University wits

University wits

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  UNIVERSITY WITS PRESENTED BY SUBRATAHALDER ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN ENGLISH SIVANATH SASTRI COLLEGE, KOLKATA, W.BENGAL,INDIA Email address- [email protected]
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  “University wits” refersto the notable group of pioneer English dramatists who wrote during the last 15 years of the 16th century ( NEARLY 1585 - 1600)
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  The term universitywits was not used in their lifetime ,but was coined by George Saintsbury, a 19th –century journalist and author.
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  MEMBERS •Christopher Marlowe, RobertGreene, and Thomas Nashe (all graduates of Cambridge), as well as Thomas Lodge and George Peele, John Lyly ( of Oxford). Another of the wits, though not university-trained, was Thomas Kyd ( He graduated in Merchant Taylor’s School)
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  COMMON QUALITIES AMONG THEM 1.ALL YOUNG 2. LED BOHEMIAN OR UNCONVENTIONAL LIFE 3. ASSOCIATED WITH OXFORD OR CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITIES 4. ACQUAINTED WITH EACH OTHER 5. WITTY AND SCHOLAR 6. MERITORIOUS
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  COMMON FEATURES OFTHEIR WRITING 1) MAINLY DRAMATISTS 2) HEROIC THEME COMMON 3) GREAT FULLNESS & VARIETY COMMON 4) LONG SWELLING SPEECHESAND OFTEN BOMBASTIC OR BIG WORDS WERE USED BYALL 5) HIGH SOUNDING LINESAND MAGNIFICENT EPITHETS WERE USED BY THEM 6) THEIR THEME IS TRAGIC IN NATURE
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  JOHN LYLY(1554-1606) In 1632Blount published Six Court Comedies, the first printed collection of Lyly's plays. They appear in the text in the following Endymion (1591) Campaspe (1584) Sapho and Phao (1584) Gallathea (1592) Midas (1592) Mother Bombie (1594)
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  John Lyly’s otherworks include • Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit • Euphues and his England • Love’s Metamorphosis • Endymion
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  Thomas Lodge (1558-1625) • His dramatic work is small in quantity • Rosalynde – his prose romance ( Shakespeare took inspiration for his “ As You Like it” • His plays are- The Wounds of Civil War and A Looking Glass for London and England • His pamphlet is – A Defense of plays
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  THOMAS NASHE (1567-1601) 1. Mainly a dramatist 2. He wrote “ The Isle of Dogs” for which he was sent to prison. His other play is “ Summer’s Last Will and Testament” 3. His satire and prose romance “ The Unfortunate Traveller or the Life of Jacke Wilton” 4. Was a good prose writer
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  ROBERT GREENE( 1558-92) •Famous play is - “Alphonsus, King of Aragon” ( 1587) is an imitation of Marlowe’s “Tamburlaine” • Other plays are- Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay, History of Orlando Furioso and Scottish History of James IV. • He wrote “The Wounds of Civil War” in collaboration with Thomas Lodge • His prose romance is- “ The Triumph of time” from which Shakespeare derive “ The Winter’s Tale”
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  THOMAS KYD( 1558-1594) Oneof the most important members of the university wits A friend of Marlowe Famous play is “ The Spanish Tragedy” . It is Senecan in spirit, not in form. Its horrific plot, involving murder, frenzy, and sudden death, gave the play a great and lasting popularity. His tragedies are- “Solyman and Perseda” and “Cornelia” His “ Cornelia” is an adaptation in Senecan tragedy
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  GEORGE PEELE( 1558-92) Hisplays are- “ The Arraignment of Paris ( A Pastoral play and a kind of romantic comedy), “ The Old Wives’ Tale”, The Love of King David and Fair Bethsabe ( Biblical play) The Famous Chronicle of King Edward I ( Historical Play) He used Blank verse
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  FIRST EXAMPLE OFBLANK VERSE “A lion now he stalks with fiery glare; Then as a tiger, who by chance hath spied In some purlieu two gentle fawns at play Straight couches close; then, rising His couchant watch, as one who chose his ground Whence rushing he might surest seize them both Gripped in each paw;(PARADISE LOST BOOK IV)
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  2nd example ofBLANK VERSE Re-enter HELEN Faustus: Was this the face that launched a thousand ships And burnt the topless towers of Ilium? Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss. [Kisses her.] Her lips suck forth my soul; see where it flies!— Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again. Here will I dwell, for Heaven is in these lips, And all is dross that is not Helena.
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  CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE( 1564-93) •Marlow’s plays are all tragedies • His four major plays are- Tamburlaine The Jew of Malta Dr. Faustus Edward II His other plays are “Dido, Queen of Carthage” and “The Massacre of Paris” His non-dramatic poetry- "Hero and Leander”, “The Passionate Shepherd” (more next ppt)
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  • Shakespeare issupposed to have been influenced by him in Hentry VI, Titus Andronicus and Richard III • He is the master of blank verse. • His poetry influenced Spenser also. • He died in a tavern fight with his friends at the age of 29
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  THANK YOU FORENJOYING THE SLIDE