CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE (1564-1593)

1564Marlowe was born, baptized on the 26 of May in Canterbury. 1579he enters a scholar at Kings school in Canterbury. 1580he enters Corpus Christ College in Cambridge. 1588- !"6engaged in secret go#ernmental ser#ice. 1584recei#es Cambridge $.%. 1586he writes the tragedy of &ido-'ueen of Carthage (probably written with )ashe*. 1586recei#es Cambridge M.%.+ writes ,-amburlaine the .reat/ 1588-1589imprisoned in )ew .ate for a street 'uarrel+ writes his masterpiece ,-he tragical history of &octor 0austus/ 1590writes ,-he 1ew of Malta/ 1592writes ,2dward 33/ and ,Massacre at 4aris/ 1593theatres closed on the account of plague+ ,5ero and 6eander/ (non-dramatic*+ appears before the Counsel on a charge of atheism+ murdered by 3ngram 0rizer on 78 of May in &eptford. 999999999999999999999999999999999999999. Christopher Marlowe, playwright, humanist with materialistic #iews belonging to the :ni#ersity ;its, was the greatest predecessor of <ha=espeare. -he facts about his life and wor=s are as obscure as the circumstances of his death. 5e was born in1564, the same year as <ha=espeare, in a family of a shoema=er in Canterbury. 2ducated at Kings <chool, he went to Cambridge in !"8 being elected to a scholarship established by Mathew 4ar=er > archbishop of Canterbury. &uring prolongued absences from uni#ersity in !" -"7 and after 1une !"6 he may ha#e been ser#ing in confidential go#ernment ser#ice. $y the late !"8s, Marlowe was in 6ondon en?oying sensational success as play writer and poet. 3n May !@7 he was arrested on the order of the council in connection with a religious in#estigation.
An May 78, !@7, Marlowe went with friends and ac'uaintances to &eptford, a #illage downstream from 6ondon. Marlowe and three others, 3ngram 0rizer, Bobert 0oley and )icholas <=eres spent the afternoon 'uietly tal=ing and later ate supper. % dispute occurred and in passion Marlowe drew 0rizerCs dagger and ga#e him a couple cuts on the head. 3n the struggle that followed Marlo ! recei#ed his death wound abo#e his right eye.

5e had li#ed dangerously and was such a man as could ha#e written his plays. Marlowes literary life begins with a translation of Ovids Amores/, which was called ,2legies/ by the publishers. 6i=e S"a#!$%!ar!, Marlo ! intended his way as a poet of classical amorism but unli=e S"a#!$%!ar! he did not immediately find his natural magic and music. Marlo !&$ first original work was Tamburlain the great in two parts, played in !"D- !"" and printed anonymously in !@8. -he great style and the powerful acting of the actors ga#e this play great popularity. -he dramatic eEcesses of the play were disli=ed by some+ still the real offence was that the play succeeded. The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus of which the first =nown edition is that of 68F is assumed to be his neEt play and is dated with !"". Faustus is not such a complete thing as ,Tamburlaine/ ne#ertheless the greatest parts of Faustus show him a big height of his poetic and dramatic magnificence. 3n other wor= The troublesome reign and lamentable death of Edward II Marlo ! ga#e the first historical play of the time of which S"a#!$%!ar! followed in ,Ri !ard ""/. The Massacre at Paris and The Tragedy of Dido ueen of !arthege completes the list of Marlowes accepted dramas -he other two wor=s non dramatic remain for mentionG Hero and "eander and "ucan#s first boo$ translated line by line# 3t is =nown from different allusions that Marlow! had friends and admirers in spite his ill reputation. &uring his short life, Marlowe managed to realize certain achie#ements in the literature of the time. 5e is a prime creati#e force in 2nglish literature and a creati#e force of a new =ind. -ill Marlowes time no one had made possible and credible such daemonic figures as Tamburlaine and Faustus# Marlowes heroes confront the fates and they are not the toys of destiny. Marlowe himself has the self-possession of a strong man and could use his sources creati#ely. 5is wor= was finished at an age at which few poets ha#e really ?ust begun. Marlowe ga#e his age to tragedy and he also ga#e it the tragedys true instrument > ,great #erse/.

