Born in Canterbury, England on February 6, 1564, English poet, dramatist, and the most famous of Shakespeare’s predecessors was given the name Christopher Marlowe. Baptized Catholic, Marlowe was the eldest son of a shoemaker, John Marlowe.  

            At about the age of fourteen, Christopher Marlowe began his studies at King’s School. A couple of years later, 1581, Marlowe was granted a six-year scholarship by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Matthew Parker, to study at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge, England. Aside from studying theology and history at Corpus Christi, it is estimated that Marlowe spent much of his time reading from the university’s large volume of medieval plays, which, in turn, has influenced his later works as a playwright. In 1584, Marlowe received his B.A., and upon Queen Elizabeth’s request, he took his degree of M.A. in 1587 at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Due to his long and frequent absences and “undisclosed government service either as a secret agent or as a confidential messenger” (http://swc2.hccs.cc.tx.us/HTMLS/ROWHTML/faust/marlowe.htm), authorities of the university were reluctant to grant Marlowe his M.A. degree. Suspicions that Marlowe was an atheist also created dispute. On his behalf, however, the queen’s Privy Council intervened, and he received his degree at Cambridge. 

Instead of entering the clergy, Marlowe headed for London to write plays for an acting company, the Admiral’s Men. His greatest works include: Tamburlaine (1587), about a hero who seeks limitless power, The Jew of Malta (1591), a hero who seeks limitless wealth, and The Tragical history of Dr. Faustus (1592) about a hero who seeks knowledge. (He also wrote The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, Marlowe’s infamous poem of literary verse). In all of Marlowe’s plays, the heroes seem to portray Renaissance humanism, whereupon over-achievers refuse to accept human limitations. The heroes are “humbly born, but attain prominence before they die or are overturned by Fortune” (http://faculty.acu.edu/~appletonl/mb1/marlowe.htm).

The work and life of Christopher Marlowe is closely connected to that of William Shakespeare, while both men were playwrights, only born two months a part, in 1564. Although Shakespeare’s works have greatly surpassed those of Marlowe, it is widely accepted that Shakespeare would not have been the same without Christopher Marlowe’s influence.  As John Blakeless regarded Marlowe (in his book, The Tragicall History of Marlowe), “the lesser poet is the forerunner of the greater” (1). Marlowe is considered by many to be the chief of the dramatic form, and creator of the “mighty line” (1). His bold figures and elaborate style have immensely contributed to the tragic style used by his successors. Marlowe held many years over Shakespeare with experience to writing. Shakespeare had barely begun to write when Marlowe was murdered at the age of twenty-nine.      

Much of Marlowe’s life remains a mystery, and is actually considered by many to be a scandal. His involvement as a secret agent for the government, (and possible service as one of Walsingham’s spies) (actually draws a close link to his death (in 1593). Others believe that he was involved with secret peace negotiations, instead. Marlowe’s quick, passionate temper and troubled history with the law provides probable cause to his murder.

 At a local tavern in Deptford, England, Marlowe fell into a dispute over a bar bill with Ingraham Frizer, a man who worked for the Walsingham family, a patron of Marlowe. In the middle of the feud, Frizer stabbed Marlowe in the right eye, and Marlowe died instantly, on May 30, 1593. Marlowe’s death marks the preface for Shakespeare’s career.