UNIT 1 MARLOWE: LIFE AND WORKS

Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Christopher Marlowe: His Life
1.3 The Social Context
1.4 The Turning Point
1.5 Renaissance and its impact on Elizabethan Theatre
1.6 Works of Christopher Marlowe
1.6.1 Tamburlaine The Great
1.6.2 The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus
1.6.3 The Jew of Malta
1.6.4 The Massacre at Paris
1.6.5 Edward The Second
1.6.6 Dido, Queen of Carthage
1.7 Let Us Sum Up
1.8 Keywords
1.9 Questions
1.10 Suggested Readings

1.0 OBJECTIVES

This unit will help you understand Marlowe the man and the playwright. It will also provide to you a
glimpse into the Renaissance movement and the growth of Elizabethan Drama. A brief summary of all the
plays by Marlowe will develop in students a better understanding of the dramatic vision of Marlowe.

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Before we proceed to understand in detail the drama before Marlowe and other notions of the Elizabethan
society, let us have a word about Marlowe, the great intellectual and free-spirited playwright of his times.
The Elizabethan age in the history of English literature is unique in the sense that one finds an
unprecedented literary activity in England at the time. More precisely, drama as a literary genre flourished
immensely with Shakespeare being its most eloquent spokesperson. Marlowe is undoubtedly the greatest
of Shakespeare’s predecessors in drama.

1.2 CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE: HIS LIFE

Christopher Marlowe
(source: en.wikipedia.org)

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Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), poet and playwright, was the son of John and Catherine Marlowe. He
was born in Canterbury in 1564. His father was a shoemaker. Given the fact that his father was a man of
humble means and meagre resources, Christopher’s achieving higher education was most improbable.
However, the child Christopher had a sharp intellect and a deep interest for reading and knowing. He
received his early education at The King’s School, Canterbury. The sheer spark of brilliance won him an
Archbishop Parker Scholarship and led him to Corpus Christi College in the University of Cambridge.
This Scholarship was sponsored by a group of charitable Elizabethans who funded the boys’coming from
poor families; the purpose was to foster talent in poor boys. In 1584, Marlow graduated as Bachelor of
Arts. The Parker Scholarship was awarded for three years and could be extended for another three years
on condition that the student would certify to undertake the Holy orders. Marlowe was not the one to miss
this opportunity. He fulfilled this condition and his scholarship was extended for the next three years.

Soon, Marlowe’s aspirations took wings and he started taking liberties with those placed high in society.
His long absences from Cambridge gave the university enough reasons to demand an explanation from
him and to threaten to withhold his degree of Masters of Arts in 1587. But by this time Marlowe had
built up connections to withstand pressure from the authorities.

The college record book holds an account of his frequent absences and his anarchic ways. He managed to
carry a letter of recommendations from the authorities which explained the reason for his absences from
the university saying: “Marlowe had done her Majestic good service, and deserved to be rewarded for his
faithful dealings.” (Quoted in Gill, Roma. Ed. “Introduction.” Christopher Marlowe: Dr Faustus. London:
A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 2004, p.1) Obviously, there was something fishy in this “good service”. It
definitely raises certain doubts about Marlowe’s motives. His becoming a secret agent substantiates these
doubts.

Marlowe left for London with an M.A. degree in his hands. He travelled abroad in the capacity of a secret
agent. He settled in London in 1586 and joined the Lord Admiral’s Company of players to become an
actor. This was the time when he tried his hand at writing plays and switched over to the career of a
dramatist. Marlowe wrote memorable plays, heralding powerful English tragic drama which proved to be
path-breaking. But as destiny would have it, Marlowe had a very short span of life to live. On 30th May,
1593, he was stabbed to death in an inn at Deptford by a shady secret service agent Ingram Frizar. He
died barely at the age of 29 years. Yet his brilliant and outstanding contribution in the short span of five
years makes him an unforgettable and a most loved of the Elizabethan playwrights. It will not be
inappropriate to give him the credit for ushering the powerful English tragic drama, so much evolved in
form and content that came to be considered one of the chief achievements of English literature. History
has always held in high esteem the path breakers, pioneers and cult-makers and Marlowe was the one who
actually changed the entire course of English tragic drama. Though Marlowe died very young, yet he left
about half a dozen tragedies that remain unmatched till today. These are: Tamburlaine (1587), Doctor
Faustus (1586), The Jew of Malta (1589), Edward II (1591), The Massacre at Paris (1592) and Dido,
Queen of Carthage (1593).

