1/16/2020 Christopher Marlowe - Literary Devices

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Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe’s Life
A famous poet, playwright, and translator of the Elizabethan era, Christopher Marlowe holds a
prominent place among the famous Elizabethan playwrights. Yet there are aspects of his life that
are still shrouded in mystery. According to some literary biographers, he was baptized on
February 26, 1564 in Canterbury, England, but they are not certain about his date of birth. It is
certain, though, that he was born a few days prior to this date. He was thus just a few months
older than Shakespeare.

Son of John Marlowe, a cobbler, Marlowe studied in Canterbury’s King School. Later he attended
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, after winning a scholarship. He completed his Bachelor of
Arts in 1584, and subsequently completed his Masters. Initially, the University hesitated to award
him Master of Arts, for there were rumors that he wanted to go to the English college at Rheims,
and was preparing for ordination to become a Roman Catholic Priest.

However, Marlowe was awarded the Master of Arts when the Privy Council intervened on his
behalf, and praised Marlowe for his “good services” to the Queen. It, however, did not clearly
state the nature of his services, though it sent a letter to the authorities of Cambridge about this
connection. This led to speculations about Marlowe being a spy working for Sir Francis
Walsingham, a famous intelligence network operator at that time. Although there was no direct
evidence available to corroborate this theory, the letter of Council is stated to be enough evidence
to prove that Marlowe served for the government in some secret capacity.

Marlowe was assumed an atheist, but modern historians are of the opinion that his apparent
atheism was a pretense to serve as a government spy. He is also described as a homosexual,
though some scholars report that this was a rumor meant to paint him in a bad light.

In 1589, Francis Kett, an Anglican, was burnt alive for heretic views. This may have left a deep
impact on Marlowe and influenced his thoughts about religious issues. Marlowe came under fire
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Marlowe died at very young age of 29 in Deptford, Kent in England and was buried in the St.
Nicholas graveyard. Though no one knows the real circumstances of his death, it is said that he
was killed on account of his atheistic views and rejection of orthodoxy.

Christopher Marlowe’s Works

Christopher Marlowe wrote his first drama “Dido, Queen of Carthage”; the Children of the Chapel,
a troupe of boy actors, performed it from 1587 to 1593. It was published later, in 1594. In 1587,
his second play “Tamburlaine the Great” was performed on a London stage. This was the first
English play written in blank verse, and was based on the story of a conqueror, Tamburlaine, who
rose from being a shepherd to being a warlord. It was a resounding success and Marlowe
followed it with another popular play “The Jew of Malta,” written from 1589 to 1590. It was
performed in 1592 before the publication of “Dido, Queen of Carthage.” Later, Marlowe published
“Edward the Second,” “The Massacre at Paris,” and his masterpiece “Dr. Faustus” in quick
succession.

Marlowe’s plays received a great deal of success during the Elizabethan period. Though he wrote
poetry too, Marlowe is considered a greater playwright than poet.

Christopher Marlowe’s Style and Popular Poems

Marlowe was a real source of guidance for Shakespeare for writing great plays in blank verse. His
works contained music that was in harmony with Milton’s works. His blank verse was metrically
precise, regular, and contained imagery not introduced in English poetry at that time. He also
introduced genuine blank verse and tragedy in literature and paved the way for Shakespeare to
follow.

Critics considered Marlowe to be the father of English tragedy and blank verse. It is said that his
works contained the true spirit of Elizabethan era. His most popular poems are “Hero and
Leander,” “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love,” and “Elegies.”

More about Him

Marlowe was a highly influential and admired artist. Shakespeare paid tribute to Marlowe in “As
You like It,” where he quotes some lines from Marlowe’s poem “Hero and Leander.” Shakespeare
also borrowed several themes from Marlowe for his plays.
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1. Henry van Dyke

2. Robert W. Service
3. William Butler Yeats
4. Lord Byron
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7. Claude McKay
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21. Alfred Lord Tennyson
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26. John Masefield
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28. John Milton
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POPULAR LITERARY DEVICES

View Full List of Literary Devices

Ad Hominem Adage
Allegory Alliteration
Allusion Ambiguity
Anachronism Anagram
Analogy Anapest
Anaphora Anecdote
Antagonist Antecedent
Antimetabole Antithesis
Aphorism Aposiopesis
Apostrophe Archaism
Archetype Argument
Assonance Biography
Cacophony Cadence
Caricature Catharsis
Characterization Cliché
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Comparison Conflict
Connotation Consonance Read Next Story
Denotation Deus Ex Machina

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Dialect Dialogue
Diction Didacticism
Discourse Doppelganger
Double Entendre Ellipsis
Epiphany Epitaph
Essay Ethos
Eulogy Euphemism
Evidence Exposition
Fable Fallacy
Flash Forward Foil
Foreshadowing Genre
Haiku Half Rhyme
Hubris Hyperbaton
Hyperbole Idiom
Imagery Induction
Inference Innuendo
Internal Rhyme Irony
Jargon Juxtaposition
Limerick Line Break
Logos Meiosis
Memoir Metaphor
Meter Mood
Motif Narrative
Nemesis Non Sequitur
Ode Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron Palindrome
Parable Paradox
Parallelism Parataxis
Parody Pathetic Fallacy
Pathos Pentameter
Persona Personification
Plot Poem
Poetic Justice Point of View
Portmanteau Propaganda
Prose Protagonist
Pun Red Herring
Repetition Rhetoric
Rhyme Heidi Klum's
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Sarcasm Satire
Simile Soliloquy
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Sonnet Style

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Superlative Syllogism
Symbolism Synecdoche
Synesthesia Syntax
Tautology Theme
Thesis Tone
Tragedy Tragicomedy
Tragic Flaw Transition
Utopia Verisimilitude

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