Christopher Marlowe

A guide to reading "Doctor Faustus" with a critical and appreciative mind. Includes background on the author's life and times, sample tests, term paper suggestions, and a reading list.

Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), a man of extreme passions and a playwright of immense talent, is the most important of Shakespeare's contempories. This edition offers his five major plays, which show the radicalism and vitality of his writing in the few years before his violent death. Tamburlaine Part One and Part Two deal with the rise to world prominence of the great Scythian shepherd-robber; The Jew of Malta is a drama of villainy and revenge; Edward II was to influence Shakespeare's Richard II. Doctor Faustus, perhaps the first drama taken from the medieval legend of a man who sells his soul to the devil, is here in both its A and its B text, showing the enormous and fascinating differences between the two. Under the General Editorship of Dr Michael Cordner of the University of York, the texts of the plays have been newly edited and are presented with modernized spelling and punctuation. In addition, there is a scholarly introduction and detailed annotation.

The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, commonly referred to simply as Doctor Faustus, is an Elizabethan tragedy by Christopher Marlowe, based on German stories about the title character Faust, that was first performed sometime between 1588 and Marlowe's death in 1593. Two different versions of the play were published in the Jacobean era, several years later. The powerful effect of early productions of the play is indicated by the legends that quickly accrued around them—that actual devils once appeared on the stage during a performance, "to the great amazement of both the actors and spectators", a sight that was said to have driven some spectators mad.

The political tragedy of a King ruled by his infatuation for young Gaveston. Set in early fourteenth-century Britain, Christopher Marlowe's play follows Edward II as he indulges his passion and renounces his duties, and ultimately pays the price for forsaking his country.

Marlowe's unfinished masterpiece, as completed by George Chapman. Includes an introduction and notes by Edward Blunt.

One of the greatest English playwrights, Christopher Marlowe received the scholarly compliment of having long been considered the author of some plays now attributed to Shakespeare. Marlowe's remarkable inventiveness and powers of poetic expression enabled him to render his first play, Tamburlaine, the relatively new form of English blank verse, establishing the form for later Elizabethan dramatic writing. This heroic epic, his most ambitious work, was also the first genuine English tragedy.Produced around 1587, the two-part romantic drama derives from the historical figure of Tamerlane (1336–1405), a Mongol warrior whose conquests and tyrannical rule extended from the Black Sea to the Upper Ganges. In Part I, Tamburlaine represents the best and most admirable qualities of the Renaissance man — his relentless rise to greatness, his ability to defy the odds and his determined pursuit of all life's possibilities. The first part concludes with the hero at the zenith of his powers, with vivid descriptions of his military victories and the passionate courting of a rival's captive daughter; in Part II, however, Tamburlaine's ambition overrides his better nature, and his greed and vanity ultimately lead to his ruin.Ideal for classroom use, this volume will also be a welcomed addition to the libraries of anyone fond of English literary classics.

""Tamburlaine the Great V1"" is a play written by Christopher Marlowe, first published in 1590. It tells the story of Tamburlaine, a shepherd who rises to become a powerful conqueror, taking over vast territories and defeating his enemies. The play is divided into two parts, with the first part focusing on Tamburlaine's rise to power and the second part on his downfall. The play is known for its grandiose language, its portrayal of violence and cruelty, and its exploration of themes such as power, ambition, and the nature of leadership. It is considered one of Marlowe's most important works and a significant contribution to the Elizabethan drama.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

The complete plays of Christopher Marlowe, in which the lure of dark forces drives the shifting balances between weak and strong, sacred and profane Marlowe's seven plays dramatise the fatal lure of potent forces, whether religious, occult or erotic. In the victories of Tamburlaine, Faustus's encounters with the demonic, the irreverence of Barabas in The Jew of Malta , and the humiliation of Edward II in his fall from power and influence, Marlowe explores the shifting balance between power and helplessness, the sacred and its desecration. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The essential lyric works of the great Elizabethan playwright--newly revised and updated Though best known for his plays--and for courting danger as a homosexual, a spy, and an outspoken atheist--Christopher Marlowe was also an accomplished and celebrated poet. This long-awaited updated and revised edition of his poems and translations contains his complete lyric works--from his translations of Ovidian elegies to his most famous poem, "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love," to the impressive epic mythological poem "Hero and Leander." For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The spirit of Machiavelli presides over The Jew of Malta, in which the title character relentlessly plots to maintain and extend his political influence and wealth. A paragon of remorseless evil, Barabas befriends and betrays the Turkish invaders and native Maltese alike, incites a duel between the suitors for his daughter's hand, and takes lethal revenge upon a convent of nuns. Both tragedy and farce, this masterpiece of Elizabethan theater reflects the social and political complexities of its age. Christopher Marlowe's dramatic hybrid resonates with racial tension, religious conflict, and political intrigue — all of which abounded in 16th-century England. The playwright, who infused each one of his plays with cynical humor and a dark world view, draws upon stereotypes of Muslim and Christian as well as Jewish characters to cast an ironic perspective on all religious beliefs. The immediate success of The Jew of Malta on the Elizabethan stage is presumed to have influenced Marlowe's colleague, William Shakespeare, to draw upon the same source material for The Merchant of Venice . The character of Barabas is the prototype for the well-known Shylock, and this drama of his villainy remains a satirical gem in its own right.

QUEENE MOTHER. My noble sonne, and princely Duke of Guise, Now have we got the fatall stragling deere, Within the compasse of a deadly toyle, And as we late decreed we may perfourme.

This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We're happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus By Christopher Marlowe

Marlowe was an English poet, dramatist and translator in the Elizabethian period. Faust is the famous story of a man selling his soul to the devil for power and knowledge. On a deeper level man's decay from choosing material things over the spiritual is depicted.

Book by Christopher Marlowe