1.3 THE SOCIAL CONTEXT

Enriched with vast biblical and classical scholarship, a rebellious spirit and a very fine poetic imagination,
Marlowe marks the end of the adolescent phase in English drama. With him, the mature tragedy begins.
Marlowe got in legacy the traditions of medieval Christianity. After the Reformation Miracle and Mystery
plays ceased to entertain the English audience. This was because they were too restricted to more spiritual
themes. To cater to the emerging popular taste, came the Interlude to offer a short dramatic entertainment
within a play of serious nature with a purpose to offer the much required relief. With this, a lot of fun and
frolic was generated, and the actors wearing bright gorgeous coloured costumes attracted the audience.
But on the whole, drama was yet to develop a well–defined structure as well as serious themes to appeal

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to the taste of the general public. Before the arrival of Marlowe, everything was in a chaotic and formless
state.

1.4 THE TURNING POINT

A change came to the English dramatic field in 15th century with a new-found interest in the revival of
learning. As a consequence, many great Italian tragedies of Seneca were translated into English. In fact,
Renaissance had a tremendous influence on the development of English drama. (We shall take up the
meaning of the word “Renaissance” in the later part of this chapter. Here, you only need to understand
that “renaissance” or “re-birth” or revival of learning erupted as a movement roughly around 14th century.
It had its genesis in Italy and soon spread all through Europe and then to England too). The first English
tragedy was Gorboduc (1562) by Thomas Norton and Thomes Sackville. The impact of Senecan tragedies
was quite evident in Gorboduc, both in style and treatment of the theme. Senecan tragedies were known
for their long tedious speeches, horrible scenes, gruesome murders, crude ghosts and slow pace of action.
And Gorboduc, with little moderations here and there, followed the Senecan formula. The tragedies that
were written after Gorboduc followed the same traits. The Elizabethan Drama truly required a great
genius to resurrect it from the ghastly effects found in Senecan tragedies. Marlowe happened to be the
right man at the right time -- to him, undoubtedly, goes the credit of bringing the English tragedy to the
next level and investing it with passion, poignancy and maturity that made people not only appreciate it
but also develop with its help an immediate and urgent affinity with the characters of his plays. Moreover,
Marlowe introduced a new kind of blank verse in his tragedies that breathed freshness into the dull verse
of the old plays. Another feature that endeared Marlowe to his audience was his poignant style of writing.
The element of passion was unmistakable in his plays. And, therefore, we have some powerful
expressions and dialogues from his plays that remain etched in our minds forever. These expressions
remain unparalled in their appeal. It was Marlowe, the powerful dramatist and a marvellous and
outstanding personality to bring this turning point to the English tragedy.

Dear Students, before we move to discuss Marlowe’s works with their distinct, striking features, let us
learn a little about “Renaissance”. I am sure that the earlier mention of the term must have generated
some curiosity in you to dig into the connotations of the term. It is also pertinent to understand
Renaissance as Marlowe is a typical product of it and he casts his heroes with the same traits that define
the age.

1.5 RENAISSANCE AND ITS IMPACT ON ELIZABETHAN THEATRE

The word “renaissance” etymologically means “revival” or “rebirth”. It was a period in European history
from 14th to 17th century in Italy that saw origin and flowering of Renaissance. The movement was
cultural in nature and marked the revival of the classical Greek and Italian classical art, architecture and
literature. This revival of learning had far-reaching consequences. As Hudson says in An Outline History
of English Literature, that “revival began, as we have learned, with Petrarch and Boccaccio in the 14th
century, but it is with the fifteenth that we enter the great age of Italian humanism, when monastic
libraries were ransacked and innumerable, long-forgotten treasures of Greek and Latin literature brought
to light, and when a boundless enthusiasm for classic studies swept through the whole educated
community. In the development of literature this revival of learning worked in two ways: it did much to
emancipate thought from the bondage of medieval theology by restoring the generous spirit and ideals of
pagan antiquity; and it presented writers with literary masterpieces which they might take as a model for
their own efforts. For these two reasons, renaissance is regarded as a Chief force in the making of modern
European literatures.” (Hudson, William Henry. An Outline History of English Literature. New Delhi:
Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd., 2015, p.35)

