Christopher Marlowe

Marlowe's breakthrough work, a two-part epic drama chronicling the rise of Timur (Tamburlaine), a Scythian shepherd who conquers vast territories through ruthless ambition and military genius. Part I follows his ascent from humble origins to emperor, while Part II depicts his continued conquests and eventual death. The play established Marlowe's reputation and introduced his 'mighty line' of blank verse to English drama. Tamburlaine embodies the Renaissance ideal of the self-made man while also serving as a cautionary tale about unchecked ambition.

Note: Established the 'overreacher' protagonist type that influenced later Elizabethan drama, including Shakespeare's characters.

Marlowe's masterpiece, based on the German Faust legend and the anonymous 'Faustbuch.' Dr. John Faustus, a brilliant scholar dissatisfied with traditional learning, makes a pact with Lucifer, trading his soul for 24 years of unlimited knowledge and power, served by the demon Mephistopheles. The play explores the conflict between medieval Christian values and Renaissance humanism, showing Faustus's gradual corruption and ultimate damnation despite moments of potential repentance. The work combines elements of morality play with psychological tragedy, featuring both sublime poetry and comic interludes.

Prologue: Chorus introduces Faustus
Act I: Faustus rejects traditional learning, makes pact with devil
Act II: Faustus enjoys his powers, comic subplot with Robin
Act III: Faustus travels, visits the Pope
Act IV: Faustus entertains Emperor and Duke
Act V: Faustus's final hours, damnation, and death
Epilogue: Chorus draws moral conclusion

Note: Exists in two versions: A-text (1604) and B-text (1616). The play influenced countless later works dealing with the Faustian bargain theme.

A dark and controversial play about Barabas, a wealthy Jewish merchant in Malta whose fortune is confiscated by the Christian governor to pay tribute to the Turks. Driven by revenge, Barabas becomes increasingly Machiavellian, murdering his way through Malta with the help of his Turkish slave Ithamore. The play is both a revenge tragedy and a satire on religious hypocrisy, greed, and prejudice. While the protagonist is a stereotypical Jewish villain, the play also critiques Christian corruption and intolerance. The work's blend of tragedy and dark comedy influenced later Elizabethan drama.

Note: The play's portrayal of Barabas influenced Shakespeare's Shylock in 'The Merchant of Venice,' though with different emphases.

Marlowe's most psychologically sophisticated play, depicting the reign and downfall of King Edward II of England. The play focuses on Edward's controversial relationship with his favorite, Piers Gaveston, and later Hugh Spencer, which alienates the nobility and leads to civil war. Unlike Marlowe's other protagonists, Edward is weak rather than ambitious, making this a study of political incompetence and personal obsession. The play explores themes of power, sexuality, and the responsibilities of kingship with remarkable psychological depth.

Note: Considered Marlowe's most mature work in terms of character development and political insight.

A historical tragedy depicting the events surrounding the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre of 1572, when thousands of French Protestants (Huguenots) were killed by Catholic mobs in Paris. The play focuses on the Machiavellian Duke of Guise, who orchestrates much of the violence for political gain. Though the text is likely corrupt and the play is considered one of Marlowe's weaker works, it reflects contemporary English Protestant fears about Catholic persecution and provides insight into Elizabethan attitudes toward religious conflict in France.

Note: The surviving text may be a memorial reconstruction, which could explain its apparent weaknesses compared to Marlowe's other works.

Marlowe's earliest surviving play, possibly co-written with Thomas Nashe, based on Book IV of Virgil's 'Aeneid.' The tragedy tells the story of Dido, Queen of Carthage, and her doomed love for the Trojan hero Aeneas, who must leave her to fulfill his destiny of founding Rome. The play explores themes of love versus duty, fate versus free will, and the cost of imperial ambition. Written for a boy company, the play features elaborate spectacle and passionate rhetoric, showcasing Marlowe's early mastery of dramatic verse.

Note: Possibly Marlowe's first play, showing his early interest in classical sources and tragic love stories.

Marlowe's unfinished erotic narrative poem, based on the classical myth of Hero, a priestess of Venus at Sestos, and Leander, a young man from Abydos who swims the Hellespont nightly to visit her. Marlowe completed only the first two 'sestiads' (sections), covering their meeting and first night together. The poem is celebrated for its sensuous imagery, wit, psychological insight, and digressive style. George Chapman later completed the poem. Marlowe's portion influenced Shakespeare's 'Venus and Adonis' and established the Ovidian narrative poem as a popular form in English literature.

First Sestiad: Hero and Leander meet at Venus's temple
Second Sestiad: Their first night together
(Chapman's continuation adds four more sestiads)

Note: The poem's famous line 'Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?' was later quoted by Shakespeare in 'As You Like It.'

Marlowe's translation of Ovid's 'Amores,' a collection of Latin love elegies. These translations were among the most accomplished English renderings of classical erotic poetry, capturing both Ovid's wit and sensuality. The elegies explore various aspects of love, from passionate desire to cynical manipulation, often with a playful and irreverent tone. Marlowe's versions were controversial for their explicit content and were publicly burned by church authorities in 1599 along with certain satires. The translations demonstrate Marlowe's classical learning and his skill in adapting Latin poetry to English verse.

Note: These translations, along with Sir John Davies's 'Epigrams,' were ordered to be burned by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1599.

Marlowe's translation of the first book of Lucan's 'Pharsalia' (also known as 'De Bello Civili'), an epic poem about the Roman civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey. The translation demonstrates Marlowe's continued interest in classical literature and his skill in rendering Latin epic verse into English blank verse. Lucan's republican sympathies and his portrayal of Caesar as a tyrant may have appealed to Marlowe's own political interests.

Note: This translation shows Marlowe's versatility in handling different classical genres beyond love poetry.