Christopher Marlowe: A Great Playwright

Hareshwar Roy,

 Christopher Marlowe: A Great Playwright

Christopher Marlowe is one of the greatest playwrights of Elizabethan England. He was the most shining star among the University Wits. He is appreciated in the entire world for the establishment of powerful dramatic blank verse. In spite of a very short career of play writing, his achievements are diverse and splendid. Swinburne calls him ‘the first great English poet, the father of English tragedy and the creator of blank verse’.

Christopher Marlowe was baptized in a church at Canterbury, England, on February 26, 1564. He was the son of John Marlowe who was a shoemaker of Canterbury. He is known as Kit Marlowe too. His early years were spent in Canterbury. He received his school education at King’s School Canterbury. After that with the help of a patron he went up to Cambridge in 1581 and obtained his degree in 1583. Arthur Compton Rickett says, “Of his life after 1583, little is known”.

Christopher Marlowe was a versatile genius. He acquired vast knowledge which is displayed in his writing. When his first play entitled Tamburlaine was produced in 1587, he got popularity at once. This play was appreciated in entire England due to its impetuous force, its splendid command of blank verse and its sensitiveness to beauty.

Marlowe did not live long. This versatile dramatist was killed in 1593. During the short span of his life, Marlowe appeared as the best representative of the Renaissance. His most famous play is Dr. Faustus. His other plays are – Tamburlaine, The Jew of Malta, Edward II, The Tragedy of Dido and The Massacre of Paris.

Marlow’s contribution is appreciable. He reoriented English drama by imparting to it a new mould, technique, conception and versification. His own reckless and restless life finds fantastic expression in his plays. Marlowe’s plays deal with heroic themes. He raised the subject matter of drama to a higher level. For the first time Marlowe imparted individuality and dignity to the tragic hero. He gave drama passion and poetry. He taught the art of designing tragedies on a grand scale. He made blank verse a suitable medium for dramatic expressions. Marlowe was first to divide the drama into Acts and Scenes. It was Marlowe who prepared a solid ground of drama for the coming playwrights.

Location: B-37, City Homes Colony, Jawahar Nagar Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India
Currently Dr. Roy is working as Professor of English at Govt. P.G. College Satna, Madhya Pradesh. He is the author of the following books: (1) Diasporic Articulation in the Novels of M.G. Vassanji (2) A Study of M.G. Vassanji 's Novels (3) Varieties of Indianity in the Works of M.G. Vassanji & Rohinton Mistry (4)Diaspora & Indian Diaspora: A Brief Study (5) Short Notes of English Literature - I (6) Short Notes of English Literature - II (7) हमार पहचान ह भोजपुरी - भोजपुरी कविता संकलन (8) हमरा प्यार हो गइल - भोजपुरी गज़ल संकलन (9) भोजपुरी कविताएँ

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