Although William Shakespeare was admired in his time and later, especially in the later part of the 18th century (1700s), regarded as a “universal genius who outshone all his fellows and even, some said, partook of the divine”, this did not stop other people with writing skill from writing. The world still produced other great minds after Shakespeare, like John Milton, John Dryden, Alexander Pope, and others.
The world is a living organism – breathing, living, multiplying… Shakespeare himself said the world is a stage. No matter how great a performance our ancestors gave us, we must contribute our quota. There is still room for not only improvement, but for more.
Curiously, as good a dramatist as the man William Shakespeare was, he was not born that way. When he grew up and discovered his area of gifting, he didn’t run with his raw talent. He gave himself to studying. Whereas he never had a university education, William Shakespeare read ferociously, what those who came before him wrote. And he came out even better!
William Shakespeare was influenced!
His many works had influences of such classical antiquity as Virgil’s Aeneid and Ovid’s Metamorphoses (both the original and the 1567 Arthur Golding’s translation). But, that’s not all. There were a group of young writers: dramatists/playwrights and pamphleteers who wrote in the last 15 years of Queen Elizabeth 1; witty minds from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, these writers also influenced Shakespeare!
These young talented writers of the late 16th century (1500s) were called University Wits. They are called so because they were university trained and very sharp. Also known as the Cosmos Stars of Seven. These dramatists who knew themselves were the best wits of their day, very skilled in drama, writing blank verse, deft in writing tragedies and historic dramas, satires and even to a lesser extent comedy.
They were seven in number: Thomas Kyd (who didn’t actually attend a university), John Lyly, Robert Greene, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nash, George Peele and Thomas Lodge.
According to Britannica.com, “The University Wits are notable group of pioneer English dramatists who wrote during the last fifteen years of the 16th C and who transformed the native interlude and chronicle play with their plays of quality and diversity.”
Features of University Wits
Excellent when held in check;
Loud and disorderly style,
Heroic character – aimed at achieving strong and sounding lines,
Magnificent epithets,
Powerful declamation.
Common Characteristics
Heroic themes: these themes are connected to the lives of great figures; their works generally have heroic treatment. Their dramas are characterized by variety, splendid description and violent incidents – Christopher Marlowe’s works are best examples – aimed at achieving strong and sounding lines, and his use of blank verse.
Their themes are usually tragic in nature and lacked real humour, except for John Lyly whose works showed strong interest in romantic comedy.
Meet these witty playwrights and pamphleteers whose works improved the quality of drama in terms of language and structure from what used to be obtained. They were acquainted with one another and were said to have led a bohemian kind of life – I believe not in the sense of being vagabonds, but rather of being carefree and unconventional – artists always are!
Christopher Marlowe
Marlowe had no interest in comedy. His dramatic presentation are lyrical and romantic; his plays poetic and artistic. His best works are: The Jew of Malta and Dr Faustus (you’ll enjoy them). Marlowe’s love for conventional Machiavellian hero is reflected in these works.
Thomas Kyd
The Spanish Tragedy is Kyd’s best work. Its plot is packed full with horror, murders, madness and death – not for the faint-hearted.
Although not university trained, Kyd introduced the tradition of revenge play. His works influenced some Shakespearean works.
Thomas Lodge
Although a lawyer, Lodge abandoned the court for Literature. He’s one of the less known, but it’s on record that the great William Shakespeare took the plot of his famous play, As You Like It, from Lodge’s Rosalynde, a romantic comedy.
Thomas Nash
Professional journalist who was also partially involved in politics was part of the famous University Wits. His most famous work is a satire which influenced the development of the English novel. It is called Unfortunate Traveller.
Robert Greene
Now, Robert Greene’s plays which have lots of minuses would encourage fledgling writers to write. Greene’s works are said to be mostly weak on characterization, and his style not outstanding. However, he’s noted to be high on humour and was quite witty and imaginative. These are his contributions to English drama.
George Peele
Peele’s best work is Edward the 1st. His works showed no attraction to poetry; he wasn’t stable with blank verse, but showed a sense of humour and pathos in his works. His contributions to the development of the English literature were in the areas of romantic, satiric and historical evidence.
John Lyly
Lyly’s works showed strong interest in romantic comedy marked by elaborate dialogues, jests and retorts. His works influenced Shakespeare’s comedies. Midas is his best work; it shook the development of the romantic comedy in English Literature.
The works of University Wits greatly influenced later works of the Elizabethan dramatists.
In 1592, in Robert Greene’s pamphlet of Groatsworth of Wit (published after he died, with the designation of Robert Greene – writer of plays and prose romances), he wrote – “upstart crow” who “supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you” and who “is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country”, suggests a rivalry between the upcoming Shakespeare and the masters of that time.
YOU MAY NOT BE SHAKESPEARE …
Don’t underestimate yourself. And don’t be intimidated. William Shakespeare wasn’t intimidated by University Wits, though they attended university and he did not, yet, Shakespeare found his place and continued to write and became more popular than them!
Find your place, maintain your lane. You may become greater and better than your teachers.
Once you discover what your talents are, begin to polish them. Read and expose yourself to available knowledge and train yourself by meddling with the knowledge of the things that catch your interest. You can become a master in that which you learned from others.
We will wrap up the Renaissance next week.
