This book offers a comprehensive and accessible introduction to all of
the plays of Christopher Marlowe. Marlowe is a playwright whose work
taps into the central concerns of his age, many of which are still
important to us - religious uncertainty, the clash between Islam and
Christianity, the discovery of America, ideas of sexuality and gender
identity, and the rôle of the marginalised inidividual in society. The
book contains six chapters, each on a specific aspect of Marlowe's work
and its cultural contexts: Marlowe's life and death; the Marlowe canon;
the theatrical contexts and stage history of the plays; Marlowe's
distinctive interest in old and new branches of knowledge; the ways in
which he transgresses against established norms and values; and the
major issues which have been raised in critical discussions of his
plays. Each chapter allows students to see the significance, scope and
distinctive contribution made by Marlowe in all his plays, and his place
in the development of Renaissance drama.Key Features*Covers all of
Marlowe's plays, including Tamburlaine the Great, Doctor Faustus, Edward
II and The Jew of Malta*Emphasises how daring Marlowe's ideas were at
the time as well as their relevance to readers today*Covers the
theatrical contexts of Marlowe's plays and their performance
history*Reassesses Marlowe's achievement as well as his relationship to
Shakespeare
