“Come live with me and be my love, And we will all the pleasures prove, That valleys, groves, hills, and fields, Woods, or steepy mountain yields.”

Known As : Kit Marlowe

Born  : baptized Feb. 26, 1564 in Canterbury, Kent, England

Died : May 30, 1593 in Deptford, Kent, England(aged 29)

Nationality : English

Occupation : Playwright, Poet

Father : John Marlowe

Mother : Catherine Marlowe

Most Notable Works : The Tragicall History of Doctor Faustus, amburlaine the Great, The Jew of Malta, Tamburlaine, Edward the Second and The Massacre at Paris

7 facts about Christopher Marlowe :

Christopher Marlowe is one of the English prolific writers of all time. He was a poet, playwright and translator during the Elizabethan era.

Influences on the Industry

-Christopher Marlowe was leading figure in Elizabethan tragedy during his era. His works served as an influence to the likes of William Shakespeare who also became a distinguished Elizabethan playwright. It was after his death that Shakespeare gained most of his recognition.

Early Life and Education

-Unlike his contemporary William Shakespeare, Marlowe was well educated. He had his education at The King’s School in Canterbury and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1584. He was awarded a Master of Arts degree three years later.

Career

Marlowe had a relatively short but successful career, making him one of the famous English writers. His first play is believed to be Dido, Queen of Carthage. His other works include Tamburlaine the Great, the Jew of Malta, Edward the Second and the Massacre at Paris among others.

Was He a Spy

There has been an unending debate as to whether Marlowe was a spy. It is alleged that he was recruited during his days at the University of Cambridge to serve as a government spy. The speculations are due to his unusual absence from school from 1584 to 1585.

Activities and Arrests

Marlowe was arrested on several occasions for different crimes. His first arrest was in 1589 after a fatal quarrel with a colleague poet, Thomas Watson. He served two weeks at the Newgate Prison for the crime. In 1592, he was again arrested for counterfeiting of coins in Flushing.

Tragic Death

Marlowe was arrested in May 1593 for unknown charges. However, there are suggestions that his arrest was due to an allegation of blasphemy. Ingram Frizer stabbed him ten days after the arrest. Other accounts say he was killed in a drunken fight.

Religious Belief

Marlowe was believed to be an atheist throughout his lifetime. At that time being an atheist was a crime and such people were seen as an enemy of God. It was also a crime against the Protestant Kingdom of England at the time.