How is Love for Love a comedy of intrigue?

William Congreve’s Love for Love is a comedy of intrigue because the focus is on the complexity of the plot, rather than on the characterization. The play is filled with dramatic, absurd situations; intrigues; elaborate schemes; secrets; and passionate love affairs.

For example, the protagonist, Valentine, who is used to a life of privilege and luxury, is forced by his father to sign over his inheritance to his younger brother, Ben, in order to pay off his numerous debts. In exchange, he's promised four thousand pounds. However, he doesn't want to lose his inheritance, and so he tries to manipulate the situation to his own benefit in various ways, albeit unsuccessfully.

The cunning and wealthy Angelica, who is in love with Valentine, wants to see if Valentine truly loves her as much as he claims that he does, so she decides to play around with his heart, seemingly for fun. She pretends that she likes Sir Sampson, Valentine's father, and even agrees to "marry him."

Then we have Sir Sampson and Mr. Foresight, who are way too happy about the arranged marriage between their children Ben and Prue, mainly because they'll combine their wealth; the far from frail Mistress Frail, who becomes "romantically" interested in Ben only after she finds out that he will inherit his father's wealth; and the vain "womanizer" Tattle, who falls in love with Prue but accidentally ends up marrying Mistress Frail instead.

All of the situations directly or indirectly created by these characters only further strengthen the fact that Love for Love is indeed a comedy of intrigue.