It arose, first, as a reaction to Shakespeare, because it was felt that nothing more could be done with the Shakespearean type of tragedy, and if they wanted really to excel and do something new, they must explore fresh fields.
Secondly, it arose mainly to satisfy the social, moral and artistic needs of the age, and it lived so long as it satisfied those needs, ‘It came into existence in response to the spiritual needs of a tired, disillusioned and decadent aristocracy”.