CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE – COMPLETE NET/JRF & PhD ENTRANCE NOTES

 CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE – COMPLETE NET/JRF & PhD ENTRANCE NOTES

English Literature | British Renaissance Drama | Exam-Oriented Study Material

Christopher Marlowe is one of the most important dramatists of the Elizabethan Age. His life, works, quotations, dramatic techniques and contribution to English tragedy are important for UGC NET, JRF, SET, Assistant Professor and PhD entrance examinations.

I have arranged the notes topic-wise, with special focus on factual questions, match-the-following, chronology, literary terms and MCQs.

1. CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE: LIFE AND BIOGRAPHY

Topic	Important Information
Full name	Christopher Marlowe
Born	1564
Birthplace	Canterbury, England
Baptised	26 February 1564
Father	John Marlowe
Father’s profession	Shoemaker
Mother	Catherine Marlowe
Age at death	29 years
Died	30 May 1593
Place of death	Deptford, England
University	Cambridge University
College	Corpus Christi College
Degree	BA (1584), MA (1587)
Literary age	Elizabethan Age
Literary group	University Wits

Important facts:

1. Marlowe was born in the same year as William Shakespeare (1564).
2. Shakespeare was baptised on 26 April 1564.
3. Marlowe was baptised on 26 February 1564.
4. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
5. He was one of the most important members of the University Wits.
6. He died mysteriously at Deptford in 1593.
7. He was stabbed by Ingram Frizer.
8. His death occurred during an argument involving a bill at a lodging house.
9. He was buried at St Nicholas Church, Deptford.
10. He was suspected of atheism and was investigated for alleged treason.

NET point: Marlowe’s death is associated with the Deptford mystery.

2. UNIVERSITY WITS

The University Wits were a group of educated English dramatists who contributed significantly to the development of Elizabethan drama.

Important University Wits

Writer	Important Works
Christopher Marlowe	Doctor Faustus, Tamburlaine
Robert Greene	Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay
John Lyly	Endymion, Euphues
Thomas Nashe	Summer’s Last Will and Testament
George Peele	The Old Wives’ Tale
Thomas Lodge	The Wounds of Civil War
Thomas Kyd	The Spanish Tragedy

Remember:

• University Wits were associated with university education.
• They helped develop English Renaissance drama.
• Marlowe was one of the most significant dramatists among them.
• Thomas Kyd wrote The Spanish Tragedy.
• John Lyly is famous for Euphuism.

3. MARLOWE’S IMPORTANT WORKS

Work	Genre / Type	Important Fact
Tamburlaine the Great	Tragedy	Two parts
Doctor Faustus	Tragedy	Famous Renaissance tragedy
The Jew of Malta	Tragedy	Barabas is the protagonist
Edward II	Historical tragedy	Based on English history
Dido, Queen of Carthage	Tragedy	Associated with Thomas Nashe
The Massacre at Paris	Historical tragedy	Religious conflict
Hero and Leander	Narrative poem	Completed by George Chapman
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love	Pastoral lyric	Famous lyric poem
Ovid’s Elegies	Translation	Translation from Latin
Lucan’s Pharsalia	Translation	Book I translated

Four major plays – MUST REMEMBER

1. Tamburlaine the Great
2. Doctor Faustus
3. The Jew of Malta
4. Edward II

These four plays are especially important for examination purposes.

4. TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT

Tamburlaine the Great

Publication: 1590
Parts: Two
Genre: Tragedy / Heroic drama

Important Points

1. Tamburlaine is the central character.
2. He is originally a shepherd.
3. He rises from a humble background to become a powerful conqueror.
4. He represents ambition, power and military conquest.
5. He wants to conquer the world.
6. His character represents the Renaissance spirit of individual ambition.
7. The play is based on the historical figure Timur (Tamerlane).
8. Tamburlaine is one of Marlowe’s famous overreaching heroes.

Important characters

• Tamburlaine
• Zenocrate
• Bajazeth
• Zabina
• Theridamas
• Techelles
• Usumcasane

Important concepts

Overreacher: A character who attempts to go beyond ordinary human limitations.

