30 important PYQs on University Wits for UGC NET

Here is 30 important PYQs (Previous year questions) of UGC NET JRF English, related to the University Wits, along with their answers and explanations 

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1. Who among the following writers does not belong to the group, the University Wits?  
   - Options:  
     (a) John Lyly  
     (b) Thomas Nashe  
     (c) George Peele  
     (d) Thomas Kyd  
   - Answer: (d) Thomas Kyd  
   - Explanation: Thomas Kyd, though a notable dramatist, was not formally educated at a university like the others.

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2. Which among the following group of writers is labelled as 'University Wits'?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Thomas Lodge, Thomas Wilson, Walter Raleigh  
     (b) John Fletcher, Ben Jonson, George Peele  
     (c) Thomas Kyd, Francis Beaumont, John Lyly  
     (d) Christopher Marlowe, Robert Greene, Thomas Nashe  
   - Answer: (d) Christopher Marlowe, Robert Greene, Thomas Nashe  
   - Explanation: They were prominent figures in late 16th-century English literature.

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3. Which writer is often regarded as the leader of the University Wits?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Christopher Marlowe  
     (b) Robert Greene  
     (c) Thomas Lodge  
     (d) George Peele  
   - Answer: (a) Christopher Marlowe  
   - Explanation: Marlowe was a trailblazer of English drama with works like Doctor Faustus.

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4. Who is credited with introducing blank verse into English drama?  
   - Options:  
     (a) John Lyly  
     (b) Thomas Kyd  
     (c) Christopher Marlowe  
     (d) George Peele  
   - Answer: (c) Christopher Marlowe  
   - Explanation: Marlowe popularized blank verse in plays like Tamburlaine.

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5. What is the primary contribution of the University Wits to English drama?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Introduction of comedy of manners  
     (b) Revival of classical unities  
     (c) Establishment of secular drama  
     (d) Development of romantic drama  
   - Answer: (d) Development of romantic drama  
   - Explanation: They laid the foundation for Elizabethan romantic drama.

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6. Which of the following works is associated with Robert Greene?  
   - Options:  
     (a) The Spanish Tragedy  
     (b) Pandosto  
     (c) Tamburlaine  
     (d) The White Devil  
   - Answer: (b) Pandosto  
   - Explanation: Pandosto inspired Shakespeare’s The Winter's Tale.

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7. Thomas Nashe is best known for his work:  
   - Options:  
     (a) Doctor Faustus  
     (b) Anatomy of Absurdity  
     (c) Euphues  
     (d) The Shoemaker’s Holiday  
   - Answer: (b) Anatomy of Absurdity  
   - Explanation: Nashe was a pamphleteer and satirist.

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8. Who wrote Euphues, an influential prose work?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Thomas Nashe  
     (b) John Lyly  
     (c) George Peele  
     (d) Robert Greene  
   - Answer: (b) John Lyly  
   - Explanation: Lyly’s Euphues is known for its ornate style.

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9. Which member of the University Wits attacked Shakespeare in Groatsworth of Wit?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Thomas Nashe  
     (b) John Lyly  
     (c) Robert Greene  
     (d) Christopher Marlowe  
   - Answer: (c) Robert Greene  
   - Explanation: Greene called Shakespeare an "upstart crow."

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10. George Peele is associated with which genre of drama?  
   - Options:  
     (a) History plays  
     (b) Pastoral comedies  
     (c) Satirical plays  
     (d) Revenge tragedies  
   - Answer: (b) Pastoral comedies  
   - Explanation: Peele's The Old Wives' Tale is a key example.

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11. Christopher Marlowe’s Tamburlaine is an example of:  
   - Options:  
     (a) A romantic comedy  
     (b) A historical tragedy  
     (c) An epic drama  
     (d) A morality play  
   - Answer: (c) An epic drama  
   - Explanation: Tamburlaine portrays the grandeur of heroic ambition.

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12. Which University Wit collaborated with Thomas Dekker?  
   - Options:  
     (a) George Peele  
     (b) Thomas Lodge  
     (c) John Lyly  
     (d) Thomas Nashe  
   - Answer: (d) Thomas Nashe  
   - Explanation: Nashe co-wrote The Isle of Dogs.

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13. Which of these plays is incorrectly attributed to the University Wits?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Doctor Faustus  
     (b) Gorboduc  
     (c) The Jew of Malta  
     (d) Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay  
   - Answer: (b) Gorboduc  
   - Explanation: Gorboduc predates the University Wits.

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14. Which writer was known for his pamphlets satirizing the London society?  
   - Options:  
     (a) George Peele  
     (b) John Lyly  
     (c) Thomas Nashe  
     (d) Christopher Marlowe  
   - Answer: (c) Thomas Nashe  
   - Explanation: Nashe’s pamphlets include Pierce Penniless.

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15. Who wrote The Spanish Tragedy, influencing revenge tragedies?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Thomas Kyd  
     (b) Christopher Marlowe  
     (c) Robert Greene  
     (d) John Lyly  
   - Answer: (a) Thomas Kyd  
   - Explanation: Kyd, often associated with but not a part of the University Wits, penned this seminal work.

