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Christopher Marlowe

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Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe Many major and influential authors emerged during the Renaissance. Among these talented individuals was Christopher Marlowe. Marlowe and his fellow writers of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, impacted the course of writing, which preceded their life. Their works continue to be read and studied by numerous people, to this day. Christopher Marlowe was a dominant English poet and playwright, who perhaps was William Shakespeare’s most important predecessor in England (Britannica 917). Of all writers in the Elizabethan era, he was perhaps the most dashing, tempestuous, and appealing (Microsoft Encarta). Although Marlowe was considered the most important dramatist, prior to Shakespeare, his entire career as a playwright lasted only six years. Marlowe was born on February 6th, 1564 in Canterbury, England. His father, John Marlowe, was a shoemaker and tanner. His mother, Catherine Author, was the daughter of a clergyman. Marlowe attended Kings School in Canterbury, England. At Kings School, he received a very regimented education, which was considered one of the best available during that time. The school day began and ended with a prayer at six am and five p.m. respectively. In addition to daily instruction in religion and music, they also sang the morning mass in the Cathedral. The boys were allowed to speak solely in Latin, even while at play. He was granted a scholarship, established by Matthew Perry, to attend Corpus Christi College in Cambridge. (Gale Research) After receiving his BA in 1584, he became known as “Dominus” Marlowe(. At age twenty-one, his motto was “That which nourishes me, destroys me” (Kunitz 823). This statement foretold and shaped his writing style. From thereafter, many absences from the university were recorded. In 1587, he was allowed to obtain his Masters, only after the Privy Council sent a letter to the university making it very clear that his service to

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    Cited: BradBrook, M.C. ―Shakespeare‘s Recollections of Marlowe.‖ Shakespeare‘s Styles: Essays in Honour of Kenneth Muir. Ed. Philip Edwards, Inga-Stina Ewbank, and G.K. Hunter. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 1980. 191-204. Brooks, Cleanth. ―The Unity of Marlowe‘s Doctor Faustus.‖ Doctor Faustus. Ed. David Scott Kastan. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 281-290. Charney, Maurice. "Jessica 's Turquoise Ring and Abigail 's Poisoned Porridge: Shakespeare and Marlowe and Rivals and Imitators." Renaissance Drama 10 (1979): 33-44. Danson, Lawrence. ―Continuity and Character in Shakespeare and Marlowe.‖ Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. 26.2 (1986): 217-234. Foakes, R. A., ed. Henslowe 's Diary. 2nd ed. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2002. Garber, Marjorie. "Marlovian Vision/Shakespeare Revision." Research Opportunities in Renaissance Drama 22 (1979): 3-9. Gill, Roma. Introduction. Dr. Faustus. By Christopher Marlowe. Ed. Roma Gill. 2nd ed. London: A & C Black, 1989. 1-18. Harris, Anthony. Nights Black Agents: Witchcraft and Magic in Seventeenth-Century English Drama. Manchester, UK: Manchester UP, 1980. Hart, Jeffrey P. ―Prospero and Faustus.‖ Boston University Studies in English 2 (Winter 19561957): 197-206. Hopkins, Lisa. Christopher Marlowe: A Literary Life. New York: Palgrave, 2000. Hulme, Peter and William H. Sherman. Preface. The Tempest. By William Shakespeare. Ed. Peter Hulme and William H. Sherman. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. vii-xi.…

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