Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • English poet and playwright: Christopher Marlowe was an influential English writer of the Elizabethan era, known for his dramatic works and poetry.
   • Innovator of dramatic blank verse: He is credited with pioneering the use of unrhymed iambic pentameter (blank verse) as a powerful form of expression in English drama.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun: is often considered the greatest Elizabethan tragedian before Shakespeare. The play is the most famous work by . Scholars study the life and mysterious death of .

Advanced Usage

• "Marlovian" (adjective): Pertaining to or characteristic of Christopher Marlowe or his works, often describing a style of dramatic verse or a larger-than-life protagonist (a "Marlovian hero").
  • The play's ambitious protagonist and powerful blank verse are distinctly Marlovian.

Variants and Related Words

• Marlovian (adj): Of or relating to Christopher Marlowe.
• Marlowesque (adj): Resembling or suggestive of Marlowe's style.

Synonyms

• The Bard's Predecessor: A common epithet highlighting his influence on William Shakespeare.
• Elizabethan Playwright: A descriptor of his era and profession.

Related Phrases

• University Wit: A term for the group of educated playwrights, including Marlowe, who wrote for the London stage in the late 16th century.
  • Christopher Marlowe was a prominent member of the University Wits.

Related Idioms

• (To have) a Marlowe ending: An informal, modern allusion to a sudden, violent, or mysterious demise, referencing the circumstances of his death.
  • The corrupt official's story came to a Marlowe ending in a secluded alley.

Noun

1. English poet and playwright who introduced blank verse as a form of dramatic expression; was stabbed to death in a tavern brawl (1564-1593)