Mark the words “humanism” and restoring the “generous spirit” in the above quotation. They indicate a
clear cut shift from the earlier restrictive traditions of Miracle and Mystery plays. Let us ponder in some

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detail how the tradition of Miracle and Mystery plays came into existence. The Elizabethan drama
emerged in England somewhere around the middle of 16th century as an answer to the growing need of
the general masses for entertainment and diversion. Elizabethans had to take cognizance of the persuasive
influence that Church exercised in their lives. Thus, theatre became the most appropriate platform for
imparting religious and moral instruction. The illustrations of the stories of the Old and New Testament,
particularly during festivals like Christmas and Easter, through dramatic preparations became an
important part of the Roman Catholic liturgy.

Initially the clergy used to perform in the plays which, with a passage of time, included actors from
among the masses. This religious tradition became quite popular among the English people in 14th century
as Mystery and Miracle plays, the former picking up stories from the Bible and the latter transforming the
lives of Christian saints into dramatic performances. The wide appeal of these dramatic performances can
be gauged from the fact that the venue had to shift from the cathedral to open public places to
accommodate the increasing number of audience. This religious drama later advanced in the form of the
Morality play which was a growth from the religious to the didactic themes. These plays were allegorical
in nature and the abstract qualities like vice, virtue, avarice, pride, ignorance, love, mercy, justice etc.
were personified to exhibit the external battle between the good and evil forces. The dramatic tension got
heightened in the play due to the forces of good and evil trying to overpower each other. These morality
plays established a sense of faith in the people that there prevails a law of nature that restores balance in
the end. This was irrespective of the seeming invincible nature of evil. Morality plays had a long history
in England beginning with the fifteenth century and continuing till the whole of the sixteenth century.
More significantly, the plays also had to adapt to the upsurge of the revival of classical art and learning i.e.
Renaissance morality plays gave a large scope for the interplay of human sentiments, paradoxes and
dilemmas. Coinciding with Renaissance, the scope for “humanism” and the “generous spirit” that Hudson
talked about was strengthened more. Some representative morality plays of the early Tudor period were
the Castle of Perseverance (1425), The Pride of Life (1425) and Everyman (1500). Some later plays like.
Impatient Poverty (1547-58), Mary Magdelene (1490), The Conflict of Conscience (1581), The Nature of
the Four Elements (1517-27) deal more or less with the social problems of the day through the allegorical
method. These plays exhibit the emerging and fast spreading spirit of Renaissance, its leaning towards
quest for exploring the unknown, and the infinite, human beings’ relation to nature. Later, the potential
strengths and limitations offered didactically the essential fallibility of man.

In the context of such social circumstances, the evolution of the Elizabethan dramatic genres of comedy
and tragedy could be seen. What is important to know is that both the genres (tragedy and comedy) found
it difficult to free themselves from the impact of Biblical tradition, hence projecting the dual perspective
of the essential human condition as an infallible, insignificant comic figure. In the case of tragedy,
however, the burden of untold sufferings, being caught in a web of certain external forces beyond his
control, attracted attention. However, drama was still in its experimental phase. The earliest, recorded
comedy is Ralph Roister Doister (1553) written by Nicholas Udall and the earliest tragedy is Gorboduc
written by Thomas Sackwille and Thomas Norton are to be noted. It was around this time that Elizabethan
theatre was emerging as a great presence, integrating the elements of classical drama with the Greek
framework of tragedy and comedy, yet evolving its uniquely English tinge.