Marlovian Hero: A powerful individual driven by excessive ambition, desire and self-assertion.

NET fact: Tamburlaine is a shepherd who becomes a world conqueror.

5. DOCTOR FAUSTUS – MOST IMPORTANT FOR NET/JRF

Doctor Faustus

Full title:

The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus.

Publication

Edition	Year
A-text	1604
B-text	1616

Remember these dates carefully.

Genre

• Renaissance tragedy
• Tragic drama
• Morality play elements

Setting

Wittenberg, Germany.

Main Character

Doctor Faustus – A highly educated scholar who desires unlimited knowledge and power.

Four subjects studied by Faustus

1. Logic
2. Medicine
3. Law
4. Theology

He ultimately chooses NECROMANCY (black magic).

Very important NET question: Which subject does Faustus choose after rejecting the traditional branches of knowledge?

Answer: Necromancy.

Important Characters

Character	Role
Doctor Faustus	Protagonist
Mephistophilis	Devil’s representative
Lucifer	Ruler of hell
Wagner	Faustus’s servant
Valdes	Magician
Cornelius	Magician
Good Angel	Encourages repentance
Evil Angel	Encourages sin
Old Man	Represents faith and repentance
Helen of Troy	Appears before Faustus

The pact

1. Faustus summons Mephistophilis.
2. He makes a contract with Lucifer.
3. He exchanges his soul for 24 years of service and power.
4. He signs the contract in blood.
5. Mephistophilis serves him.
6. At the end of 24 years, Faustus is taken to hell.

Seven Deadly Sins

These are extremely important.

1. Pride
2. Covetousness
3. Envy
4. Wrath
5. Gluttony
6. Sloth
7. Lechery

Important episodes

• Faustus’s opening soliloquy.
• Invocation of Mephistophilis.
• The blood contract.
• Appearance of the Seven Deadly Sins.
• Visit to Rome.
• Appearance before Emperor Charles V.
• Helen of Troy episode.
• Final soliloquy.
• Death of Faustus.

Important quotations

Quotation	Significance
Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?	Helen of Troy
Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight	Final tragedy
Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it	Mephistophilis
I’ll burn my books	Faustus’s final moments

Important concepts

Renaissance Humanism: Emphasis on human potential, individual achievement and knowledge.

Overreaching: Excessive ambition that leads to destruction.

Morality Play: A dramatic form in which characters and situations represent moral and spiritual conflicts.

Tragic Hero: Faustus’s excessive ambition and tragic downfall make him a Renaissance tragic hero.

A-text and B-text

A-text	B-text
1604	1616
Shorter version	Longer version
Earlier printed text	Later printed text

Remember: The textual history of Doctor Faustus is complicated. The A-text and B-text differ considerably.

6. THE JEW OF MALTA

The Jew of Malta

Important Information

• Genre: Tragedy.
• Protagonist: Barabas.
• Setting: Malta.
• Central themes: Greed, revenge, religious hypocrisy and power.
• Barabas is a wealthy Jewish merchant.
• He is presented as a Machiavellian character.
• Ithamore is his servant.
• Abigail is his daughter.

Important Characters

1. Barabas
2. Abigail
3. Ithamore
4. Ferneze
5. Bellamira
6. Pilia-Borza
7. Mathias
8. Lodowick

Important Facts

• Barabas represents greed and revenge.
• The play explores religious prejudice and hypocrisy.
• Machiavellian politics is an important feature.
• Barabas is one of Marlowe’s famous overreaching characters.

NET point: The Jew of Malta is associated with Machiavellianism.

7. EDWARD II

Edward II

Full title: The Troublesome Reign and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second.

Important Points

• Genre: Historical tragedy.
• Based on the reign of King Edward II of England.
• Published in 1594.
• Edward II is the protagonist.
• The play deals with kingship, political power and personal relationships.

