Spy? Brawler? Or heretic? As with other playwrights of the Elizabethan period, little is known about Christopher Marlowe, leading to much speculation about his life and character.
Christopher Marlowe (1564–93)
Marlowe was born in Canterbury in 1564, the son of an upmarket shoemaker and a clergyman's daughter. Baptised on 26 February, he was only two months older than Shakespeare, who was baptised on 26 April of the same year.
He was well educated, at King's School, Canterbury and then Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he obtained a bachelor of arts degree. Marlowe left university in 1587 and went to London where he wrote for the theatres for six years.
Secret agent
Marlowe was suspected of being a spy (among many other things) during his university years in Cambridge. Educated at Corpus Christi College, he frequently took leave from lessons and nearly didn't get his master's degree. It wasn't until The Privy Council intervened on his behalf, commending him for his 'good service' to Queen Elizabeth I, that he was awarded his degree – arousing speculation that Marlowe was operating as a secret agent for Sir Francis Walsingham's intelligence service.
Heretic
In 1593, Marlowe wrote a manuscript that pointed out (what he considered to be) inconsistencies in the Bible, and he fell under the suspicion of heresy. Another contemporary of Shakespeare's, and Marlowe's roommate, Thomas Kyd, was tortured into giving evidence against him. On Sunday 20 May, Marlowe was arrested for the crime of being an atheist – the penalty for which being burned at the stake. He was, however, released on the condition that he reported each day to a court officer.
Brawler
No one quite knows how Marlowe died. On 30 May 1593, Marlowe had dinner with Ingram Frizer, another 'secret' government employee in a lodging place in Deptford. A fight broke out between the two men over the bill, and Marlowe was supposedly stabbed to death by Frizer. Other theories about his death include speculation that Queen Elizabeth I had ordered his death four days before he was killed; that he was meeting with three government agents who were paid assassins; and finally, that Marlowe faked his own death and fled the country, later writing plays under a pseudonym – 'William Shakespeare'.
Marlowe's plays
Six plays are attributed to Christopher Marlowe. It isn't known for sure when and in which order his plays were written.
- Tamburlaine the Great Parts 1 & 2 (published 1590)
- Doctor Faustus (published 1604)
- The Jew of Malta (published 1633)
- The Massacre at Paris (published 1593)
- Edward II (published 1594)
- Dido, Queen of Carthage - written with Thomas Nashe (published 1594)
The dates of publication don't reflect when Marlowe wrote the plays - Tamburlaine may have been written while he was still at Cambridge, and it's uncertain when he and Nashe wrote Dido, Queen of Carthage. The majority of his plays didn't make it into printed form until after Marlowe's death in 1593.
Marlowe at the RSC
All six of Marlowe's plays have been performed at Stratford in the last 40 years.