The Latin plays of Seneca offered great inspiration to the English tragedy in its initial phase. The oft-
repeated, popular components of the Senecan tragedies, like soliloquies, revenge motif, supernatural, role
of chance or fate were adopted and incorporated by Thomas kyd, Marlowe and Shakespeare and the plays
proved to be extremely popular with the Elizabethan audiences. Amidst the mixed influence of Greek
formulation of tragedy along with the classical Roman models of tragedy like those of Ovid, Plutarch and
Seneca, the Elizabethan drama gained energy and momentum. The focus now shifted to the individual, his
dilemmas, his relation to society as well as nature and the notion of public morality. Immersed in the
Renaissance spirit, the Elizabethan drama explored the issues of human potential and possibilities, in a
human centered world and sought to highlight man’s ambivalent relation with the forces inherent in the

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world and human life, thereby changing the patterns of morality and the definition of good and evil. It is
in such an atmosphere that Marlowe wrote his plays and the influence of these traits and trends can be
easily seen in all his plays. The Marlovian hero is an embodiment of the typical renaissance spirit, puffed
up with high aspirations, a questioning spirit and an intense urge to explore and unearth the paradoxes and
mysteries of the world.

1.6 WORKS OF CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE

Marlowe’s dramatic career spans six brief years, from 1587 to 1593. Yet, he displayed his best poetic
genius and wrote six splendid plays in these six years. All the plays exhibit Marlowe’s essential spirit,
cast in passion, intensity and poignancy. Each of his plays dramatizes a particular passion taken to an
extremity till it consumes itself. The central character shows an extraordinary yearning for empire,
knowledge and power which is pivotal to the scheme of the play. The force and energy with which
Marlowe develops his characters is breathtaking. There are rarely any sub-plots to Marlowe’s plays. In all
these one comes across an awesome grandeur, intense passions, and a sublime tone. The list of Marlowe’s
works in a chronological logical order is as under:
1.6.1 Tamburlaine The Great
Tamburlaine the Great, the first play by Christopher Marlowe was produced in 1587. The Great success
with which the play was greeted on its first performance encouraged Marlowe to write its second part too.
The subject matter and Marlowe’s “mighty line” as Ben Jonson called it, took the theatre by storm and set
blank verse as the standard for later Elizabethan writers. The very opening lines of the play declare an
emphatic departure from the previous trends of play writing:

From jigging veins of rhyming mother wits,

And such conceits as downage keeps in pay,
We’ll lead you to the stately tent of war,
Where you shall hear the Scythian Tamburlaine,
Threatening the world with high astounding terms,
And scourging kingdoms with his conquering sword.
(Steane, J.B. Ed. Christopher Marlowe: The Complete Plays. England: Penguin Books, p.105)
(Prologue, 105)

Tamburlaine is the story of a Scythian Shepherd, an interesting study of ambitions taken to its extremes.
He nurtures the dreams of conquering the world. The play is also commendable for the energy-filled use
of blank verse, an innovative venture of Marlowe. The play is based on the history of Timur the Lame
(1336-1406), a Mongol King and descendant of Genghis Khan.

In Timur the Lame, Marlowe creates his first powerful hero who epitomizes true Renaissance traits. He is
defiant, ambitious, bold and ever ready for challenges. Tamburlaine goes ahead from one victory to
another by the sheer force of his ambitious nature. He is the creator of his own destiny and there is no one
to stop him. Tamburlaine is a study of indomitable human will, fearless spirit, high aspirations and wild
energy. With such characteristics he virtually finds no one to stop him from achieving his goals. As he
says to Theridamas:

Forsake thy king and do but join with me

And we will triumph over all the world:
I hold the Fates bound fast in iron chains
And with my hand turn fortune’s white about. (I, (ii), 116)

Noteworthy is the fact that “Fate”, “destiny” or “circumstance” does not dominate or overpower the
character, as it used to in the earlier tragedies, instead, the character is in full control of his destiny. It is

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this reversal of roles that makes Tamburlaine typically and essentially a renaissance man. The leading
ideology in the play is:

Man’s desire and valiance that range,

All circumstance and come to port unspent.

