Christopher Marlowe was the great writer of the 1580s. The Elizabethans flocked to his plays. But Kitt’s life was shrouded in mystery. Was he a secret agent? A Catholic spy? A double agent for Queen Elizabeth’s government. Was he a heretic, atheist, gay? And why did this with a murder mystery on May 30, 1593.
This British History Podcast tells the life story of the Elizabethan writer Christopher Marlowe.
A hate-filled placard was posted in London on the night of May 15, 1593. The message on was directed at the Protestant refugees - were merchants working in the city - and signed Tamburlaine.
Christopher Marlowe's play "Tamburlaine" made him famous. But he was never far from controversy, drawing criticism and even causing a fatal accident during a performance.
Marlowe's association with the controversial placard drew the attention of Queen Elizabeth's Privy Council. Leading to the arrest of Marlowe's former roommate, Thomas Kydd. Kydd was accused of the heretical writings found among his papers, which he claimed belonged to Marlowe. This led to Marlowe's arrest and questioning.
Despite his talent, Marlowe was in trouble, financially and legally. His connections with influential figures o helped him avoid punishment, but his life was marked by constant conflict and controversy.
A controversy what led to a deadly meeting in Deptford on May 30, 1593. Marlowe spent the day with three other men, including government agents, at a rooming house.
An argument over the bill led to a fight.
Marlowe's life remains a brilliant mystery, with questions about his role as a secret agent, his sexuality - he may have been England's first gay poet - and the possibility that he faked his own death and wrote the plays under the name of Shakespeare
Listen to our dramatic British History Podcast here
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