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For a period, he attempted to make a career as an artist. He set up as a portrait-painter in 1868. He had some success, despite limited artistic training, but his disorderly lifestyle and reputation for missing appointments undermined his career. He also painted narrative works.
464:, was written by his brother Freeman Wills in 1898. However, even by then Wills' reputation was in decline. His works were very rarely revived or read after his death and have been subject to some scathing criticism. Richard Cordell described
322:(1872) must strike anyone who has seen or read that play not only as ridiculous, but as a sacrifice of dramatic for theatrical effect; and, to judge from contemporary criticism, his treatment of John Knox in the unpublished
291:, which had great success. Wills' plays were typically in verse, participating in the revival of verse drama at the time. From this time until 1887 his plays were rarely absent from the London stage.
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In 1887 his mother, whom he had supported for many years, died. After that time, Wills seemed to have less incentive for work, and died four years later.
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where he took no degree, but was awarded the Vice-Chancellor's Medal for his poem "Poland." He later left the university and enrolled at the
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as "a flatulent
Napoleonic piece", adding that Wills "wavered between uninspired verse plays and noisy melodrama". Peter Thomson calls
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in an Irish magazine, he travelled to London, and for some time wrote for periodicals without much success. A second novel,
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as "an amazing picture of
Charles as the guileless prince yoked to a perfect queen, with Cromwell as the heavy villain."
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He found his true vein in drama, and produced over 30 plays, after having his first major success with
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306:. These works have been strongly criticised for their freedom with historical fact. Harold Child in
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was dramatised with some success. Wills then chose to live a bohemian lifestyle, lodging at the
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The
Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21). Volume XIII.
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Though he had originally planned to study law, Wills preferred the arts. His first novel was
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One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
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448:. It tells the story of a German composer inspired by a young woman whom he imagines to be
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in 1890, but it remained unproduced as Irving was unhappy with the work. He asked
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W. G. Wills.; A Biography of the Irish
Bohemian Playwright, New York Times, 1898.
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253:(1867), which was shown in London and New York. In 1872 he was engaged by the
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541:. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 689–690.
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590:. No. 7660. New South Wales, Australia. 16 December 1891. p. 4
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166:(28 January 1828 – 13 December 1891), usually known as
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with an annual salary. Some of his most notable works there were
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Jeffrey
Richards, "Henry Irving: the Actor-manager as Auteur",
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444:, in the manner of Browning, was strongly recommended by
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The
Cambridge History of English and American Literature
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421:(1867), both of which deal with the aftermath of the
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to rewrite it. Irving also commissioned a version of
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Wills was born at
Blackwell lodge in Kilmurry, near
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294:Many of his plays were based on historical events.
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628:, R. Long & R.R. Smith, New York, 1932, p.6.
170:, was an Irish dramatist, novelist and painter.
372:story. In 1880 he created a revised version of
192:Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen
798:19th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights
349:(which ran for eight months at the Adelphi),
750:. London: J. M. Dent & Sons – via
695:, University of Exeter Press, 2000, p.158.
598:– via National Library of Australia.
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813:People from Thomastown, County Kilkenny
626:Henry Arthur Jones and the Modern Drama
610:, A. W. Ward & A. R. Waller (eds),
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16:19th century Irish dramatist and artist
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652:Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving
793:Irish male dramatists and playwrights
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236:, Oil on canvas – Private Collection.
202:in Dublin where he studied painting.
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665:Nineteenth Century Theatre and Film
186:, Ireland, the son of the Reverend
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667:. Volume 32. Issue 2., 2005, p.20f
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462:W. G. Wills: Dramatist and Painter
452:. He also wrote many song lyrics.
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304:England in the Days of Charles II
37:Portrait of W. G. Wills, c. 1898.
818:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin
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717:Dictionary of National Biography
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808:19th-century Irish male artists
720:. Vol. 62. pp. 47–49.
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654:Macmillan, 1906, Vol. 1, p.253.
608:Harold Child, The Victorian Age
478:alludes to him and to his play
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637:"Miss Ellen Terry's Benefit",
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409:He wrote several novels after
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711:"Wills, William Gorman"
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823:Artists from County Kilkenny
788:Writers from County Kilkenny
360:Wills worked regularly with
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778:19th-century Irish painters
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368:in 1878, a version of the
330:Richard Cordell described
803:19th-century male writers
708:Seccombe, Thomas (1900).
587:The Evening News (Sydney)
582:"Death of Mr W. G. Wills"
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117:Painter, playwright, poet
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398:but did not produce it.
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538:Encyclopædia Britannica
423:Great Famine of Ireland
200:Royal Hibernian Academy
196:Trinity College, Dublin
190:(1790–1868), author of
108:Royal Hibernian Academy
104:Trinity College, Dublin
472:"semi poetic drivel".
386:. Irving commissioned
364:. Irving produced his
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289:The Vicar of Wakefield
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221:. He later joined the
725:Biography at Whistler
533:Wills, William Gorman
427:Life's Foreshadowings
326:(1874) was no better.
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287:, a dramatisation of
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174:Early life and career
742:Cousin, John William
693:On Actors and Acting
624:Richard A. Cordell,
425:. He also published
379:King René's Daughter
337:Other plays include
164:William Gorman Wills
47:William Gorman Wills
783:Irish male painters
641:, 23 May 1880, p. 6
419:The Love That Kills
411:The Wife's Evidence
300:Mary Queen of Scots
234:Ophelia and Laertes
215:The Wife's Evidence
126:Ophelia and Laertes
314:His caricature of
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251:The Man of Airlie
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481:A Royal Divorce
460:His biography,
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440:narrative poem
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370:Flying Dutchman
316:Oliver Cromwell
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184:County Kilkenny
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592:. Retrieved
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484:(concerning
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436:Wills' long
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374:Henrik Hertz
366:Vanderdecken
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133:Notable work
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75:(1891-12-13)
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773:1891 deaths
768:1828 births
476:James Joyce
470:Eugene Aram
446:Oscar Wilde
438:blank verse
417:(1863) and
405:Other works
396:Don Quixote
388:King Arthur
310:commented,
266:Eugene Aram
188:James Wills
168:W. G. Wills
92:Nationality
25:W. G. Wills
762:Categories
752:Wikisource
500:References
486:Napoleon's
456:Reputation
278:Buckingham
272:Jane Shore
180:Thomastown
85:London, UK
60:Kilmurry,
53:1828-01-28
490:Joséphine
332:Charles I
320:Charles I
296:Charles I
211:Old Times
207:Old Times
148:Signature
138:Charles I
100:Education
64:, Ireland
744:(1910).
442:Melchior
384:Iolanthe
376:'s play
351:Claudian
739::
682:, p. 6.
679:Reviews
639:The Era
594:15 June
526::
520:
284:Olivia
281:, and
355:Faust
347:Ninon
343:Juana
339:Hinko
245:Drama
142:Faust
95:Irish
596:2021
429:and
302:and
70:Died
43:Born
535:".
318:in
182:in
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617:^
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556:^
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51:(
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