Life of Christopher Marlowe

Christopher Marlowe’s name is one of the best known of all the Elizabethan dramatists, next only to that of William Shakespeare. And like many other famous personalities of that distant period, the details of Marlowe’s life are relatively unknown and some aspects of his life are decidedly shrouded in mystery. However, the persistent research of recent scholars has unearthed a few significant aspects which have hitherto remained unknown. It is known now, for instance that Marlowe was born in 1564 in the middle class family of a shoemaker of Canterbury. He was the most educated of his family and he managed to reach Corpus Chiristi College, Cambridge, on a scholarship.

When Marlowe qualified for his M.A. degree in 1587 there was some hesitation on the part of the university authorities to award him degree. They suspected him of having links with the Roman Catholics who at that time were regarded as enemies of the state. However, on the intervention of the highest authorities of the government, the university was persuaded to award him the degree. It is generally believed now that Marlowe had acted as a government spy in forging links with the Catholics.

Soon after his graduation, Marlowe renounced clergyship-the career for which he had been educated and instead he became a playwright and free lance man of letters. From 1587 when he left Cambridge University to 1593 when he died at the age of 39, there are several dark areas in Marlowe’s life about which modern reader knows nothing. From the various and often conflicting revelations made so far, the image of Marlowe that emerges is that of highly intellectual, iconoclastic, bold and fiery young man. He was extremely outspoken and often gave free expression to heretical and atheistical ideas. That he showed little reverence for Moses, Jesus Christ and the Bible has been gathered from the writings of several of his contemporaries. It is also alleged that he had homosexual tendencies. Perhaps the manner of his death-he was killed in a tavern fight after a drinking session with a few shady characters-is a proper finale of the life that was mysterious and tempestuous.

Works of Christopher Marlowe

In the last six years of his life, Marlowe produced a remarkable body of drama on the basis of which his present reputation mainly rests. Earlier, he had written a play, Dido, Queen of Carthage (published in 1591) which T.S. Eliot has praised as a remarkable play, but which is strongly suspected to having been written with a collaborator.

It is believed that the collaborator was Thomas Nashe. His first major play, The Great Tamburlaine, a play written in two parts, was first produced in the winter of 1587-88 and was an immediate success. The two parts of his play have been hailed as great work of art exhibiting unity of structure and thought. The play brings to light the character of an extraordinary man, the non-Christian, Tamburlaine, who for his brutality, ruthlessness and overweening pride wins admiration but at the same time is to be condemned and detested according to the moral Christian values of Marlowe’s time. Marlowe, in spite of the doubts cast on him, is a didactic writer. In the character of Tamburlaine, Marlowe has shown that the achievements of an evil person may win him admiration,but ultimately this evil becomes the cause of his downfall. To the Elizabethan audience, there was never any doubt that Marlowe had written anything but highly didactic plays. Besides, Tamburlaine has several passages of strong passion and intensity which add a high poetic quality to Marlowe’s work. The evidence of this poetic quality is to be seen in all of Marlowe’s works including Doctor Faustus.

The Jew of Malta (performed in 1588) is built around the character of the Jew Barabas whose suffering in life, under pressures of a throughly corrupt and materialistic society, harden him into a monster who excels in ruthlessness and opportunism. Thus like Tamburlaine, Barabas fits in the pattern of the devil hero that is the hallmark of Marlowe’s play. The Jew of Malta, however, depicts evil and corruption not only in the hero but in the whole world. The monstrous hero and the morally rotten social environment are in perfect harmony with each other. The play has portions of great dramatic power and has been generally compared with Ben Jonson’s Volpone for its biting irony and black humour.