THE T%&'I!&" HI(T)%* )F D)!T)% F&+(T+(

$y a common consent, Marlowes greatest play is the Tragical history of Doctor Faustus# Ane difficulty at this play is that we are often uncertain about the authenticity of what we are reading. -he year of composition of this masterpiece is also under the 'uestion. Marlowe collaborated with at least one other writer and there are broadly two distinct #ersions of the play. -he first, A-'!(', published in1604 is probably based on the players memories, shorter than the original, but including eEtra-clowning scenes. -he other teEt)-'!(' of 1616 was probably based on the original manuscripts, but including theatrical re#isions+ the editors also used the teEt of 68F and made cuts and changes. H-he symbol of man and the de#il has the roots in the e#erlasting opposition between good and e#il. -his fact made possible that the legend of Faustus would be accepted or regarded with a high interest. (-he legend comes from .ermany and follows the life and death of a historic personage possible 'eorg (abellicus or ,ohan Faustus mentioned by the faculty of philosophy from the 5eidelberg in !8@. 3t was a doctor represented as a ,physician/ who became after many years a legend*. -he first literary adaptation that was later included in the legend of Faustus is a short poem signed by Ha*$ Sa+" in 1564. -hen followed ,o"a* S%-!$$ with his wor= $istoria von %oktor &o!an Fausten ( !"D* =nown as ,Faustbu !/. &octor Faustus by Marlowe was a first artistic realization. -he legend of %o tor Faustus inspired from Faustbu ! had a great popularity among the 2lizabethan readers and Marlowes tragedy was met with much enthusiasm. $eing concerned as his contemporaries with the great problems of the meanings of humans life, Marlowe added it new spiritual connotations. 3t is #ery significant the absence of any physical pains in the de#elopment of the action. <ome authors consider that the tragedy of Faustus is de facto the tragedy of the personal inside life of Marlowe. 0austus is li=e Tamburlaine a titan, so is the protagonist of another play T!e &ew of 'alta# 5e also has an ambition > the wealth, but wealth is not a sum of money or precious things, but the source of power. 3n all these plays, '"! +!*'ral -.!a -$ %o !r , but regarded and desired by the heroes for different reasons. 0or Faustus this reason is =nowledge. -he agreement with the e#il would ma=e him the emperor of the world, but his purposes are not totally selfish. 5e wants for eEample to found uni#ersities, to increase the welfare of his country, to ma=e order. 5a#ing human 'ualities, Faustus is more another %dam, more sophisticated who wants to taste from another richer tree of =nowledge. 5a#ing much more psychological 'ualities than Tamburlaine, Faustus is finally the prototype of the modern scientist. -he Faust-story ac'uired 'uasi mythological status as an eEample of the soul that tendss to the last temptation of =nowledge. -his was a theme of high interest in Marlo !&$ time. 3n general, the principle was that all =nowledge which did not contribute to the sal#ation of the soul was wrong. -hus, Faustus appears li=e a rebel, eager for absolute power, total =nowledge and supremacy . %ll of this being unachie#ed+ the hero himself realizes this, but it is too late. <o in Faustuss last speech we find a last testimony of the struggle of the intellect and the senses against the law. -hus, &octor Faustus who is the first figure on the 2nglish stage who deser#es to be called a character that constitutes the model of Benaissance aspiration. 5e has all the di#ine discontent, the unworried and unsatisfied stri#ing after =nowledge that mar=ed the age in which Marlowe wrote. %n age of eEploration whose ad#enturers were not only the merchants and sea-men, but also scientists, Faustus representing one of the new men.