Elizabethan Age Writers and Their Works

English Literature bestows a special significance upon the Elizabethan Age, primarily because it served as the backdrop for Shakespeare’s prolific works. Consequently, this era garners heightened attention within the realm of UGC NET, with a likelihood of numerous questions centered on it. While William Shakespeare undoubtedly commands attention, it’s noteworthy that he wasn’t the sole luminary of the period. The Elizabethan Age boasted a plethora of writers, some preceding Shakespeare and influencing his own oeuvre. Let’s delve into the major writers of the Elizabethan Age and their notable works.

UGC NET English Literature Notes

What is the Elizabethan Age?

The Elizabethan age in English Literature is referred to the period roughly from 1550 to 1630. It is named after Queen Elizabeth I, whose reign coincides with this period (1558-1603). Thus, all the body of works written during this period is considered Elizabethan work, and the writers are called Elizabethan writers. Some of the characteristic features or traits of the Elizabethan age include emulating the classics and their works, abundant output, and thriving literature due to a calm socio-political environment conducive to growth and stability.

Elizabethan Age writers and Their Works

The Elizabethan Period holds special importance in the entire history of English literature for its superior production of dramatic output. It was in the true sense the first and greatest romantic epoch. Writers went back to the classics and freely took inspiration from the works of Virgil and other Roman and Greek writers.

Even though the age is overshadowed by drama and dramatic like William Shakespeare, there was enough poetic vigor and quality produced of merit that demands attention. Poets such as Edmund Spenser was the most recognizable voice of this age. So, let’s take a look at the Elizabethan Writers and their works.

The University Wits

Even before the great Bard, William Shakespeare, a few college-educated chiefly from Cambridge & Oxford, paved the way for him. They were collectively called University Wits. They did much to found the Elizabethan School of Drama. This group of writers was more or less familiar with themselves.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

The single most popular writer of his time and since in English Literature. Shakespeare took drama to new heights, which was hardly touched by anyone ever since and certainly not in the dramatic output that he did. He wrote long narrative poems like Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594). Though the concrete date of the works is not known, it is fairly an estimation.

Ben Jonson (1573-1637)

After Shakespeare, Jonson emerged as an identifiable figure in the drama. Though the quality of work can not be compared to Shakespeare, it is still of merit that requires an in-depth study. Like Donne, he revolted against the artistic principles of his contemporaries. He sought to classic to vent his uncontrolled and romantic exuberance of the ethos of his time period. For him, the chief function of literature was to instruct.

Francis Beaumont (1584-1616) and John Fletcher (1579-1625)

They mostly did the collaboration and produced comedies and tragedies of varying merit. They produced a lot of work. However, the authorship, how much joint work is to be assigned to whom is not accurately known.

Other Dramatists of the Elizabethan Age

Beyond the sole name of Ben Jonson in the post-Shakespearean Era of the Elizabethan Age, there were a number of dramatists writing on a range of topics. The quality of work is not great throughout their career and only a handful shine. Regardless of the number, there were a few dramatists you should take note of and their famous works.

Conclusion

The Elizabethan Age, also known as the Renaissance period in England, was a flourishing time for literature, marked by a host of brilliant writers and their remarkable works. William Shakespeare, the most celebrated playwright of the era, produced timeless masterpieces like “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” and “Macbeth.” Christopher Marlowe, a contemporary of Shakespeare, gained fame for plays such as “Doctor Faustus” and “Tamburlaine.” John Lyly’s witty comedies, including “Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit,” further enriched the literary landscape of the Elizabethan Age. These writers and their works left an indelible mark on English literature, and their contributions continue to be cherished and studied to this day.

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