Tamburlaine the Great, Part One

Tamburlaine the Great, Part One

by Christopher Marlowe
Epub (Kobo), Epub (Adobe)
Publication Date: 11/04/2021

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In "Tamburlaine the Great, Part One," Christopher Marlowe presents an ambitious and grandiose narrative that explores the rise of the titular character, a shepherd who ascends to the heights of imperial power. Written in iambic pentameter, Marlowe'Äôs dramatic style features eloquent language interspersed with a sense of psychological complexity, offering a rich tapestry of ambition, conquest, and the thirst for dominance. As a pivotal work of the Elizabethan era, this play not only reflects the values and tensions of its time regarding authority and glory but also serves as a precursor to the burgeoning themes of individualism and ambition that would later inspire Shakespeare and other contemporaries. Christopher Marlowe, a contemporary of Shakespeare and a notable figure in Renaissance literature, penned this groundbreaking work while grappling with the socio-political dynamics of the late 16th century. His own life, marked by intrigue and controversy, echoes the thematic undercurrents of power and destructive ambition found in "Tamburlaine." It is shaped by Marlowe's exposure to classical literature and the political climate of his era, positioning him as a dramatic innovator departing from traditional morality plays. "Tamburlaine the Great, Part One" is a must-read for anyone interested in the evolution of English drama and the exploration of the human condition. Marlowe's deft characterization and vibrant imagery make this play a captivating examination of the extremes of human ambition, compelling readers to reflect on the nature of power and its inherent consequences.

ISBN:
4064066452452
4064066452452
Category:
Plays
Format:
Epub (Kobo), Epub (Adobe)
Publication Date:
11-04-2021
Language:
English
Publisher:
GoodPress
Christopher Marlowe

Christopher Marlowe (1564-93) was an English playwright and poet, who through his establishment of blank verse as a medium for drama did much to free the Elizabethan theatre from the constraints of the medieval and Tudor dramatic tradition.

His first play Tamburlaine the Great, was performed that same year, probably by the Admiral's Men with Edward Alleyn in the lead. With its swaggering power-hungry title character and gorgeous verse the play proved to be enormously popular; Marlowe quickly wrote a second part, which may have been produced later that year. Marlowe's most famous play, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, based on the medieval German legend of the scholar who sold his soul to the devil, was probably written and produced by 1590, although it was not published until 1604. Historically the play is important for utilizing the soliloquy as an aid to character analysis and development.

The Jew of Malta (c. 1590) has another unscrupulous aspiring character at its centre in the Machiavellian Barabas. Edward II (c. 1592), which may have influenced Shakespeare's Richard II, was highly innovatory in its treatment of a historical character and formed an important break with the more simplistic chronicle plays that had preceded it.

Marlowe also wrote two lesser plays, Dido, Queen of Carthage (date unknown) and The Massacre at Paris (1593), based on contemporary events in France. Marlowe was killed in a London tavern in May 1593. Although Marlowe's writing career lasted for only six years, his four major plays make him easily the most important predecessor of Shakespeare.

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