Christopher Marlowe in fiction facts for kids
Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593) was a famous English writer, known for his plays and poems. He lived at the same time as William Shakespeare. Some people have wondered if Marlowe might have written some of Shakespeare's plays, but most experts don't agree with this idea. Marlowe was also thought to be a spy for the government and he died in 1593. Since the 1800s, he has often appeared as a character in books, movies, and TV shows.
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Marlowe's First Appearances in Fiction
Marlowe first showed up as a character in a story in 1825. This was in a German book called Dichterleben by Ludwig Tieck. In this story, Tieck explored different ideas about writing through characters like Marlowe and Shakespeare.
Later, in 1837, Marlowe appeared in an English play called The Death of Marlowe by Richard Henry Horne. This was the first time he was a fictional character in English literature. Since then, many writers have included Marlowe in their stories. He is often shown as a unique character who doesn't always follow the rules, fitting well into the exciting world of Elizabethan theater.
Books Featuring Christopher Marlowe
Many books have featured Christopher Marlowe as a character, often exploring different ideas about his life and death.
Early Novels and Biographies
- In 1895, Wilbur G. Zeigler wrote It was Marlowe. This book suggested that Marlowe didn't really die when history says he did. Instead, it claimed he faked his death so he could write plays like Hamlet after that time.
- Philip Lindsay's One Dagger For Two (1932) tells a fictional version of Marlowe's life.
- Enter a Spy: The Double Life of Christopher Marlowe (1978) by Herbert Lom is another historical novel about him.
Modern Stories and Alternate Histories
- In a 1990 issue of Neil Gaiman's comic series The Sandman, Marlowe and Shakespeare talk about Marlowe's play Doctor Faustus. Marlowe also appears in a spin-off comic, The Dreaming: Waking Hours (2020).
- Anthony Burgess's novel A Dead Man in Deptford (1993) shows Marlowe as a secret agent.
- In Harry Turtledove's Ruled Britannia (2002), an alternate history novel, Marlowe is still alive in 1598. He works with Shakespeare and others to try and overthrow Spanish rule in England.
- Louise Welsh's 2004 novel Tamburlaine Must Die is about Marlowe's final days. It's written like a journal from Marlowe's point of view.
- Rodney Bolt's History Play (2005) imagines that Marlowe faked his death and left England.
- Marlowe has a big role in Elizabeth Bear's The Promethean Age novels (2006–2013). In these stories, Marlowe didn't die in 1593 but was taken to a magical land called Faerie.
- M. J. Trow's The Kit Marlowe Series (2011–2020) shows Marlowe as a detective and a spy for Sir Francis Walsingham.
- In Ros Barber's The Marlowe Papers (2012), Marlowe looks back on his life, his faked death, and how he wrote the plays that were later said to be by Shakespeare.
- Marlowe appears in Shadow of Night (2012) by Deborah Harkness, where he is a special kind of magical being called a daemon.
- Geoffrey Aggeler's Horses of the Night (2016) tells a fictional story of Marlowe's writing, spying, and death.
- Michelle Butler Hallett's This Marlowe (2016) explores the political world of 1593 England and the relationship between Marlowe and another writer, Thomas Kyd.
- The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. (2017) by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland features Marlowe in a small role, having faked his death to become a better spy.
- Marlowe is the main character in A Tip for the Hangman (2021) by Allison Epstein. He investigates a historical plot while studying at Cambridge.
Marlowe in Theater, Film, and Television
Christopher Marlowe has also been a character in many plays, movies, and TV shows.
Stage and Screen Adaptations
- In the TV series Will Shakespeare (1978), Marlowe was played by Ian McShane.
- Marlowe (1981) was an American rock musical that was performed on Broadway.
- Peter Whelan's play The School of Night (1992) was about Marlowe's connections to a group of thinkers and the young Shakespeare.
- Rupert Everett played Marlowe in the movie Shakespeare in Love (1998).
- In the film Anonymous (2011), Marlowe was played by Trystan Gravelle.
- John Hurt played Marlowe as a vampire living in the 21st century in Jim Jarmusch's movie Only Lovers Left Alive (2013).
- Marlowe, played by Jim Howick, is a character in the 2015 comedy movie Bill.
- Jamie Campbell-Bower played Marlowe as a main character in the 2017 TNT series Will.
- Marlowe, played by Tim Downie, is a main character in Ben Elton's Shakespeare comedy Upstart Crow (2016). In this show, Shakespeare writes Marlowe's plays to help cover up Marlowe's spy activities.
- Tom Hughes played Marlowe in the 2020 season of the fantasy series A Discovery of Witches, which is based on Deborah Harkness's novels.
Marlowe on the Radio
Marlowe's life and fictional adventures have also been shared through radio programs.
- A radio show called Christopher Marlowe, which re-enacted his life and death, was broadcast in 1950.
- The Christopher Marlowe Mysteries, a four-episode series starring Dominic Jephcott as Marlowe, was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2007.
- Michael Butt's radio play Unauthorized History: The Killing was broadcast in 2010.
- A three-part radio show based on Charles Nicholl's book The Reckoning: The Murder of Christopher Marlowe was broadcast in May 2022 on BBC Radio 4.
