Elizabethan Drama · English Literature

Which Elizabethan comedic sub-genre, exemplified by John Lyly’s 'Endymion,' was characterized by mythological themes and elegant, witty prose?

  1. City Comedy, set in urban London
  2. Humours Comedy, based on bodily humours
  3. Courtly/Euphuistic Comedy
  4. Romantic Pastoral Comedy
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Correct answer: Courtly/Euphuistic Comedy

John Lyly's 'Endymion' is the defining example of Courtly or Euphuistic Comedy — plays performed by children's companies for the royal court featuring mythological themes and 'Euphuism,' a highly elaborate prose style full of antithesis and classical allusions. City Comedy focused on urban London life; Humours Comedy centered on humoral psychology; Romantic Pastoral Comedy used rural, idealized settings.

Difficulty: Medium Question 9 of 19

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