University Wits
Christopher Marlowe, Robert Greene, and Thomas Nashe sat at Cambridge while John Lyly, Thomas Lodge, and George Peele studied at Oxford. These six men formed the core of a loose association that historians now call the University Wits. They were not a formal club with bylaws or meetings. Instead, they shared a specific educational background that set them apart from other writers in London during the late 1500s. Thomas Kyd sometimes appears on their lists, yet he never attended either university. This distinction created a clear boundary between those who held degrees and those who did not. The group included some of the earliest professional writers to work in English theater. Their education provided a foundation for secular writing when few other paths existed for educated men.
George Saintsbury coined the phrase "University Wits" in his 1887 book History of Elizabethan Literature. No one used this label while these playwrights were alive. Saintsbury described two separate branches of dramatic creativity rising in the 1580s. He placed Lyly, Marlowe, Greene, Peele, Lodge, Nash, and possibly Kyd into the first branch as professed men of letters. The second branch consisted of irregular outsiders like Shakespeare who felt forced into literary composition. Saintsbury argued that the Wits drew upon academic verse-drama and crude popular entertainments to create powerful new dramas. Later critics adopted his model to categorize these authors. Adolphus William Ward wrote about "The Plays of the University Wits" in 1932. Allardyce Nicoll noted in 1931 that the so-called University Wits made classical tragedy popular. The term became a sounding board for generations of critics discussing modern academia.
Francis Bacon discussed the problem of schools producing more scholars than there were opportunities in his essay Of Seditions and Troubles. University graduates faced a stark reality where their education offered no clear path forward. They could not take up the humble trades of their fathers without feeling a deep sense of loss. Christopher Marlowe would never mend shoes despite his brilliant training. This fear and bitter anxiety formed the basis for three Parnassus plays written by Cambridge students in their final year. The sting of this displacement explains the bitterly competitive feelings between University Wits and those who did not attend university. Employment in theater was not their first choice but it was often all they had available. Their great educations discouraged them from accepting lower status work. The situation created a unique pressure on ambitious graduates seeking any form of professional outlet.
Edward Albert stated in 1923 that the plays of the University Wits shared several common features including heroic and usually tragic themes. These themes received heroic treatment within a specific heroic style. G. K. Hunter argued that new Humanistic education allowed these writers to create complex commercial drama. They drew upon the nationalization of religious sentiment to speak to audiences caught in historical contradictions. Marlowe led the group in making the blank verse line viable for dramatic purposes. They dismissed the strict cultivation of classical models while still respecting actual life restrictions. Saintsbury claimed they gave English tragedy its Magna Charta of freedom. However, he also noted they failed to achieve perfect life-likeness in their works. It remained for actor-playwrights like Shakespeare to add stage knowledge and achieve master drama with the improvements borrowed from the university wits.
A pamphlet titled Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit appeared after the death of Robert Greene. It contained an apparent attack on Shakespeare as an upstart crow beautified with our feathers. Scholars believe this text was actually written by Henry Chettle rather than Greene himself. Chettle appears in Saintsbury's list as one of the irregular band of outsiders. The phrase suggests fellow-writers like Peele, Marlowe, and Nashe should watch out for an ambitious newcomer. Many historians argue there was no all-out war between authors and actors initiated by the Wits. Jeffrey Knapp criticizes claims that popular theatre was replaced by elitist author's theater due to these writers. Praise for actors and willingness to collaborate remain typical features of their actual careers. The supposed disputes often serve as
a framework for critics to articulate attitudes toward modern academia rather than reflecting historical reality.
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Common questions
Who were the members of the University Wits group?
The core members included Christopher Marlowe, Robert Greene, Thomas Nashe, John Lyly, Thomas Lodge, and George Peele. These six men formed the association while studying at Cambridge or Oxford universities.
When did historians first use the term University Wits?
George Saintsbury coined the phrase in his 1887 book History of Elizabethan Literature. No one used this label while these playwrights were alive during the late 1500s.
Why did university graduates turn to writing plays?
University graduates faced a stark reality where their education offered no clear path forward into traditional careers. They could not take up humble trades without feeling loss so employment in theater became all they had available.
What features defined the plays written by the University Wits?
Edward Albert stated that the plays shared heroic and usually tragic themes within a specific heroic style. G. K. Hunter argued that new Humanistic education allowed these writers to create complex commercial drama.
Did the University Wits attack Shakespeare personally?
A pamphlet titled Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit appeared after the death of Robert Greene containing an apparent attack on Shakespeare as an upstart crow. Scholars believe this text was actually written by Henry Chettle rather than Greene himself.