Christopher Marlowe

Lore & Background

Marlowe was the second of at least seven children, born to Canterbury shoemaker John Marlowe and his wife Katherine. He was baptised at St George's Church, Canterbury, on 26 February 1564. By age 14 he was a pupil at The King's School, Canterbury on a scholarship, and two years later a student at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he studied through a scholarship with expectation of becoming an Anglican clergyman. Instead, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1584. In 1587, the university hesitated to award his Master of Arts degree due to a rumour that he intended to go to the English seminary at Rheims, which would have violated a royal edict. The Privy Council intervened on his behalf, commending his 'faithful dealing' and 'good service' to the Queen, leading to speculation that he was a secret agent for Sir Francis Walsingham.

Little is known about Marlowe's adult life beyond legal records and official documents. He has been described as a spy, brawler, heretic, 'magician', 'duellist', 'tobacco-user', 'counterfeiter', and 'rakehell'. In 1592 he was arrested in Flushing for alleged involvement in counterfeiting coins, possibly related to seditious Catholics. He was sent to the Lord Treasurer but faced no charge or imprisonment. Marlowe was reputed to be an atheist, which held dangerous implications of being an enemy of God and the state. Some modern historians consider his professed atheism may have been a sham to further his work as a government spy.

Events in Marlowe's life were sometimes as extreme as those in his plays. Differing sensational reports of his death in 1593 abounded, contested by scholars due to lack of good documentation. Conjectures include a vicious bar-room fight, blasphemous libel, homosexual intrigue, betrayal by another playwright, and espionage from the Privy Council. An official coroner's account discovered in 1925 did little to persuade all scholars that it told the whole story.

Reader's Guide

Marlowe's significance lies in his pioneering use of blank verse, which became the standard for Elizabethan drama, and his creation of overreaching protagonists that distinguished his plays. Modern scholars consider him the foremost dramatist in London before his early death, and some believe he greatly influenced William Shakespeare. His works are noted for humanistic themes with realistic emotions, yet scholars find this difficult to reconcile with his anti-intellectualism and catering to audiences' taste for extreme violence, cruelty, and bloodshed. The mystery surrounding his life—including allegations of espionage, atheism, and his violent death—has generated enduring speculation. The Privy Council's intervention for his MA degree and his arrest for counterfeiting suggest possible government service, but evidence remains inconclusive. His legacy is shaped both by his literary achievements and the unresolved questions about his biography.

Did You Know?

• Marlowe was baptised about two months before William Shakespeare, who was baptised on 26 April 1564.
• The Privy Council intervened to award Marlowe his Master of Arts degree, citing his 'faithful dealing' and 'good service' to the Queen.
• An official coroner's account of Marlowe's death was discovered only in 1925, but it did not eliminate uncertainties about his death.
• Marlowe was arrested in 1592 in Flushing for alleged involvement in counterfeiting coins, possibly related to seditious Catholics.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Christopher Marlowe (c. 26 February 1564 – 30 May 1593) was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era." — Christopher Marlowe "You sons of care, companions of my course!" — Christopher Marlowe "Pluck up your hearts, since fate still rests our friend." — Christopher Marlowe "Time passeth swift away;Our life is frail, and we may die to-day." — Christopher Marlowe