The University Wits were a group of English Renaissance dramatists and poets in the late 16th century who were educated at the University of Oxford or Cambridge. They made notable contributions to the development of English drama. The most prominent member was Christopher Marlowe, who introduced heroic themes and tragic elements. Other key University Wits included John Lyly, George Peele, Robert Greene, and Thomas Kyd. They helped establish different genres like romantic comedy and tragedy, and influenced later playwrights like William Shakespeare.

1. UNIVERSITY WITS
The group of seven writers

2. UNIVERSITY WITS
 The pre-Shakespearean
dramatists are known as the
University Wits. They are so
called because they were
associated with the University
of Cambridge or Oxford. The
constellation of the University
Wits consists minor stars like
Thomas Kyd, John Lyly, George
Peele, Robert Greene, Thomas
Lodge and Thomas Nash, all of
whom revolved round the
central sun, Christopher
Marlowe.

4.  These university men were usually actors as well as
dramatists. They knew the stage and the audience
and in writing their plays they remembered not only
the actor’s part but also the audience’s love for
stories and brave spectacles. Their training began as
actors and then they revised old plays and finally
became independent writers. They often worked
together as Shakespeare worked with Marlowe and
Fletcher either in revising old plays or in creating
new ones. They were romantic in their attitude and
represented the spirit of Renaissance.

5. CONTRIBUTION OF THE UNIVERSITY WITS TO
DRAMA
 The university wits contributed to the formation of the
Romantic Comedy which blossomed forth in the hands of
Shakespeare. Lyly, the courtier, made notable contribution
to the formation of the English Comedy. The comedies of
Lyly are romantic as well as witty. The comedies of Peele
are both satirical and humorous. There is the charm of
romantic humour in his comedies such as ‘ Old Wives’ Tale’.
In ‘Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay ‘ of Greene.
 The University Wits, in spite of their loose plots, made
some advance in plot construction and in harmonizing the
different threads of their stories into a perfect whole.

6.  In ‘Friar Bacon and friar Bungay’ there are several threads which
have been harmonized in a beautiful way. This play anticipates
Shakespeare’s skill in constructing the plot of ‘The Merchant of
Venice’ and ‘ A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
 The university wits prepared the ground for the historical plays of
Shakespeare. Marlowe’s ‘Edward III’ prepares the way for ‘Richard
II’ of Shakespeare, Greene’s ‘History of Alphonsus King of Aragon’
and ‘Scottish History of James IV are a prelude to the historical
plays of Shakespeare.
 The University wits had fondness for heroic themes. Such as the
lives of great figures like Tamburlaine. It was Marlowe who raised
the subject matter of the drama to higher level. He provided big
heroic subjects that appealed to the imagination of the readers.

7.  These dramatists prepared the way for the later tragedy. Marlowe
revolutionized the whole conception of medieval tragedy. For the
middle ages, tragedy was a thing of princes, for Marlowe it was a
matter of individual heroes. Marlowe introduced the element of
struggle in the tragedy. He also refuse to impart moral touch to
his tragedies. Thus, the University wits made notable contribution
and prepared the way for Shakespeare.
 Heroic themes needed heroic treatment:; gratefulness and
variety; splendid descriptions, long swelling speeches, the
handling of violent incidents and emotions. All these qualities
were imparted to drama by Marlowe. Poetry was added to
dramatic production by Peele and Lyly. They made drama poetic.
The University wits made definite improvement in the art of
characterization.

8.  Lyly made advances in the presentation of Characters fitted for
romantic comedies. His characters were witty and intellectually
sharp. Marlowe gave life and reality to characters meant for
tragedy. Marlowe’s characters were no longer puppets pulled by a
string, but living and breathing realities.
 In all those ways of University Wits prepared the ground for
Shakespeare and made notable contribution to the growth of
Drama during the Elizabethan Age.

9. CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE (1564-1593)
 The most important dramatist before
Shakespeare among the University Wits was
Marlowe. He has left behind powerful
tragedies- Tamburlaine, Doctor Faustus, The
Jew of Malta, Edward II. His tragedies are
one man type of tragedy in which the hero
dominates over the rest of the characters
and drafts them by his towering personality.
He is the main figure in the university wits.
His great contribution to drama was that he
raised the subject matter of drama to a
higher level. He provide big heroic subjects
that appealed to the imagination of the
audience.

10. JOHN LYLY (1554-1606)
 He wrote comedies and his comedies were
intended for the child actors in royal service.
His charming romantic plays are all comedies.
His plays are – Women in the Moon,
Endymion, Seppho and Phao, Alexander and
Compaspe, Midas, Mother Bombie and Love’s
Metamorphosis. His comedies, mythological
plays and allegorical plays are extremely witty
in character. Wit and humour, found generally
in sparkling dialogues, characterize his
comedies.

11. GEORGE PEELE (1558- 1597)
 He was almost certainly a successful
player as well as playwright, and his
lyrics were popular in literary circles.
He has left behind a pastoral, a
romantic tragedy, a chronicle history,
a kind of mystery play and romantic
literary satire. His main plays are- The
Araygnement of Paris, The Famous
Chronicle of King Edward I, The Old
Wives Tale, The love for King David
and Bathsheba. He is noted for his
poetic style and decorative phrases.

12. ROBERT GREENE (1558-92)
 He left behind five plays-
1) The comical history of Alphonsus King of
Aragon, 2) A looking glass for London and
England, 3) Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay,
4) The history of Orlando Furioso, 5) The
Scottish History of James IV.
His indebtedness to drama was not only in the
direction of romantic setting and weaving
of plot. In characterisation too he made
notable contribution.

13. THOMAS NASH (1567- 1601)
 1589 The Anatomy of Absurdity
 1589 Preface to Greene's Menaphon
 1590 An Almond for a Parrot
 1591 Preface to Sir Philip Sidney's
Astrophel and Stella
 1592 Pierce Penniless
 1592 Summer's Last Will and
Testament (play performed 1592, published
1600)
 1592 Strange News
 1593 Christ's Tears over Jerusalem
 1594 Terrors of the Night
 1594 The Unfortunate Traveller
 1596 Have with You to Saffron-Walden
 1597 Isle of Dogs (Lost)
 1599 Nashe's Lenten Stuffe

14. THOMAS LODGE (1558- 1625)
 His first romance ‘ The Delectable Histories
of Forbonius and Priscilla in 1584, and
Scillaes Metamorphosis in 1589. He wrote
his second and best known romances,
Rosalynde, Euphues Golden Legacie in
1590.
 Shakespeare followed it very closely in the
plot of ‘As you like it’.

15. THOMAS KYD (1558-1594)
 He could translate an exciting story into a tense
series of striking situations effectively linked by
suspense and surprise.
 In his ‘ Spanish Tragedy’ he employs the whole
Senecan apparatus of horror- ghost, hanging,
stabbing, madness, pistolling and suicide.
 The Spanish Tragedy is a revenge play.
 The Spanish Tragedy is an organic creation, and
fully deserved its widespread influence. It holds
a unique place in dramatic literature, reaching
back to Gorboduc and forward to Shakespeare’s
early plays, probably even to ‘Hamlet’ and ‘King
Lear’.

16. REFERENCES
 A History of English literature by J.N. Mundra
and S.C. Mundra
 Images from Internet