The University Wits were a group of six highly educated men who wrote plays to be performed on the stage. These six men were Robert Greene, Thomas Lodge, John Lyly, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, and George Peele.

This group of writers changed drama in the 1580's by giving their plays a more defined structure and brought poetry to the texts. This is a major change from the Mystery Plays that were performed locally by traveling companies of actors, which focused on religious stories. These changes in writing paved the way for William Shakespeare's plays on the London stage.

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Text: Jenny M. Buccos