The Life & Complete Works Of Christopher Marlowe [Kindle Edition]

I bought this recently because of my increasing interest in Marlowe.

I find this to be a very engaging work because Scarsbrook has done an enormous amount of research on Marlowe's life, many of the details of which are contained herein, the text of the letter from the Privy Council to Cambridge enabling him to get his degree, the infamous Baines report, where he is accused by a fellow spy, the coroners report on the great reckoning in the little room, which led to Marlowe's untimely death, or was it staged so that he could avoid the headman's axe. It also includes details of the pardon of his accused murderer Frizer, and the interest of the queen in the matter.

If you are a Shakespeare fan like me, you may be struck by the huge similarity in style and use of language between both. Shakespeare, born in the same year as Marlowe, yet to publish his first poem at the time of Marlowe's death. Venus and Adonis followed shortly after Marlowe's death.

I would not call this particualr collection complete, but it certainly has the greatest hits. One of my favorite pieces is The Passionate Shepherd. I am also enjoying the play Faust. Two of Marlowe's plays have been made into movies, Faust with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and Edward II by Derek Jarman.

Several weeks after Marlowe's death Shakespeare published his first poem Venus and Adonis, which made many allusions to Hero and Leander. Both are tragic poems. Both poems refer to each other by title, and several phrases are common to both poems. Yet Venus and Adonis refers to a poem by Marlowe which would not be published for several years. And Hero and Leander refers to a poem which had yet to be published. How is this possible?

Another book I am currently reading a book by Calvin Hoffman lists over 200 parallel phrases that occur in both Shakespeare and Marlowe:

Whoever loved, loved not at first sight. C Marlowe, Passionate Shepherd & W Shakespeare, As you Like It.

Was this the face that launched a thousand ships And burnt the topless towers of Ilium? C Marlowe (Kindle Locations 55195-55196.

She is a pearl, whose price hath launched above a thousand ships. Shakespeare (Troilus and Cressida)

I think you will enjoy it, and I hope this was helpful.

Love the format of the background information to the life of Marlowe. Concise and to the point. The list of cohorts tells the story that can be integrated into other playwrights and poets of the time. Only wish that some of the general world history of the time were also included since many times what the author writes about is loosely based on what they know and the events around them.

I've always felt that Marlowe is one of the most underapprecaited playwrights. His use of language is brilliant and changed theater, and literature forever.