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16. Which of the following works by Thomas Lodge is considered a pastoral romance?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Rosalynde  
     (b) Pandosto  
     (c) Euphues  
     (d) Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay  
   - Answer: (a) Rosalynde  
   - Explanation: Lodge’s *Rosalynde* inspired Shakespeare’s *As You Like It*.

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17. Which of the following playwrights wrote extensively for child actors?  
   - Options:  
     (a) George Peele  
     (b) Thomas Lodge  
     (c) John Lyly  
     (d) Robert Greene  
   - Answer: (c) John Lyly  
   - Explanation: Lyly’s plays, such as *Gallathea*, were performed by child actors.

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18. The University Wits were primarily active during which reign?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Queen Mary I  
     (b) Queen Elizabeth I  
     (c) King James I  
     (d) King Charles I  
   - Answer: (b) Queen Elizabeth I  
   - Explanation: The University Wits flourished during the Elizabethan Age, producing innovative works.

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19. Who among the following University Wits is associated with the play *The Battle of Alcazar*?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Christopher Marlowe  
     (b) George Peele  
     (c) Thomas Nashe  
     (d) Thomas Kyd  
   - Answer: (b) George Peele  
   - Explanation: *The Battle of Alcazar* reflects Peele’s skill in crafting historical dramas.

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20. Which of the following was a shared characteristic of the University Wits?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Satirical writing  
     (b) Aristocratic patronage  
     (c) Experimentation with dramatic form  
     (d) Religious themes  
   - Answer: (c) Experimentation with dramatic form  
   - Explanation: They introduced new dramatic structures, including the use of blank verse.

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21. Which play by Robert Greene explores the theme of learning and magic?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay  
     (b) Tamburlaine  
     (c) The Jew of Malta  
     (d) Doctor Faustus  
   - Answer: (a) Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay  
   - Explanation: The play blends humor, love, and the theme of scientific discovery.

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22. Thomas Nashe’s prose style is best described as:  
   - Options:  
     (a) Plain and direct  
     (b) Ornate and euphuistic  
     (c) Satirical and vigorous  
     (d) Scholarly and dry  
   - Answer: (c) Satirical and vigorous  
   - Explanation: Nashe’s prose is lively and often targets societal issues.

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23. What is the significance of Christopher Marlowe’s *The Jew of Malta*?  
   - Options:  
     (a) It is a comedy of errors.  
     (b) It explores the theme of racial harmony.  
     (c) It portrays religious conflict and greed.  
     (d) It follows the Aristotelian unities.  
   - Answer: (c) It portrays religious conflict and greed.  
   - Explanation: The play critiques societal hypocrisies through the character of Barabas.

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24. Which of the following works is a notable collaboration of Thomas Nashe?  
   - Options:  
     (a) The Isle of Dogs  
     (b) The Spanish Tragedy  
     (c) Arden of Faversham  
     (d) Tamburlaine  
   - Answer: (a) The Isle of Dogs  
   - Explanation: This controversial play led to censorship and Nashe’s brief imprisonment.

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25. Who wrote *The Honourable History of Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay*?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Thomas Nashe  
     (b) George Peele  
     (c) Robert Greene  
     (d) Thomas Lodge  
   - Answer: (c) Robert Greene  
   - Explanation: Greene’s play explores themes of magic and learning.

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26. Which University Wit was also a prolific pamphleteer?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Thomas Lodge  
     (b) Thomas Nashe  
     (c) Christopher Marlowe  
     (d) George Peele  
   - Answer: (b) Thomas Nashe  
   - Explanation: Nashe is famous for pamphlets like *Pierce Penniless* and *Anatomy of Absurdity*.

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27. What theme dominates Marlowe’s *Doctor Faustus*?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Romantic love  
     (b) Human ambition and its limits  
     (c) Religious devotion  
     (d) Political power  
   - Answer: (b) Human ambition and its limits  
   - Explanation: Faustus’ thirst for knowledge leads to his tragic downfall.

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28. Which University Wit is credited with the play *Summer’s Last Will and Testament*?  
   - Options:  
     (a) George Peele  
     (b) Christopher Marlowe  
     (c) Robert Greene  
     (d) John Lyly  
   - Answer: (a) George Peele  
   - Explanation: Peele reflects on mortality and change in this poetic play.

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29. Who among the University Wits is considered the originator of the ‘revenge tragedy’ genre?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Thomas Kyd  
     (b) Christopher Marlowe  
     (c) George Peele  
     (d) John Lyly  
   - Answer: (a) Thomas Kyd  
   - Explanation: Kyd’s *The Spanish Tragedy* influenced later revenge tragedies.

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30. Which of these writers experimented with combining prose and drama?  
   - Options:  
     (a) Robert Greene  
     (b) Thomas Nashe  
     (c) John Lyly  
     (d) Christopher Marlowe  
   - Answer: (c) John Lyly  
   - Explanation: Lyly’s prose works, like *Euphues*, showcase his innovative blending of forms.

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For more such MCQs and PYQs of English Literature Visit : 👉👉 LITERARY SPHERE 👈👈




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