What was the contribution of University Wits to Elizabethan drama?

Among the University Wits of the Elizabethan period, Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Kyd stand out as theatrical contributors of great importance, but there were other relatively minor ones like Robert Greene, John Lyly, Thomas Nashe, George Peele and so on. Whether Thomas Middleton was a part of the group is debatable.

The primary contribution they have to the development of Elizabethan drama is that they are the first Oxford and Cambridge pass-outs to take up theatre as a profession. Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy paves the way for the use of the Senecan elements and the more refined and psychological revenge-tragedies by Shakespeare, Webster and Middleton, taking a cue from Seneca. Marlowe's plays, whether it is Dr. Faustus or The Jew of Malta or Edward II, concentrate on the complexity of the moral universe of man, the human dilemma of an anthropocentric Renaissance world, the figure of the overreacher, psychological complications and inner violence. Marlowe is also remembered for his eloquence and dramatic employment of blank-verse.

With Greene and Lyly, we have the mythological and pastoral style of comedy, the prevalence of feminine characters, a kind of slight satirical wit and use of verse--all elements that go on to shape the Elizabethan theatre. The process of collaborative composition is another trend set by these playwrights. The University Wits' significance lies in setting up the Elizabethan theatrical tradition and anticipating the hallmarks of the Shakespearean theatre.