Christopher Marlowes Work and Style Essay - 1425 Words

Christopher Marlowes Work and Style Christopher Marlowe is a famous Elizabethan poet and playwright. Although often overshadowed by Shakespeare’s popularity, he nonetheless is deserving of attention. Not to dampen the masterpiece of his other works, I believe Marlowe’s unique style is best exemplified in his plays. Marlowe’s plays include Dido, Queen of Cathage, Tamburlaine the Great Parts One and Two, The Jew of Malta, The Massacre at Paris, Edward the II, and The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus. All of Marlowe’s works are unique and astounding in their own ways. Audiences loved the Jew of Malta, and it was performed thirty-six times over the course of four years. Keep in mind that was an amazing record in Marlowe’s time.†¦show more content†¦Obviously, Marlowe’s use of blank verse and the framework he used in the heroic tragedy were different than what people were used to seeing. He was an entrepreneur of his time. Before Marlowe tragedies were constructed ei ther according to the loose style of the chronicle, or within the mechanical framework of the Senecan model. It didn’t matter which was used, the dramatic unity attainted by the Greeks was not there. Marlowe disregarded classic rules and instead was said to, â€Å"paint gigantic ambitions, desires for impossible things, longings for beauty beyond earthly conception, and sovereigns destroyed by the very powers which had raised them to their thrones.†(Munson Deats 48). For example, Tamburlaine, Faust, and Barabbas personify arrogance, ambition, and greed. Marlowe’s writing sometimes appears excessive, pompous, or even child-like, which is surprising, for he had no sense of humor; nor could he portray a woman. You will not find love as a subject in any of his works. His writing indicates an imagination that greatly exceeds this world. It has been remarked that, â€Å"in Marlowe’s superb verse there is very little to indicate that the writer had ever encountered any human beings† (Cartelli 31). Taken together his plays are the standard succeeding theatrical compositions used. Although it may be farfetched, I feel confidant in sayingShow MoreRelatedCompare/Contrast Shakespeare and Marlowe1029 Words   |  5 PagesCompare/Contrast Shakespeare and Marlowe William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe were both writers of the Elizabethan stage, living in the same town of London, at the same time, and they wrote plays while working with the same people. Their strongest similarity was in their work. They both had an innate ability to write about love, great tragedies, comedies, drama and poetry with a similar style called blank verse. 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