The History of Literature 754 Christopher Marlowe (with Stephen Greenblatt) | My Last Book with Eric White
Dec 1, 2025
Stephen Greenblatt, a distinguished literary scholar and historian, dives deep into the life of Christopher Marlowe, a gifted writer who dramatically shaped English literature despite his short life. They discuss the turbulent political climate of late 16th-century England that fostered Marlowe's radical ideas. Greenblatt reveals how Marlowe’s innovative use of blank verse in works like Tamburlaine redefined drama. The conversation even touches on the mysterious circumstances surrounding Marlowe's untimely death, leaving listeners intrigued by this enigmatic literary figure.
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Renaissance Culture Under Repression
- The Elizabethan era combined dazzling culture with brutal political repression and censorship.
- Stephen Greenblatt argues that fear shaped much early Renaissance writing and silenced many original voices.
From Cobbler's Son To Scholar
- Marlowe rose from a poor cobbler's family in Canterbury to win elite schooling against the odds.
- That unexpected classical education unlocked a radical intellectual trajectory for Christopher Marlowe.
Classics Fueled Subversive Imagination
- Latin school exposed students to secular, transgressive classics rather than purely theological texts.
- Greenblatt says Catullus, Ovid, and Virgil offered Marlowe imaginative routes beyond English censorship.
