Christopher-Marlowe

ChristopherMarlowe(1564-1593)1.Literaryposition2.Lifeexperience3.Masterpiece4.SocialsignificanceofMarlowe’splays5.ContributionsChristopherMarlowe(1564-1593)1.LiterarypositionHewasthemostgiftedofthe“universitywits”(JohnLily,ThomasLodge,ThomasKyd,RobertGreene,ThomasNashe,ChristopherMarlowe)HewasthetruefounderofEnglishdrama,thefatherofEnglishtragedy,thefirstgreatEnglishdramatistandthemostindividualandmostsuggestiveElizabethanplaywrightbeforeWilliamShakespeare.ChristopherMarlowe(1564-1593)2.Lifeexperience:HewasborntwomonthsearlierbeforeShakespeareinashoemaker’sfamilyinthetownofCanterbury.In1580,heenteredCambridgeUniversityandgothisB.A.andM.A.degrees.Inthe6years,hereadtheGreekepicsinLatintranslationandevenpracticedpoeticartinLatin.ChristopherMarlowe(1564-1593)Thecollegeauthoritieswereagainstthescholarbecausehehadturnedhisbackupontheclericalcareer.ThehehadtoleaveCambridgeforLondon.In1587,MarlowetookLondonbystormwithhisplay“Tamburlaine”.Inthefollowingyears,heproduced6playsandseveralpoems.Hediedinatavernquarrel,andhewassuspectedtobethevictimofadeliberatelyplannedpoliticalmurder.ChristopherMarlowe(1564-1593)3.MajorWorksTamburlainetheGreat,PartI&II(1587-1588);TheTragicalHistoryofDoctorFaustus(1589?);TheJewofMelta(1590?);EdwardII(1592-1593)EachofMarlowe’simportantplayshasacentralcharacter,apassionatemandoomedtodestructionbyaninordinatedesireforpower.TamburlainetheGreat(I&II)Itisadramainblankverse,containingtwopartsandtenacts.TamburlaineisaplayaboutanambitiousandpitilessTartarconquerorinthefourteenthcentury.Herosefromanobscureshepherdchieftaintoanoverpoweringkingandwasfinallyforcedtofacethetruthofdeath,whichbringssorrowandaforcedclosetohisaspiration;for,thoughhefelthisenergiestobeinexhaustible,hecouldnottriumphoverdeath.TamburlainetheGreatisthereforeatragedyaboutamanwhothinkshecancontrolhisownfatebutfallsnonethelessintoitshands.TheJewofMalta《马耳他岛的犹太人》Theplayisastudyofthelustforwealth,WhichcentersaroundBarabastheJew,Aterribleoldmoneylender,whoisStronglysuggestiveofShylockinShakespeare’sTheMerchantofVenice.EdwardIIItisMarlowe’slastplay,atragedyofaking’sweaknessandmisery.EdwardIIwaspresentedasadecadentsensualprinceinRenaissancestyle,whowasahopelessruler,animpossiblehusband,apatheticwreckofaman.However,hewasstillpitiableinhishorribledeathbyassassinationandreadersmaybeinvolvedinhisslowandpainfuldeclinefrompower.DoctorFaustusDr.FaustusMephistophelisDevilIhaveastronginterestinknowledge,study,witandscience.Iseeksthepowerthatcomesfromknowledge,nomatteratwhatcostthatknowledgeisacquireandIampresentlywearyoftheknowledgethatcannotprovidemewiththemiracleIneed.Hecallsupthemonsterwiththeaidofblackmagic.ServesashisservanttogivehimeverythinghedesiresDOCTORFAUSTUS(1967):DirectedbyRichardBurtonandNevillCoghillFeaturingRichardBurton,ElizabethTaylorIntroductionof“Dr.Faustus”AplaybasedontheGermanlegendofamagicianaspiringforknowledgeandfinallymeetinghistragicendasaresultofsellinghissoultotheDevil.Theplay’sdominantmoralishumanratherthanreligious.Itcelebratesthehumanpassionforknowledge,powerandhappiness;Italsorevealsman’sfrustrationinrealizingthehighaspirationsinahostilemoralorder.Andtheconfinementtotimeisthecruelestfactofman’scondition.Figureanalysis:Dr.Faustusagreatscholarboredofhispresentstudyontheacademiccurriculumandturnstoblackmagic.Byconjuration(魔法)hecallsupMephistophilis,theDevils’sservant.AbondwithMephistophilis:Tosellhissoultothedevilinreturnfortwenty-fouryearsoflifeinwhichhemayhavetheservicesofMephistophilistogivehimeverythinghedesires.Withthehelpofdevil,FaustusbringshismagicalartintofullplayandseesthePope,AlexandertheGreatandeventhebeautifulHelenofGreece.MeanwhileFaustushasexperiencedmuchinternalconflict,symbolizedintheappearancesofbothGoodAngelandBadAngel.Inthefinalscene,thereremainsonlytheterrifyingsoliloquyinwhichtheanguishofthehero’smindispoignantlyexpressed.4.SocialsignificanceofMarlowe’splays1)Showingthespiritoftherisingbourgeoisie:Theeagercuriosityforknowledge,toweringpride,insatiableappetiteforpowerThefigures:typicalimagesoftheprimitiveaccumulationofcapital.2)ThepraiseoftheindividualityandtheboundlesspossibilityofhumaneffortChristopherMarlowe(1564-1593)5.Contributions:Thefirsttoestablishblankverseastheregularmeasurefortragedy.Hisblankverseisvigorous,fluidandprecise.HisworkspavedthewayfortheplaysofShakespeare.