SOURCE: Elwin, Malcolm. “Lee and Otway.” In Handbook to Restoration Drama, pp. 121-45. Port Washington, N.Y.: Kennikat Press, 1966.

In the following excerpt, originally published in 1928, Elwin offers a brief overview of Otway's life and plays, drawing attention to what he considers Otway's masterpiece, Venice Preserv'd.

Thomas Otway's Venice Preserved has held the stage down to modern times and preserved his own name for the attention of every devotee to the slightest study of the drama. The sad story of his short life was known to every early Victorian society miss who sat through a presentation of his greatest play and, with fond fancy and the very utmost secrecy, tried to picture herself in the portrait of his Belvidera. Nevertheless, he has not been rendered exact justice, for he wrote two other tragedies of distinct brilliance and his excursions into comedy are not so completely contemptible as it...