The University Wits

Introduction

The University Wits were a group of highly qualified scholars who belonged to Oxford and Cambridge. These scholars greatly influenced the trend and tone of English drama at one hand and left much fascination for the dramatists who came after these scholars. The notable dramatists who were greatly influenced by this group of scholars were William Shakespeare and John Webster. It is also said that William Shakespeare borrowed some material from these scholars. For instance, Hamlet is greatly inspired by Thomas Kyd’s Spanish Tragedy.

These young writers who are in the group of University Wits were acquainted with each other to some extent. One of the most common features among them was that most of these had led an irregular and stormy life full of ups and downs. However, due to many similar features in their works, they were branded as a group that is widely termed as University Wits. It is noted through the study of their artistic works that there are numerous features that were common among them. First of all, they liked heroic themes, which were centered around the lives of significant figures. As their themes were heroic, they marvelously treated them. In their works, we can trace variety, diversity, fabulous descriptions, lofty speeches, and incidents that involve violent acts and are full of emotional scenes.

Secondly, their narration style is also heroic, which is in line with the loftiness of their themes. That is why it is noted that they were able to create strong and impactful lines. The most eloquent among them was Christopher Marlowe. He was well-versed and is known for his use of blank verse.
Thirdly, the themes of these scholars were usually tragic in nature. It is also a very common feature in their works. Especially those works composed by them in the early phase of their artistic career lacked humorous and comic situations. Even when they tried to incorporate humor and comic elements, it seemed immature and out of place in comparison to other texts.
University Wits contributed a great deal to the nourishment of English drama. As duly acknowledged by Allardyce Nicoll, “they laid a sure basis for the English theatre.” Through their greatness in maintaining the classical norms along with their several innovations, they not only left an everlasting impression on English drama in a concise span of time but also fanned the imagination of the greatest dramatist of all times, William Shakespeare, in both form and theme. It is due to their contribution that enabled Shakespeare.

1. John Lyly (1554 to 1606)
2. George Peele (1556 to 1596)
3. Thomas Kyd (1558 to 1594)
4. Robert Greene (1558 to 1592)
5. Thomas Lodge (1558 to 1625)
6. Thomas Nashe (1567 to 1601)
7. Christopher Marlowe (1564 to 1593)

Thomas Kyd

Thomas Kyd is a significant name as far as University Wits are concerned. He is the one who is deemed to have originated the concept of the revenge play. The features of this tone of play can frequently be seen in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and other plays of the Elizabethan age. The most famous of his works is Spanish Tragedy. Its horrifying plot and madness, along with murder and death, give it an everlasting popular touch.

Christopher Marlowe

Christopher Marlowe was the most influential and greatest writer among University Wits. He gave a tragic vision to English plays and literature. He had no liking for comic or humorous events and scenes. His art of crafting character was very simple, but his plots lacked the loftiness that was seen later in William Shakespeare’s works. The most notable thing about his characterization is that the plot revolves mainly around one character, which is why his plays are termed as one-man-show.
However, to estimate his true worth, we must put aside these ideas and look at his poetic vision and craftsmanship. He was a lyricist and romantic who had a quest for beauty and love. Artistically, his plays are highly poetic. His verse is famous for its matchless diction, sensuous enrichment, and responsiveness towards varying moods and tones. He is known as the creator of “mighty lines,” a term given by Ben Jonson. His great plays include The Jew of Malta, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Edward II, Tamburlaine, and Queen of Carthage.

John Lyly

John Lyly was another influential writer of the University Wits. He was born in 1553 in Kent, England. He published his first piece of art in the form of the novel ‘The Anatomy of Wit’ in 1578, which was full of romance, adventure, and travel and attained a fabulous sensation among the readers. His second attempt was Euphues and His England, which was published in 1580. His success and sensation were due to his unusual matchless writing style. Later, he turned towards drama and dramatic art, and between 1584 and 1592, he directed more than seven plays, which were as much a source of delight for the audience as were his books earlier.
In 1592, he abandoned the art of dramatization, and hence, both his fame and repute began to decline, which continued till his death in 1606. The most amazing thing about Lyly was his writing style, which captivated London to a great extent. His style of narration has a few very distinctive features. One of them is short, crispy parallel sentences and phrases, which capture the attention of readers. The second one is the striking utilization of similes derived from natural history and myth. Third, and perhaps the most fascinating, is the oft-repeated usage of alliteration in his works.

Robert Greene

Robert Greene was also an influential figure in the University Wits. The writing of Robert Greene is full of wit, imagination, and humor, which highlights his role as a key dramatist. As far as his style is concerned, it is not of the highest quality, but his sense of humor is matchless. In addition, his method is less strict than that of other tragedians. However, he lacks in crafting fabulous characters in his works. Robert Greene has written more and in a reckless manner. His role is very much immense as far as his contribution to English drama is concerned. His famous works are The Scottish History of James IV and The Antony of Lovers’ Flatteries.

Thomas Nashe

Thomas Nashe, another scholar at the University Wits, was a journalist by birth. He participated in political affairs rather actively. The tone of his writing is satirical. His writings Unfortunate Traveler and The Life of Jack Wilton contributed significantly to the nourishment of English novels. However, as far as his dramatic art and writing are concerned, that is almost inconsiderable. He is more influential in his fiction than in his dramatic works.

George Peele

George Peele attained much literary and artistic fame among all the University Wits due to his well-known plays, such as Famous Chronicle of King Edward the First, The Old Wives Tales, The Love of King David and Fair Bethsabe. The chief features of his works are romance, historical and satirical representations of events. Moreover, his narration style is also violent enough to be termed absurd. The way he treated blank verse is matchless, and he has his own moments of poetry that can be seen in his works. His narration is fluent and full of humor and pathos. In short, he is well versed due to the poetical potential of his verse, which has distinguished him from the rest of the writers of the University Wits group.

Thomas Lodge

Thomas Lodge had studied legal dynamics, but after leaving his law studies, he plunged into the literary horizon. Although his literary creations are few, he is reported to be an actor of his time. The most fascinating of his works is Rosalynde, which is said to have been adopted by William Shakespeare in his play As You Like It. Like Nashe, his dramatic art is also not worth mentioning as compared to his fictional work, which is summed up by Gosson as; “little better than a vagrant, looser than liberty, lighter than vanity itself.” And Allardyce Nicoll considered him as “the least of the University Wits, for he gave practically nothing to the theatre.”