In the character of Tamburlaine, Marlowe has created a hero who defies convention, challenges the
traditional morality, is passionate, eloquent, and unbelievably optimistic and has a sense of conviction
that he can control the universe. It is due to this sense of conviction that he refuses to see the world as a
massive force and the human being a helpless, vulnerable figure in front of it. Tamburlaine is a great play
because Marlowe presents a new type of hero who frees man from the oppressive, restrictive and rigid
moral code existing in the England society of the time. The play offers to the readers a much broader
scope to weigh man’s relation with the universe. It is this philosophical dilemma that makes the play
timeless and universal in its appeal. And the most beautiful part is that the play avoids simple didactic
approach that would have sounded like moral preaching and would have undermined the artistic worth of
the play. All in all, Tamburlaine is the most resplendent of Marlowe’s plays.

1.6.2 The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus

This play, is known as the most important play by Marlowe. Dr Faustus, a great scholar had mastered all
the possible branches of knowledge. He had acquired an almost perfect command over philosophy,
medicine, law and theology. Yet, his hunger for more knowledge and power made him represent, at once,
the typical Renaissance man. Despite being a distinguished scholar of the highest order, the nagging
question that irked Dr Faustus was:
“Yet art thou still but Faustus and a man” (1, (i), 266).
Let us proceed to know the story of Dr. Faustus further from this point. We learn later that his inordinate
ambition, his deep urge to know the mysterious and the unknown that makes him take recourse to black
magic. As a result he sells his soul to the devil in return for 24 years during which he shall be provided
with everything that catches his fancy. Dr Faustus is as ambitious and passionate as Tamburlaine and
believes that he can bring the entire world under his control. Read the following:
All things that move between the quiet poles,
Shall be at my command: emperors and kings,
Are but obeyed in their several provinces,
Nor can they raise the wind or rend the clouds:
=================================
A Sound magician is a mighty God. (I, (i), 267)
The exalted language of the play with its memorable lines leave a lasting impact on one’s mind. Just like
Tamburlaine, Faustus, too, makes a desperate attempt to fathom the deep seated layers of knowledge only
to realize the futility of it all in the end. The high spiritual dilemma experienced by Faustus makes this
play a powerful literary work. Faustus’ dilemma is at once spiritual, philosophical and psychological in
nature. That life is essentially a network of paradoxes is eternally true and this Faustanian predicament is
common to all humanity. For this reason, it makes one identify with the character of Dr Faustus. His
inquisitiveness, his curiosity to know the unknown is common to us all, though in different degrees.

Taking clue form the old German legend, Marlowe has created this great work of art along established
lines of tradition. It is a play of vast conflicts, intense feelings, passionate outbursts and violent fancies.
Of course, the play embodies the Christian perspective of good and evil forces in the symbolic
presentation of good angel and evil angel pulling Dr Faustus in their respective directions. Hence
intensifying the tragic dilemma. The only tragic flaw in the character of Dr Faustus is that he fails to
realize that power without responsibility leads one to a dead-end. Faustus wanted to be powerful but only
to satiate his individual curiosities. Any station of power, if not directed towards social welfare becomes

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self consuming. Too much individualism can be destructive. Also, one has to set limits to one’s ambitions,
and respect the limitations of being a human. The play is open to multiple interpretations and offers the
most troubling insights into the complexities of human mind cutting across time and space. A matchless
spiritual tragedy as it is, Dr Faustus touches the deepest chords of human mind with a symbolism that has
an irresistible appeal.

1.6.3 The Jew of Malta

The Jew of Malta that outwardly appears to be a drama of deceit, frauds and intrigues, has something
significant to say. The central character Barabas enters into a series of conspiracies but the question is:
‘why does he do so?’ And the answer is racial discrimination and religious conflict which serves as the
root cause of all the deceits. The play is a story of violent conflict between Christians, Jews and Turks.
The play starts with Machiavelli’s statement in the Prologue: “Religion is but a childish toy”. (Prologue,
347). This prepares the reader to meet certain characters imbibing the spirit of Machiavelli (Machiavelli
was an Italian politician and the writer of the most controversial work The Prince. The term
Machiavellian is used in a negative sense to exemplify the ruthless, unscrupulous and opportunistic
people. He is considered as the father of modern political theory who argued that politics is a science and
not a part of philosophy.) The Jew of Malta is dedicated to the spirit of Machiavelli and suggests that
statesmen must know the art of maneuvering in order to protect their own interests. The play unfolds
many themes, for instance, that man is capable of challenging and countering destiny by the sheer force of
his will power. At another level, the play leaves a message that God’s will subordinates human being’s
capacity to control events. Yet another theme is that vengeance is self-consuming as it destroys Barabas
in the play. The Jew of Malta proved immensely successful on the stage. It also became an inspiration for
Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice.