Edward the Second, is a historical play that depicts the fall of King Edward II of England. Edward is shown as an unfit king who has homosexual relationship with his favourities. At the end of the play, he is overthrown and then got murdered by his rival Mortimer who also forms a sexual liaison with Edward’s queen. Critical views differ on whether the play is primarily about Edward’s fall or Mortimer’s rise (and ultimate fall). In either case, Marlowe continues to depict the world where meanness and evil are widespread. And sooner or later, the human being is engulfed by the all pervasive corruption. And the one factor that pushes man to destruction is his thirst for power. Tamburlaine, Barabas, Edward, Mortimer and Faustus are after power which destroys their humanity and turns them into evil and monstrous characters.

Before we come to Doctor Faustus, it is appropriate to mention that in addition to the works already mentioned, Marlowe wrote another play, The Massacre at Paris (acted in 1593) which is rather an insignificant play full of bloodshed and thunder. Another work of Marlowe that should be mentioned here is a long poem called, Hero and Leander (written in 1593). It is generally believed to be his last work, written only days before his death. It is said that Marlowe left this poem incomplete. George Chapman finished it after his death.

Marlowe’s Place in Elizabethan Drama

As stated at the beginning of this lesson, Marlowe’s position in Elizabethan drama is next only to that of Shakespeare. Actually, both the playwrights are contemporaries, with the difference that when Marlowe’s plays had already taken him to the peak of his artistic maturity and fame, Shakespeare was still struggling with some of his earliest plays. Consequently, one importance of Marlowe that is easily recognised by critics is his impact on Shakespeare. Several parallels have been drawn between Marlowe’s and Shakespeare’s plays to bring out the influence. Dido is supposed to have been reflected in Antony and Cleopatra and the parallels between Edward II and Shakespeare’s Richard II are too obvious. Thus Marlowe’s role is to be seen as a precursor of Shakespeare, one who paved the way for the greater playwright. Again, Marlowe’s dramatic art is characterized by originality in both theme and style. The prologue to his play, Tamburlaine runs like this :
From Jigging veins of riming mother wits.
And such conceits as clownage 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 scouring kingdoms with his conquering sword.
It is obvious from the above lines that Marlowe was reacting against the stage conventions of his day which he found to be clownish. And the playwrights who still wrote within the narrow limits of time were contemptuously called “riming mother wits.” In response, he advocated blank verse, which though already practised by some of his contemporaries, became a very effective and supple medium of dramatic expression in his hands. Marlowe’s contribution to the blank verse was to make things easier for Shakespeare. Further as can be seen from the last two lines quoted above, Marlowe created in his drama a new concept of the tragic hero. The tragic protagonist was to be a larger than life, extraordinary man. He was to be a villain hero and his downfall was to be regarded as the tragedy of ambition.

Another way of recognising Marlowe’s tragic art it to say that it was in consonance with the spirit of the Renaissance. For his secular views, unconventional morality and restlessness, Marlowe himself is a complete product of the Renaissance in every sense of the term. And like the author, his characters too display the Renaissance spirit — they have ambition., a hankering after adventure and power and desperate spirit that is unsatisfied with small achievements. Thus whereas Marlowe’s life and work reflect the major characteristics of the Renaissance, he is ahead of his times in being an innovator and a trend-setter in both style and subject matter.

Introduction to Doctor Faustus

Almost all the scholars approach Doctor Faustus by discussing three important aspects of the play—its date, authorship and the real text. An earlier view is that Doctor Faustus had been written in 1588, soon after, Tamburlaine. But now the prevailing view is that 1592 is the date of its authorship. Again a particular school of critics believes that Marlowe is not the sole author of the play; he had a collaborator. It is believed that the comic scenes and the old man’s speeches are the work of another hand. The name of Thomas Nashe and Samuel Rowely are mentioned in this connection. What has contributed to the confusion is the existence of two very different texts of the play, both of them claimed by critics as original. One published in 1604 (commonly called A text), is shorter and is without several of the comic scenes. The Ist edition of the play (called B text) is longer and generally regarded to be more authentic. However, the controversy about these aspects of the play still goes on. It may be mentioned here that lengthy discussions about the date, authorship or the text are of interest mainly to the research scholar, to an average reader these matters are of very little interest.

