Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593) stands as one of the towering figures in 16th-century British poetry and drama. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, Marlowe’s contributions to English literature were groundbreaking and remain influential today. As a British poet and playwright, he is best known for his blank verse and his exploration of themes like ambition, power, and the human condition, all of which defined the Renaissance period in English literature.
Marlowe’s works embody the spirit of the Renaissance, marked by a deep engagement with classical literature, a fascination with humanist ideals, and a questioning of traditional beliefs. His dramatic works were revolutionary in their use of blank verse, and his poetry, including the famous “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”, contributed to the shaping of English literary tradition. Marlowe’s relatively short life—he was murdered at the age of 29—left a legacy far larger than might be expected for someone with so little time to work. His bold innovations in both poetry and theater made him one of the most influential writers of his time.
This article will explore Marlowe’s life, his major works, his style and influence on English literature, and how he compares to other poets of the 16th century, including Edmund Spenser, Sir Philip Sidney, and William Shakespeare.
Early Life and Education
Christopher Marlowe was born in Canterbury, Kent, in 1564, the same year as William Shakespeare. Marlowe came from a relatively humble background—his father, John Marlowe, was a shoemaker, and his mother, Katherine, was the daughter of a prosperous Canterbury family. He attended The King’s School in Canterbury, where his literary talents began to emerge. His education continued at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1584.
Marlowe’s time at Cambridge was significant, as it was there that he began to develop his skills as a poet and dramatist. While at Cambridge, Marlowe was introduced to classical literature, including the works of Homer, Virgil, Ovid, and Seneca, all of which would influence his later works. Marlowe’s studies were aligned with the Renaissance humanist movement, which emphasized the value of the ancient texts in shaping contemporary thought.
It is also worth noting that Marlowe’s time at Cambridge has been subject to speculation, particularly regarding his involvement in espionage. Some scholars have suggested that Marlowe was recruited by Sir Francis Walsingham, the English spymaster, for his work as a secret agent, though the details of this remain unclear. Regardless of the truth of these claims, Marlowe’s education and early life in Cambridge prepared him for a career that would challenge traditional literary forms.
Marlowe’s Major Works
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
One of Marlowe’s most famous works is the pastoral poem “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” (1599), written in six-line stanzas. In this idealized and romantic poem, the speaker (the passionate shepherd) invites his lover to live with him in a rural, natural paradise. The poem’s allure lies in its sensuousness, simplicity, and its invitation to an idyllic existence, free from the complexities of city life.
The poem is often viewed as a classic Elizabethan example of the pastoral genre, which idealizes rural life and celebrates the harmony between human beings and nature. Marlowe’s skill in evoking sensual imagery and romantic yearning makes the poem a quintessential expression of the age’s desire for the escape into nature.
However, it is important to note that Marlowe’s optimism in the poem has often been seen as idealistic and naïve, as the shepherd’s invitation overlooks the complexities of real life. This idealized vision of love and nature is contrasted with the more cynical response to it in Sir Walter Raleigh’s The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd, a poem that critiques the unrealistic promises made in Marlowe’s piece. Marlowe’s idealism contrasts with Raleigh’s pragmatic realism, offering insight into the tension between the ideal and the real in Elizabethan poetry.
Doctor Faustus
Marlowe’s most famous dramatic work is undoubtedly Doctor Faustus (1592), a play that revolves around the tragic downfall of the scholar Doctor Faustus, who makes a pact with the devil in exchange for supernatural powers and knowledge. The play is a profound exploration of hubris, pride, and the human desire for transcendence. Marlowe’s Faustus is deeply flawed, and his quest for knowledge and power leads to his eventual damnation.
The play reflects several key Renaissance themes, including the quest for knowledge, the tension between human ambition and divine law, and the moral consequences of defying God. Faustus’ tragic flaw is his inability to understand the limits of human power and his refusal to repent for his sins, even when given the chance.
Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus is also significant for its use of blank verse—unrhymed iambic pentameter—which allows for a more naturalistic and fluid flow of speech than the previous rhymed forms. Marlowe’s use of blank verse had a lasting influence on the playwrights who followed, most notably William Shakespeare. Doctor Faustus combines elements of morality plays, tragedy, and Renaissance humanism, making it a cornerstone of Elizabethan drama.