In Jew of Malta, we have another extraordinary hero Barabas whose character-trait is his avarice for
money. He does not originally belong to Malta and has come here for the opportunities that Malta
provides for trade and cultural exchange. He is the wealthiest merchant amongst the alien Jewish
community of Malta. Barabas is obsessed with two things in particular – Money and his daughter Abigail.
The political situation serves the backdrop of the play. Malta is subjugated by the Turks who charge a
particular amount of money as revenue. But Malta at that point has not paid this revenue over a decade. A
way out is finally devised to solve this situation. The wealthiest citizens of the country are given two
choices: either they give away half of their property, or else convert to Christianity. Barabas refuses to
convert into a Christian and therefore all his property is confiscated. But Barabas is not the one to give up
so easily. He has a plan. Abigail will pretend that she wants to convert to Christianity and enter the
nunnery. His plans succeed and he is able to recover Gold with which he buys a slave – Ithamore. Two
new characters are introduced in the play – Lodowick and Mathias. Both these boys are in love with
Abigail and here Barabas plays another trick. He separately promises to give away Abigail to one or the
other. Barabas actually wants that these men kill each other in pursuit of Abigail. Here also, Barabas
succeeds in his plan as both try to kill each other in a duel because they are rivals in their pursuit of
Abigail. Abigail somehow smells her father’s evil designs and is disillusioned with filial bonds. She
decides to become a nun. This shatters Barabas’ hopes as was possessive of his daughter. He hatches
another plan. With the help of Ithamore, he conspires to poison the entire nunnery. Abigail again senses
her father’s conspiracy and informs the Friar about it. The friar Bernadine along with another fellow friar
Jacomo goes to meet Barabas but again Barabas is too shrewd for him. He throws a web of another
conspiracy and declares that he wants to convert to Christianity. The two friars get into a fiery argument
as to who is going to win Barabas and his money for his monastery. In this war Barabas kills Bernadine
and accuses Jacomo for it. The Government executes Jacomo for the murder of Bernadine.

At this juncture, two new characters enter into the play, viz Bellamira and Pilia Borza. These two women
plot with Ithamore to rob Barabas of his wealth. Here, too, Barabas is able to control the events. He
disguises himself as a fiddling clown and offers poisoned flowers to them. On the other hand, the

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Christian governor of Malta Ferneze who is preparing for the oncoming Turkish siege is informed by this
group – Ithamore, Bellamira and Pilia Borza - that Barabas is a murderer. Ferneze puts all of them into
prison as precaution. Ironically all die because of the slow effect of the poisoned flowers. As a new
development in the play, Calymath, the Turkish leader joins hand with Barabas to stand against Ferneze
and invade Malta. They strike a deal with each other: Barabas will help the Turks invade Malta and in
turn Calymath will make Barabas Governor. The plan really works, Turks acquire control of Malta and
Barabas is declared the new Governor. Ferneze is imprisoned but Barabas is not to be stopped in his dark
motives. He strikes a deal with Ferneze to kill all the Turks in Malta in return for a huge ransom of money
which Ferneze manages to collect from the Maltan citizens. Unfortunately for Barabbas, this time the plan
fails as Ferneze betrays him at the last moment. Towards the end of the play, we see the Turkish army
being destroyed with Calymath standing all alone on the mercy of Ferneze. Barabas too is killed. And
Ferneze emerges victorious once again as the governor of Malta.

1.6.4 The Massacre at Paris

This play takes into account the historical events of the times as well as addresses a unique political
situation in England. It details the incident of St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre provoked by the French
royal rulers and Catholic nobles that include the Duke of Guise in which thousands of Protestants
Huguenots were murdered in Paris in 1572. Almost all the Huguenot nobles along with the ordinary
Protestants living in Paris – men women and children – were killed in this massacre. This mindless and
horrific mass murder shocked the world more specifically the neighbouring protestant countries such as
England and Netherlands.