Source : Johannes Faustus was a real man who lived in Germany in the early 16th century. Even during his life time, he became a famous magician, and after his death some stories of the supernatural began to be associated with his name. By 1587 A.D. ‘the name Faustus had acquired mythical dimensions and someone in Germany in that year actually wrote down the history of’ “John Faustus”. The book was very popular and soon after was anonymously translated into English and was called Damnable Life. By all accounts, this damnable life, served as a source for Marlowe’s play. Thus, the story of Faustus, was well known in England when Marlowe’s play made its appearance. Consequently, the appeal of the play lies not in its story but in the unusal treatment it received from the author.

Brief Story : In brief, the story of Marlowe’s play is this Faustus, a German scholar of theology, law and medicine, who has already earned a great reputation. But he is bored as he reaches the limits beyond which he cannot push his studies. So he begins to learn magic which he hopes will not only add vastly to his knowledge, but will also help him gain immense power. Although he has rather hazy idea of what he would do with this power he means to have a good time and also play the good Samaritan occasionally. So while the two German magicians, Valdes and Cornelius are giving him final lessons on sorcery, the Bad Angel and the Good Angel appear. Of course, the Good Angel warns Faustus of the danger of forgetting Christ and God, whereas the Bad Angel reminds him of the power and glory which lie ahead. These two creatures, who are the stage representation of the split nature of Faustus’s conscience make several appearances during the play and their significance is to be discussed in a different context. The scholar friends of Faustus express their concern when they are informed by his servant, Wagner of the liaison of his master with the magicians.

In the meantime, in answer to Faustus’s incantation, Lucifer (Satan) and his deputy Mephistophilis appear. Through Mephistophilis, Faustus strikes a deal with Lucifer according to which Faustus will surrender his soul to Lucifer after twenty four years. But for that duration Lucifer must fulfil every desire of Faustus whatever he wants will be granted and Faustus will enjoy unlimited power, knowledge and wealth. The bargain is struck when Faustus writes and seals it in his own blood. In return, Mephistophilis in assigned on permanent duty with Faustus to look after his needs.

Faustus begins by acquiring knowledge of both the temporal and the spiritual world. Then he is introduced to the Seven Deadly Sins. Next, Faustus goes on his travels around the world to solve more mysteries of Nature and then arrives at Rome where Pope Adrian is holding his court for the trial of one Burno who had challenged the Pope’s authority. At first by posing as two holy Cardinals, Faustus and Mephistophilis confound the Pope and his companion and then Faustus becomes invisible and plays havoc at the Pope’s feast. In the scene meant for comic effect, Faustus even beats up the Pope who howls and screams with fear.

Because Faustus has won more fame for his travels and his learning, he is invited to the court of Charles, the German Emperor. There Faustus entertains the Emperor by conjuring up the spirits of Alexander and Darius. Next, he turns Benvolio, and insolent lord, into a stag. Later Benvolio, and his friends try to kill Faustus but he again punishes them by converting them into various animals. In several other scenes, Faustus’s marvellous powers are demonstrated. Often he has fun at the expense of stupid or cunning persons.

By now, Faustus is reaching the end of his twenty-four years. As he stares into the fires of imminent hell, the torment of his soul grows, a mysterious old Man apears and reminds Faustus of what he has lost— his chance for redemption under God’s mercy. And before the last hour strikes, Faustus has one final wish. He wants to see and enjoy Helen, the most beautiful woman that world has known. This wish is also fulfilled. Finally, in a scene of great mental torture and soul’s agony, Faustus’s soul is taken away by Lucifer and his friends. The story ends with the obvious moral that the choice of wrong path brought ruin on Faustus.

Here we have some Quotes, Sayings or Quotations by Christopher Marlowe

Christopher Marlowe Quotes