In truth, like many of the writers of his era, we have only a smattering of facts about the man, and so he will forever remain the mysterious and brilliant Christopher Marlowe. A theory that excites, but holds little weight with academics. It is speculated that he faked his own death, and then wrote under the guise of William Shakespeare. Rumours of him being a spy, a passionate atheist, a homosexual, as well as the confusion over his premature death, add to his illusive persona. (I wish I had a time capsule).Ī shroud of controversy surrounds Christopher Marlowe. One can fantasise about the fervent competitions these two great writers must have had.

These two great playwrights of the same age would surely have shared a close, albeit tumultuous relationship, if Marlowe’s reputation is in any way accurate. And there is evidence for this in the many Marlowe references in Shakespeare’s plays. It is purported that Shakespeare was heavily influenced by Marlowe. Like Shakespeare, Marlowe wrote mainly using blank verse and his plays are wonderfully detailed and poetic. Marlowe studied at the illustrious Cambridge University where he received a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts. The first three on this list are must reads as far as StageMilk is concerned. We wanted to help you guide the way with some of the best Marlowe plays. Though today his name doesn’t share the same familiarity and prestige as Shakespeare, he is one of the great playwrights of all time. Born in fact in the same year, he was an eminent playwright of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe found most of his material for this. The full title of the first publication is The Troublesome Reign and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England, with the Tragical Fall of Proud Mortimer.

It is one of the earliest English history plays. Christopher Marlowe was a contemporary of William Shakespeare. Edward II is a Renaissance or Early Modern period play written by Christopher Marlowe.

The complete plays christopher marlowe