University wits

university wits

1. THE UNIVERSITY WITS






BY : PRERNA SHARMA

2. The University Wits
The term university wits was not used in their lifetime ,but was coined by
George saintsbury, a 19
th
–century journalist and author. Saintsbury argues
the ‘rising sap’ of dramatic creativity in the 1580s showed itself in two
separate “branches of the national tree”.
The university wits is a phrase used to name a group of late- 16
th
-century
English playwrights and pamphleteers who were educated at the
universities (oxford or Cambridge) and who became popular secular writers.
It was the earliest stage of the development of drama as a popular means of
entertainment in public theaters and playhouses.

3. Characteristics
•Elizabethan group
•Historian invent
•Attending oxford or Cambridge
•Pioneer of English drama
•Rival of Shakespeare
•Educated renaissance writer

4. John Lyly
Thomas Kyd
George Peele
Robert Greene
Christopher Marlowe
Thomas Nashi
Thomas Lodge
Members of “The university wits”…

5. JOHN LYLY…
John Lyly was an English writer, poet, dramatist, playwright, and politician, best
known for his books Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit and Euphues and His England.
Lyly's mannered literary style, originating in his first books, is known as euphuism.
Born: 1553, Canterbury, United Kingdom
Died: November 1606, London, United Kingdom
Education: Magdalen College
University of Cambridge 
University of Oxford
•Having adopted prose as medium for his expression
•His comedies, mythological plays and allegorical play are extremely witty in
character.

6. Some important plays…
•Campaspe(1584)
•Endymion,the man on the moon (1591)
•Sapho and phao(1584)
•Galathea(1592)
•Midas (1592)
•The women on the moone
•Love’s metamosphosis
•Mother bombie

7. CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE…
Christopher Marlowe was an English playwright, poet and translator of the
Elizabethan era.
Born: Canterbury, United Kingdom
Died: May 30, 1593, Deptford, United Kingdom
Education: University of Cambridge
The King's School, Canterbury
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Literary movement : English renaissance theatre
•The foremost Elizabethan tragedian of his day
•Greatly influenced William Shakespeare
•His plays are known for the use of blank verse and their overreaching
protagonist

8. Some Important Plays…

•Tamburlaine the great (first play in 1590)
•The Jews of Malta(first successful black comedy or tragic
comedy)
•The massacre of Perris
•The tragically history of the life and death of doctor
Faustus
•Hero and Leander

9. GEORGE PEELE…
George Peele was an English translator, poet, and dramatist, who is
most noted for his supposed but not universally accepted
collaboration with William Shakespeare on the play Titus
Andronicus. 
Born: July 25, 1556, London, United Kingdom
Died: November 9, 1596
Education: Pembroke College, Oxford
Christ's Hospital
•A successful player and playwriter
•Left behind a pastoral ,a romantic tragedy, a chronicle tragedy, a
chronicle history , a mystery play and romantic literary satire.
•He has noted for his poetic style and decorative phrases.
•He made no original contribution to drama like Lyly or Marlowe.

10. Some Important Plays…
•The famous chronicle of king Edward the first(1593)
•The Arraignment of Paris(1584)
•The old wives tales(1595)
•The love of king David and Bathsheba(1599)
•The battle of alcazar(1594)
•The device of the Pageant (1585)
•The Life and Death of Jack Straw

11. ROBERT GREENE…
•Robert Greene is an American author and speaker known for his books on strategy,
power and seduction.
•First professional English writer.
•Born: May 14, 1959 , Los Angeles, California, United States
•Education:Cambridge University
Oxford university
•Writers of any genres including autobiograph play and romance

12. Few famous Articles…
International Bestsellers Books:
•The 48 Laws of Power
•The Art of Seduction
•The 33 Strategies of War
•The 50th Law and Mastery.
DRAMA :
•Friar bacon and friar Bungay
•The history of Orlando furioso
•A looking glass for London and England
•The Scottish history of James the fourth
•The comical history of aphonsus,king of argon

13. THOMAS LODGE…
Thomas Lodge was an English physician and author during the
Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.
Born: 1558, London, United Kingdom
Died: 1625, London, United Kingdom
Education: Trinity College
Merchant Taylors' School
•Elizabethan poet, dramatist, satirist, pamphlet, treatise, and prose
writer.

14. Some important works…
•The Wounds of Civil War
•A Looking Glasse, for London and England
•Rosalynde
•Euphues Shadow
•The Life and Death of William Longbeard (1593)
•A Treatise of the Plague (1603)
•A defense of poetry, music, and stage-plays

15. THOMAS NASHE…
Thomas Nashe is considered the greatest of the English Elizabethan
pamphleteers. He was also a playwright, poet, and satirist. He was the
son of the parson William Nashe and Margaret.
Born: November 1567, Lowestoft, United Kingdom
Died: 1601
Education: St John's College, Cambridge

16. Some important works…
•Summer last will
•The terrors of the night
•Unfortunate traveler
•Christes teares over Jerusalem
•Dido
•Queen of carthage
•The isle of dogs

17. THOMAS KYD…
Thomas Kyd was an English playwright, the author of The Spanish
Tragedy, and one of the most important figures in the development of
Elizabethan drama.
Born: November 6, 1558, London, United Kingdom
Died: August 15, 1594, London, United Kingdom
Education: Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Works:
•The Spanish tragedy
( Thomas Kyd is also sometimes included in the group, though he is not
believed to have studied at university.)

18. Thank You
Disclaimer: The data in this presentation has been
collated from various books and online portal.