The University Wits

THE UNIVERSITY WITS

The University wits were a group of young dramatists who appeared immediately before Shakespeare. They were  a group of Oxford and Cambridge University scholars who came to London to try their luck as professional playwrights.

 It was the earliest stage of the development of drama as a popular means of entertainment in public theatres and playhouses. These University scholars wrote plays for acting in halls and public playhouses. The young scholars included John Lyly, Robert Greene, George Peele Christopher Marlowe, Thomas kyd Thomas Nash and Thomas Lodge. The leader of the university wits was John Lyly but the most powerful of them was Marlowe.

John Lyly chose themes for his plays from Classical Dieties. His popular plays are A MOST EXCELLENT COMEDY OF ALEXANDER COMPASPE, SAPHO AND PHAO, ENDIMION, LOVE'S METAMORPHOSIS. Most of these plays were acted by Choir Children before the Queen. All this place have a touch of of courtly life and behaviour. Lyly refined the English drama and took it out of the alehouse into the courtly Chamber. George Peele plays are The Araygnment of Paris: A Pastoral, The Famous Chronicle Off King Edward the First , The Old Wives Tale and The Love Of King David. Robert Greene was a great scholar and had travelled widely over Europe he was deeply influenced by Italian authors he developed a regular plot expressing the deep human feelings. His contribution to the development of regular and well constructed English grammar is commendable. Thomas lodge Thomas Nash and Thomas kyd contributed to the development of the English drama in their own different ways. 

Christopher marlowe is most outstanding figure amongst the University Wits. His importance can be judged from the opinion of many critics that Marlowe was the model for Shakespeare. Shakespeare learnt  the basic concept of Drama from  Marlowe's Dr Faustus, King Edward II,  Jew Of Malta, Tamburlaine, Dido, the Queen Of Carthage are the most memorable plays produced in English before Shakespeare. Marlowe also gave the model of Blank Verse in drama. Thus, Marlowe, the most powerful member of the university wits, laid down the strong foundation on which English Drama was built on in the ages to come.