The Massacre at Paris is regarded as Marlowe’s most violent work. The excessive bloodshed makes the
critics question the pointlessness of all this. Some critics like Sara Munson Deats, however, argue that this
brutal violence and strong urge for revenge serve to underline the pointlessness of religious and political
violence. She says “The bloodshed and violence come in full circle and the audience experiences a
sickening sensation of déjà vu”. Nevertheless the modern critical response to the play finds some strength
in the presentation of the dramatis personae. The personal courage shown by Guise in face of death is one
example. In addition to this, there are mighty lines and memorable phrases, magnificent speeches and
very fine tragic turns and twists in the play. There is a debate regarding the part whatever Marlowe had
himself written, and whether the play was an abridged version. On the whole, it is thought that the play
has a strong protestant bias. Another view is that certain scenes are treated purely from the Catholic
viewpoint.

1.6.5 Edward The Second

The play falls in the category of historical plays. It begins with Edward II recalling his favorite Pierce de
Gaveston from exile. The people of England do not have a liking for Gaveston and are not happy that he
has returned. Even the noblemen of England are vexed over the decision of Edward II to have sent for
Gaveston who was banished by Edward’s father. Among the others, young Mortimer hates Gaveston
whole-heartedly. Gaveston is conferred with titles and powers on his comeback. The dislike for Gaveston
arouses rebellion in the nobility and under the leadership of Mortimer, Warwick and Lancaster, they
conspire to kill Gaveston. The archbishop of Canterbury and Queen Isabella (Edward’s wife) also joins
hands with the conspirators. Edward succumbed to the pressure of nobility and banishes Gaveston to
Ireland. Edwards II neglects his responsibilities as a king, loses his wife Isabella to younger Mortimer,
and provokes rebellion amongst his nobles who deprive him of his crown and eventually his life. Unlike
the earlier plays of Marlowe, Edward II exhibits a mature plot, sustained theme and well-marked
characters. Edward II is regarded as one of Marlowe’s finest works.

1.6.6 Dido, Queen of Carthage

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The material for this play was borrowed from Virgil’s Aeneid. It is an unfinished work by Marlowe.
Thomas Nashe completed it and made it ready for the stage. For a long time the play was not well
received by the critics. Yet, the twentieth century response to the play is totally different. T. S. Eliot has
described the play as “underrated”. In it, the love story of Carthaginian queen is presented
sympathetically and the poetic element is unmistakable. This is a play about love and passion. The
intervention of gods in the human world is intricately woven in the play. This is the only play of Marlowe
with a woman holding centre-stage. The rich imagery and high sounding metaphors make the play multi -
layered. The use of blank verse is characterized by the typical Marlovian art of describing with equal ease
the beautiful as well as the tragic aspects.

1.7 LET US SUM UP

Marlowe’s contribution to the English Drama is undoubtedly great. He enjoys the reputation of heralding
new trends of writing and providing a new direction to the Elizabethan drama that would latter be
followed by Shakespeare. Marlowe was a pioneer who brought a new life to the tragic trend by shifting
focus from the life of Christ or the saints to that of ‘man’. He introduced mental muddles and conflicts
faced by the people in general. It was by no means a small development. Marlowe’s art could not flourish
to maturity as he died very young. Critics are of the opinion that his plays suffer from a number of
loopholes. The most serious of these is that he neglected the principles of both plot and character. All his
plays, except Edward II, have loose plots. Even his greatest tragedy, Dr Faustus is a juxtaposition of
loosely - connected scenes. Despite these drawbacks, Marlowe is credited with innovating a method for
English tragedy to be imbibed and pursued by generations of playwrights to follow. So far as Marlowe’s
poetic genius is concerned, critics share a common opinion. None would dispute that Marlowe was superb
and masterly in the use of blank verse. As rightly said by J. B. Steane: “We know quite well the Marlowe
of ‘the mighty line’, the man who proudly drew away from the ‘jigging vein of rhyming mother wits’ and
introduced into theatre the noble and resonant blank verse that was to be such an expressive instrument.”
(Steane, J.B. Ed. “Introduction.” Christopher Marlowe: The Complete Plays. England: Penguin Books,
p.31)