Important Characters

Character	Role
Edward II	King of England
Gaveston	King’s favourite
Mortimer	Political opponent
Queen Isabella	Edward’s wife
Lightborn	Murderer of Edward II
Young Mortimer	Political figure

Important themes

1. Kingship.
2. Political authority.
3. Homosexual desire and relationships.
4. Betrayal.
5. Political conflict.
6. Abuse of power.
7. Personal desire versus public responsibility.

Important NET fact: Edward II is murdered by Lightborn at Berkeley Castle.

8. DIDO, QUEEN OF CARTHAGE

Dido, Queen of Carthage

Important points:

• Co-written by Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Nashe.
• Based on Virgil’s Aeneid.
• Dido is the Queen of Carthage.
• Aeneas is the Trojan hero.
• The play deals with love, passion and abandonment.

NET fact: Dido, Queen of Carthage is associated with Thomas Nashe.

9. THE MASSACRE AT PARIS

The Massacre at Paris

Important points:

• A historical tragedy.
• Based on the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572.
• Deals with religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants.
• Reflects religious intolerance and political violence.
• The Duke of Guise is an important character.

Remember: St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre – 1572.

10. HERO AND LEANDER

Hero and Leander

Important facts:

1. It is an unfinished narrative poem.
2. It is based on a Greek myth.
3. Marlowe died before completing it.
4. George Chapman completed it.
5. It was published in 1598 with Chapman’s continuation.
6. It is written in heroic couplets.

NET question: Who completed Marlowe’s Hero and Leander?

Answer: George Chapman.

11. THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS LOVE

One of Marlowe’s most famous pastoral lyrics.

Opening line:

“Come live with me and be my love.”

Important points

• Genre: Pastoral lyric.
• Theme: Love and idealised rural life.
• Speaker: Shepherd.
• It presents an idealised picture of countryside life.
• Sir Walter Raleigh wrote a famous response:

The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd.

Comparison

Marlowe	Raleigh
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love	The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd
Optimistic love	Realistic response
Idealised pastoral world	Rejection of pastoral idealism

Very important NET question: Who wrote The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd?

Answer: Sir Walter Raleigh.

12. MARLOWE’S CONTRIBUTION TO ENGLISH LITERATURE

1. Blank Verse

Marlowe is famous for his powerful use of blank verse.

Blank verse = Unrhymed iambic pentameter.

He made blank verse a powerful medium for dramatic expression.

2. Marlowe’s Mighty Line

The expression “Marlowe’s mighty line” is associated with Ben Jonson.

It refers to Marlowe’s powerful and majestic blank verse.

3. Father of English Tragedy

Marlowe is frequently described as one of the founders of English Renaissance tragedy.

4. Overreacher Hero

His protagonists are ambitious individuals who desire more than ordinary human beings.

Examples:

• Tamburlaine – Political and military power.
• Faustus – Knowledge and supernatural power.
• Barabas – Wealth and revenge.
• Edward II – Personal desire and royal authority.

13. IMPORTANT LITERARY TERMS RELATED TO MARLOWE

Term	Meaning
Blank Verse	Unrhymed iambic pentameter
Overreacher	A person who exceeds human limitations
Renaissance Humanism	Emphasis on human potential
Necromancy	Communication with the dead or supernatural spirits
Tragic Hero	Protagonist whose downfall forms the tragedy
Morality Play	Drama presenting moral and spiritual conflict
Machiavellian	Political manipulation and cunning
Soliloquy	Speech delivered by a character alone
Pastoral	Idealised rural life
Heroic Couplets	Two rhyming lines in iambic pentameter

14. IMPORTANT QUOTATIONS AND THEIR AUTHORS

Quotation	Author / Work
Marlowe’s mighty line	Ben Jonson
Come live with me and be my love	Marlowe
The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd	Sir Walter Raleigh
Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?	Doctor Faustus
Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it	Doctor Faustus
Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight	Doctor Faustus
Infinite riches in a little room	The Jew of Malta

Exam tip: Learn the quotation, speaker and associated work together.

