John Lyly (1554–1606) had his greatest impact on evolving Renaissance prose literature and on the English language itself. He was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, and went to London in 1576. He first gained recognition with the publication of two prose romances, Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit (1578), and Euphues and His England (1580). Euphues is a story told in letters in which Lyly added discussions on religion and love. His elaborate and flowery style became known as euphuism.

The finest of John Lyly's plays is considered to be Endimion (1588), which is still regarded as a literary masterpiece, though not suited to today's dramatic tastes.

Lyly's comedies marked an enormous advance in English drama. Their plots are drawn from classical mythology and legend. While his characters are often engaged in extremely poetic, euphemistic speeches filled with pedantry, the charm and wit of many dialogues, and the skillful construction of the romantic plots set standards that younger dramatists could not ignore.