Christopher Marlowe: A Life on the Brink

Harvard professor Stephen Greenblatt's latest book delves into the unsettling and frightening aspects of the Elizabethan era, a time defined by persistent religious conflicts and pervasive political paranoia. The period, following Henry VIII's break with Rome, saw lives and fates entangled in "murderous turmoil," with every regime change accompanied by waves of conspiracy, suspicion, arrests, and executions. Freedom of thought, speech, and religion were nonexistent.

Greenblatt draws striking parallels between the Elizabethan age and contemporary times, particularly in the context of societal anxieties and political discourse. He references a "libelous poem" nailed to the wall of the Dutch Church in London in May 1593. This poem, originating from Protestant refugees fleeing brutal religious wars on the continent, expressed anger over rising rents, market displacement by foreign goods, and the burden of fighting wars abroad, culminating in violent threats. The poem's sentiments resonate with modern-day tensions and xenophobia.

“

In their murderous turmoil, they encompassed the lives and fates of practically all people in the kingdom.

The era was also characterized by constant fear of a relapse into Catholicism or a descent into Puritanism. Queen Elizabeth I's advisors were vigilant against Catholic plots aiming to bring England back under papal authority. This climate of suspicion and fear permeated society, influencing political decisions and personal lives.

Beyond the historical context, Greenblatt's book also revisits the complex relationship between playwrights Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare. The film "Shakespeare in Love" famously played with the idea that Marlowe's early death paved the way for Shakespeare's ascendancy. Greenblatt, a renowned Shakespearean scholar, explores these connections, offering insights into the literary landscape of the time and the potential influences between these two prominent figures.

“

You have driven up our rents. Your cheap, flashy goods are displacing ours from the market. You live here much better than where you came from. Our soldiers are sent abroad to fight your wars. You will let us all starve and die. … We will cut your throats while you pray in your temples.