CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE

Although his birth date is unknown, records show that he was baptized on 26 February 1564 and so he was likely to have been born just a few days before. He attended Cambridge University in 1584, where he studied divinity and gained a Bachelor of Arts degree. Originally, the university was hesitant in awarding Marlowe his degree; surviving records provide evidence that he spent lengthy periods away from university, leading to allegations that he was in fact operating as secret agent.
Marlowe’s most popular work is his play, ‘The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Dr Faustus’. The play follows its protagonist, Dr Faustus, who is unable to repent and is punished by the devil. Two versions of Marlowe’s work have been found; the A text, 1604 and the B Text, 1616. Many believe that the A text shows similarities to Marlowe’s writing.
His arrest was issued on 18 May. He died on 30 May in a brawl, after being stabbed in the right eye which many believe was an assassination due to the circumstances surrounding his death; the three men with him at the time of his death were all connected to the secret service. Allegations of homosexuality and atheism surfaced after his death.