On May 30, 1593, English playwright Christopher Marlowe is
killed in a brawl over a bar tab. Marlowe, born two months before William
Shakespeare, was the son of a Canterbury shoemaker. A bright student, he won
scholarships to prestigious schools and earned his B.A. from Cambridge in 1584.
He was nearly denied his master's degree in 1587, until advisers to Queen
Elizabeth intervened, recommending he receive the degree, referring obliquely
to his services for the state. Marlowe's activities as a spy for Queen
Elizabeth were later documented by historians. While still in school, Marlowe
wrote his play Tamburlaine the Great, about a 14th century shepherd who
became an emperor. The blank verse drama caught on with the public, and Marlowe
wrote five more plays before his death in 1593, including The Jew of Malta
and Dr. Faustus. He also published a translation of Ovid's Elegies.
In May of 1593, Marlowe's former roommate, playwright Thomas Kyd, was arrested
and tortured for treason. He told authorities that "heretical" papers
found in his room belonged to Marlowe, who was subsequently arrested. While out
on bail, Marlowe became involved in a fight over a tavern bill and was stabbed
to death.
Michael Thomas
Barry is the author of Great Britain’s Literary Legends.
The book can be purchased from Amazon through the following links:
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