1.8 KEYWORDS

Medieval Age: The Middle Ages or the Medieval Period is a period in European
history that lasted from the 5th to 15th century. It is believed to
have begun from the fall of Roman Empire and came to an end
with Renaissance. The western history is divided into three broad
periods – Classical, Medieval and Modern. The Middle Ages are
known for many beliefs and practices that became outdated in
the modern times. One instance is of the Sun revolving around
the Earth. Middle ages are also known for many superstitions
and a firm belief in the supernatural. The early Middle Ages are
also known as the Dark Ages.
Reformation Period in England: It refers to the events in 16th century England when the church
freed itself from many practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Reformation period in England was an offshoot of the
European Protestant Reformation, a religious and political
movement that questioned the practices of Christianity in Europe.
As the name itself suggests, Reformation aimed to bring broad
religious and social reforms. The period sees in Europe the rise
of nationalism, the rise of printing press that was instrumental in
spreading knowledge not only among scholars, but also among
the lower and lower middle classes to whom it was earlier
inaccessible. It marks a turning point in the earlier established
practices.

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Renaissance: Beginning in about 14th century and lasting till the 17th century,
Renaissance marks a renewed and vigorous interest in ancient
learning, particularly the learning of classical Greece and Rome.
Renaissance was the ‘revival’,‘re-birth’ of the ancient classical
scholarships. The movement originated in Italy as a cultural
movement and soon spread all through Europe. It saw
innovations in the fields of arts, literature, architecture, politics
and science.
Miracle and Mystery plays: The earliest plays in the medieval period are formally termed as
Mystery Plays. These plays were representation of the stories
picked up from the Bible. These stories were converted into
dramatic pieces are performed in the Church. The other kind of
plays, the Miracle plays dealt largely with the lives of saints.
Although separate names are assigned to distinguish the form of
Miracle and Mystery plays, the terms often are used
interchangeably.

Blank verse: It was a new experiment with the poetic metre with no fixed
number of lines. It is un-rhyming, iambic pentameter and
consists of a 10-syllable line. It is a dominant form used in the
dramatic and narrative verse in English. The efficacy of blank
verse rests on how the poet uses the stressed and unstressed
syllables. Milton’s Paradise Lost and Robert Browning’s
Dramatic Monologues are written in the blank verse.
1.9 QUESTIONS
1. Write a note on Marlowe and as a dramatist.
2. Discuss the role of Marlowe in the development of English tragic drama.
3. What do you mean by the term Renaissance? Critically examine its role in the development of
Elizabethan theatre.
4. What is common in all the plays of Marlowe? Do you agree that his protagonists share common
features?
5. Trace the typical Renaissance spirit in any two plays of Marlowe.
1.10 SUGGESTED READINGS
1. Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th Edition. Boston: Heinle and Heinle, 1999
2. Bradbrook, M.C. Themes and Conventions of Elizabethan Tragedy. New Delhi: Foundation
Books Pvt. Ltd., 2006.
3. Douglas, Cole. Suffering and evil in the plays of Christopher Marlowe. Princeton: Princeton
University Press, 1962.
4. Eliot, Charles N. Ed. Elizabethan Drama: Marlowe to Shakespeare. Montana: Kessinger
Publisher Company, 2004.
5. Gill, Roma. Ed. “Introduction.” Christopher Marlowe: Dr Faustus. London: A&C Black
Publishers Ltd, 2004, p.1
6. Hopkins, Lisa. Renaissance Drama on the Edge. New York: Routledge, 2016
7. Hudson, William Henry. An Outline History of English Literature. New Delhi: Rupa Publications
India Pvt. Ltd., 2015, p.35.
8. Steane, J.B. Ed. Christopher Marlowe: The Complete Plays. England: Penguin Books, p.105
9. Steane, J.B. Ed. “Introduction.” Christopher Marlowe: The Complete Plays. England: Penguin `
Books, p.31.
10. Sykes, H.D. Sidelights on Elizabethan Drama. New York: Routledge, 1966.

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