15. IMPORTANT COMPARISONS FOR NET/JRF

Marlowe	Shakespeare
Born in 1564	Born in 1564
Died in 1593	Died in 1616
University Wits	Not a University Wit
Famous for mighty blank verse	Famous for dramatic versatility
Overreaching heroes	Complex human characters
Doctor Faustus	Hamlet
Tamburlaine	Macbeth
Edward II	Richard II

Remember: Shakespeare and Marlowe were contemporaries.

16. MOST IMPORTANT ONE-LINER FACTS FOR NET/JRF

1. Marlowe was born in 1564.
2. He died in 1593.
3. His birthplace was Canterbury.
4. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
5. He belonged to the University Wits.
6. His first major dramatic success was Tamburlaine.
7. Tamburlaine was originally a shepherd.
8. Doctor Faustus was published in A-text in 1604.
9. B-text of Doctor Faustus appeared in 1616.
10. Faustus makes a pact with Lucifer.
11. Mephistophilis serves Faustus.
12. The pact lasts 24 years.
13. Faustus chooses necromancy.
14. Faustus summons Helen of Troy.
15. Barabas is the protagonist of The Jew of Malta.
16. Edward II is a historical tragedy.
17. Lightborn murders Edward II.
18. Dido, Queen of Carthage was written with Thomas Nashe.
19. George Chapman completed Hero and Leander.
20. Sir Walter Raleigh wrote The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd.
21. Marlowe wrote The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.
22. Ben Jonson coined the expression Marlowe’s mighty line.
23. The Massacre at Paris deals with religious conflict.
24. Tamburlaine is an overreaching hero.
25. Marlowe is famous for blank verse.

17. MOST IMPORTANT MCQs FOR UGC NET/JRF

Q1. Christopher Marlowe was born in which year?

A. 1561
B. 1564
C. 1570
D. 1572

Q2. Marlowe belonged to which literary group?

A. Lake Poets
B. Graveyard Poets
C. University Wits
D. Metaphysical Poets

Q3. Which college did Marlowe attend?

A. Trinity College
B. Corpus Christi College
C. King’s College
D. Balliol College

Q4. Who completed Hero and Leander?

A. Thomas Nashe
B. George Chapman
C. Ben Jonson
D. John Lyly

Q5. Who wrote The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd?

A. Edmund Spenser
B. Philip Sidney
C. Sir Walter Raleigh
D. John Donne

Q6. The A-text of Doctor Faustus was published in:

A. 1590
B. 1594
C. 1604
D. 1616

Q7. The B-text of Doctor Faustus was published in:

A. 1604
B. 1616
C. 1623
D. 1633

Q8. How many years does Faustus receive supernatural service?

A. 10
B. 12
C. 20
D. 24

Q9. Who is the protagonist of The Jew of Malta?

A. Ithamore
B. Barabas
C. Ferneze
D. Lodowick

Q10. Who murders Edward II?

A. Gaveston
B. Mortimer
C. Lightborn
D. Barabas

Q11. Who wrote Marlowe’s mighty line?

A. Shakespeare
B. Ben Jonson
C. John Dryden
D. Alexander Pope

Q12. Tamburlaine was originally a:

A. King
B. Soldier
C. Shepherd
D. Merchant

Q13. Dido, Queen of Carthage was associated with which writer?

A. Thomas Kyd
B. Thomas Nashe
C. Robert Greene
D. John Lyly

Q14. The Passionate Shepherd to His Love is a:

A. Sonnet
B. Pastoral lyric
C. Epic
D. Elegy

Q15. The Massacre at Paris is associated with which historical event?

A. English Civil War
B. French Revolution
C. St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
D. Glorious Revolution

Answer Key

Question	Answer
1	B – 1564
2	C – University Wits
3	B – Corpus Christi College
4	B – George Chapman
5	C – Sir Walter Raleigh
6	C – 1604
7	B – 1616
8	D – 24 years
9	B – Barabas
10	C – Lightborn
11	B – Ben Jonson
12	C – Shepherd
13	B – Thomas Nashe
14	B – Pastoral lyric
15	C – St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre