The Influential Life of Christopher Marlowe

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Recommended: Christopher Marlowe and his writing styles

During the Renaissance era, Christopher Marlowe impacted and inspired many of his fellow playwrights during his short life. With the success of his plays and poems, some including Tamburlaine the Great and Hero and Leander, came the praise for Marlowe’s contemporaries. According to Peter Farey, there were notably few contemporary dramatists whom had anything negative to say about Marlowe, although he received much criticism regarding his personal life. His relatively clean reputation diminished after his first arrest in 1593 and rumors of suspected corruption. It is believed by a copious amount of scholars that Marlowe was a considerably controversial individual in the eyes of spectators during the 16th century. After all, many harbored a suspicion of him being a government spy, a homosexual male, and an atheist (The Marlowe Society). Marlowe’s life abruptly ended in the year of 1593 at the age of 29, however there is not a clear explanation regarding his death. There are various theories surrounding the death of Marlowe, including the belief that he was murdered and the assumption that he never actually died but faked his death and continued his life posing as William Shakespeare—according to The International Marlowe-Shakespeare Society--. Poet and dramatist Christopher Marlowe influenced many writers during the Renaissance period because of his acclaimed plays and poems, making a name for himself before his life ended suddenly during the year of 1593.
Christopher Marlowe grew up in a relatively middle class family and was thought to be a rather intelligent individual. The earliest known record the public has of the writer is of his baptism in Canterbury at St. George’s Church on February 26th, 1564, the same year as William ...

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...topher Marlowe.” Poetry Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2014
Farey, Peter. “Marlowe Page.” Peter Farey’s Marlowe Page. 2014., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2014
Marlowe, Christopher. Tamburlaine the Great, Parts One and Two. CreatSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013. Print.
"Project MUSE - Shakespeare's Marlowe: The Influence of Christopher Marlowe on Shakespeare's Artistry (review)." Project MUSE - Shakespeare's Marlowe: The Influence of Christopher Marlowe on Shakespeare's Artistry (review). N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Hero and Leander Context." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 20 May 2014.
Society, Marlowe. “Welcome to the Marlowe Society.” The Marlowe Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
Vineski, Patricia. "Christopher Marlowe's Hero and Leader: Summary and Quiz.” Education Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014.

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