Did you know that Shakespeare had a gay contemporary?

The Theater would not be the same without William Shakespeare – and one of the greatest playwrights of all time would not be the same if it were not for a contemporary of his: Christopher Marlowe (baptized on February 26, 1564 — May 30, 1593). English playwright, poet and translator, living in the Elizabethan Period of England, Marlowe was homosexual and is often forgotten in the pantheon of Drama.

This is even considered the greatest renewer of the theater form of the period, with the introduction of blank verse, a structure that would be used by Shakespeare later. The two worked together, in collaboration, but the friendship was very weak, almost non-existent, and the partnership did not last.

However, Marlowe’s influence on Shakespeare permeates the Bard’s career insistently and seems to even involve collaborations, as in the case of the Henry VI trilogy.

Although there is no consensus on the chronological order of Marlowe’s work, there is an established tradition that it began in Cambridge, with translations of Ovid’s Elegies and Lucan’s dark poems. Dido is usually considered to be the first play written by Marlowe, probably in partnership with Thomas Nashe. The Tamburlaine play also has features that date back to the Cambridge period.

Marlowe attended The King’s School (Canterbury) (where a building now bears his name) and Corpus Christi College (Cambridge), where he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1584.

Little is known about the periods following Christopher’s academic training. However, he continues to be described as a spy, troublemaker and heretic, attributed to him behaviors related to “magic”, “duels”, “smoking”, “fraud” and debauchery.

Marlowe’s first theatrical success was the ambitious and conquering drama “Tamburlaine the Great”, written in two parts and based on the life of the Mongol warrior and emperor Tamerlane. Although the exact date of its creation is uncertain, the play’s first publication occurred in 1590, suggesting that it was written around 1587.

The first record of the play being performed dates back to 1587, when it was performed by the theatrical troupe The Admiral’s Men. However, the play’s success was accompanied by several controversies, in which Marlowe became involved during his brief period of activity in London.

In 1588, for example, the playwright Robert Greene, envious of Marlowe’s literary prestige, wrote about the young author. “I have taken [Marlowe] at me with mockery, because I wouldn’t be able to make my verses flow on stage like that […]defying God himself like that atheist Tamburlaine.”

It is speculated that Marlowe served as a secret agent for Francis Walsingham of Queen Elizabeth I’s Secret Service. The alleged involvement with the secret service is suggested in a notorious state document. On 29 June 1587, the Queen’s Privy Council discussed the case of a Cambridge student known as Christopher ‘Morley’, whose reputation was being maligned, resulting in the refusal to award his degree.

Couple

In the summer of 1589, Marlowe and the poet Thomas Watson shared a residence in Norton Folgate, on the outskirts of Shoreditch in the heart of London, where the city’s newcomer William Shakespeare also resided. On September 18 of that year, Marlowe was involved in a fight with one William Bradley, using swords and daggers.

It appears that the dispute was related to Bradley and Watson, for upon seeing Watson, Bradley is said to have exclaimed, “Just now do you appear? Then I will fight you.” During the riot, Bradley ended up being killed, leading to the arrest of both Marlowe and Watson – and they were sent to Newgate prison.

After a proper investigation, it was concluded that Marlowe acted in self-defence, resulting in his release on October 1 of that year on bail of £40 pounds.

According to testimony, Christopher Marlowe was killed at a young age in a tavern fight on May 30, 1593, although it is not certain what happened that afternoon. Because he was homosexual, little was investigated.

Constructions
“Dido, Queen of Carthage”
“Tamburlaine”
“Tamburlaine, Second Part”
“The Jew of Malta”
“The Massacre in Paris”
“Eduardo Segundo”
“The Tragic Story of Doctor Faustus”
“Hero and Leandro” (unfinished poem)

References: The Marlowe Society and British Library.

By Ezatamentchy.