Christopher Marlowe

''Show the world that you don't give a damn! ''

Real Life
Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe was the foremost Elizabethan tragedian of his day. He greatly influenced William Shakespeare, who was born in the same year as Marlowe and who rose to become the pre-eminent Elizabethan playwright after Marlowe's mysterious early death. Marlowe's plays are known for the use of blank verse and their overreaching protagonists.

Some scholars believe that a warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May 1593. No reason was given for it, though it was thought to be connected to allegations of blasphemy, as a manuscript believed to have been written by Marlowe was said to contain "vile heretical conceipts". On 20 May, he was brought to the court to attend on the Privy Council for questioning. There is no record of their having met that day and his being commanded to attend on them each day thereafter, until "licensed to the contrary". Ten days later, he was stabbed to death by Ingram Frizer. Whether or not the stabbing was connected to his arrest remains unknown.

In Upstart Crow
In this series, Marlowe has similarities to Lord Flashheart from Elton's Blackadder, and allows Shakespeare to write Marlowe's plays for him, providing cover for Marlowe's spy-activities.

After faking his death himself, to avoid having to play out the elaborate scenario put together by Will, Kit is forced to hide at Will's London Lodgings, becoming what Bottom describes as 'The hungriest, thirstiest corpse in Southwark!'.

Trivia
Like Robert Greene and Simon Hunt, Kit is shown in the series as living beyond the date on which he died in real life.