentor Thomas Sheridan, produced ''The Times'', at Drury Lane. While her fame was not the direct result of her acting career, Griffith’s theatrical connections were invaluable to her success. Elizabeth Griffith’s literary production was steady from 1760 to 1779, garnering her significant notoriety in the literary circles of London. She published essays, epistolary novels, novelettes, translations, and literary criticism. This large body of diverse works suggests that Griffith was a hard-working professional writer, though the last decade of her life was free of the financial struggles endured by she and Richard throughout their marriage. Griffith's son worked for the East India Company as an accountant, and eventually returned to Ireland in 1786. He settled at Millicent House in Kildare, and Griffith and her husband lived out the rest of their days at this residence. Griffith died at Millicent House in 1793.() 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Elizabeth Griffith」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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