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Christopher Marlowe Facts

Christopher Marlowe Facts
Christopher Marlowe was an English writer from the Elizabethan era, whose work influenced William Shakespeare's writing as well as the writing of generations to follow. His exact date of birth is unknown but he was born in Canterbury, England and was baptized on February 26th, 1564. His father was John Marlowe, a shoemaker, and his mother was Catherine Marlowe. Christopher was educated at The King's School in Canterbury, and Corpus Christi College in Cambridge where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1584. He was awarded his Masters of Arts Degree in 1587, despite an attempt to refuse the award based on rumors that he would go on to be Rheims to become a priest. Privy Council intervened based on his service to the Queen, leading some to believe that he was a secret agent.
Interesting Christopher Marlowe Facts:
Christopher Marlowe was baptized only two months before William Shakespeare.
The speculation that Christopher Marlowe worked as a secret agent came when Privy Council ensured that he received his Masters of Arts degree based on his ‘unspecified' government work, which was evident in the letter that Privy Council sent to Cambridge on Christopher's behalf.
While studying at Cambridge Christopher Marlowe was absent for extended periods of time, longer than allowed for 'normal' students. He also had extra money that he spent on food and drink. The fact that he attended school on a scholarship suggests an outside ‘secret' income.
Following graduation from Cambridge Christopher Marlowe moved to London, England to pursue a writing career full-time.
Christopher Marlowe's wrote plays after moving to London. His first play wasDido, Queen of Carthage. It was published in 1594 but had been performed between 1587 and 1593 by a company of boy actors called the Children of the Chapel. Some believe he wrote the play while still a student at Cambridge.
Christopher Marlowe's second play was Tamburlaine the Great (written in 1587 and published in 1590). This play was his first to be performed regularly on stage in London, and it began the Elizabethan theater's 'mature phase'.
Tamburlaine the Great was a two-part play and the last play written by Christopher Marlowe that would be published while he was still alive.
Christopher Marlowe also wrote the plays The Jew of Malta, Doctor Faustus, Edward II, and The Massacre at Paris. The order in which they were written has been debated for centuries.
Christopher Marlowe also wrote poetry, and translated poetry written by Ovid, and Lucan, classical Roman poets.
On Sunday May 20th, 1593 Christopher Marlowe was arrested for the crime of being an 'atheist'. The penalty for this crime was being burned at the stake. Rather than being jailed or tortured as was common at the time, he was released on the condition that he reported each day to a court officer.
On May 30th, 1593 Christopher Marlowe had dinner with Ingram Frizer, another 'secret' government employee. After a fight broke out between the two men over the bill, Christopher was killed by Ingram, who stabbed him. Christopher was 29 when he died.
Speculation exists that the Queen ordered Marlowe's death four days before he was killed.


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