The Author Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe was born in Canterbury to the shoemaker John Marlowe and his wife Catherine. His date of birth is not known, but he was baptised on 26th February 1564, only two months after William Shakespeare. Marlowe s career was brilliant, spectacular and short-lasting1 and he enjoyed early literary success. He first went to King s School in Canterbury, but he then won a scholarship at Cambridge University which he attended from 1580 to 1587. He soon joined a group of literary experimenters called the University Wits2 . He shared their dissolute3 habits and was famous for his wild behaviour. He protested against all authority, in particular religious authorities. After he finished university, he went to London. Though little is known about his life, it is believed that he was a government agent who travelled abroad as a spy. Apparently, he had several long absences from the university and he spent large amounts of money on food and drink, more than his scholarship money probably allowed him to. However, the mystery surrounding Marlowe s service to Queen Elizabeth I hasn t been solved yet. In London, Marlowe started writing full-time and lived in two worlds: that of literary intellectuals and theatre people and that of the dark world of spies and criminals. He had a wild and violent behaviour which led him into trouble, and there are also many legends and anecdotes about his interest in black magic. There are also different stories about his death, but the most probable is that he was stabbed4 to death in a tavern brawl5 when he was only 29 years old. 1. short-lasting: which continues only for a short time. 2. wit: ability to say something that is both intelligent and amusing. 3. dissolute: immoral, corrupt. 4. stabbed: killed with a knife. 5. brawl: a noisy fight in a public place. 4