Tamburlaine the Great
Another landmark in Marlowe’s career is Tamburlaine the Great (1587), a two-part play that tells the story of the rise and fall of Tamerlane, a Mongol conqueror. The play focuses on Tamburlaine’s insatiable ambition, his desire for power, and his eventual self-destruction. The play is known for its bold use of blank verse and its portrayal of a ruthless, charismatic leader.
The character of Tamburlaine is often interpreted as a symbol of Renaissance individualism—the heroic figure who is driven by the desire to exert control over his world and to transcend the limitations of his circumstances. Marlowe’s portrayal of Tamburlaine’s boundless ambition and his disregard for human life is both compelling and terrifying, presenting a tragic hero whose flaws ultimately lead to his downfall. The grandiose speeches in the play and the larger-than-life character of Tamburlaine set a precedent for the epic drama that would later be developed by playwrights such as Shakespeare.
The Jew of Malta
The Jew of Malta (1592) is another of Marlowe’s famous works. The play focuses on Barabas, a wealthy Jewish merchant who seeks revenge on those who wronged him. The play is filled with dark themes of greed, revenge, and religious intolerance. Barabas’s character is often seen as a precursor to the villains in later Elizabethan drama, particularly Shakespeare’s Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.
Marlowe’s exploration of religious conflict and moral ambiguity in The Jew of Malta challenges contemporary notions of morality and highlights the destructive power of vengeance. The play also examines the tension between Catholicism and Protestantism in the Elizabethan period, offering a sharp critique of both religious systems.
Hero and Leander
Marlowe’s elegiac and sensuous poem Hero and Leander (1598), left unfinished at his death, tells the story of the tragic love between the Greek hero Leander and the priestess Hero. The poem is written in heroic couplets, and its lush, erotic imagery showcases Marlowe’s mastery of language and his ability to evoke intense emotion. The poem was highly regarded for its beauty, elegance, and sensuality.
Marlowe’s Style and Influence
Marlowe’s most significant contribution to English literature was his use of blank verse. The iambic pentameter he employed in his plays became the standard form for English drama and was later perfected by William Shakespeare. Marlowe’s mastery of blank verse allowed for greater flexibility and expressiveness than previous metrical forms, enabling him to convey complex emotions and ideas more effectively.
Marlowe’s works were also marked by their boldness and ambition. His characters are often defined by their uncontrollable desires—whether for power, knowledge, or love—and their tragic flaws. Marlowe’s exploration of themes such as hubris, ambition, and human frailty influenced later writers, especially Shakespeare, who would adopt similar themes in his own works. Marlowe’s use of grand, bombastic language and elevated rhetoric helped shape the tragic genre in English theater.
In terms of poetic influence, Marlowe’s work had a profound effect on his contemporaries. His pastoral poem, The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, influenced later poets like Sir Walter Raleigh, who responded to it with the more cynical The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd. Marlowe’s dramatic poetry, especially in Doctor Faustus and Tamburlaine the Great, shaped the trajectory of English drama and established Marlowe as a pioneer of the Renaissance tragedy.
Marlowe and His Contemporaries
While Marlowe’s work shares common themes with those of his contemporaries, his boldness and experimental spirit set him apart from poets like Sir Philip Sidney and Edmund Spenser. While Sidney and Spenser worked within the framework of courtly love and moral allegory, Marlowe was more subversive, often exploring darker and more dangerous themes such as ambition, revenge, and unrestrained desire. Marlowe’s works are filled with larger-than-life characters, while Sidney and Spenser’s poetry often contains more idealized, moral characters.
Compared to William Shakespeare, Marlowe’s influence is less direct, yet still significant. Shakespeare’s poetry and drama share many thematic concerns with Marlowe’s, especially in their treatment of ambitious, tragic heroes. However, while Shakespeare’s characters tend to be more complex and psychologically nuanced, Marlowe’s characters are more driven by exaggerated emotions and larger-than-life desires. Both writers, however, explored the tragic consequences of human ambition.
Conclusion
Christopher Marlowe was one of the most influential 16th-century British poets and dramatists. His contributions to English poetry, particularly in his use of blank verse, his tragic themes, and his exploration of human ambition, left a lasting impact on both poetry and drama. Marlowe’s works were bold, daring, and experimental, setting the stage for later developments in English literature. His legacy, though cut short by his early death, remains central to the understanding of Renaissance poetry and Elizabethan drama.
By comparing Marlowe to his contemporaries, such as Sidney, Spenser, and Shakespeare, we see a poet who was willing to push boundaries and explore the dark side of human nature, which made him one of the defining figures of 16th-century British poetry.
