Product Description
This Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Classic includes a glossary, vocabulary list, and translations from Latin to help the modern reader appreciate the beauty of this classical play.If you make a deal with the Devil, are you then damned for all eternity?This is the situation Doctor Faustus must face when his ambitions as a scholar and magician take an ominous turn. Having sold his soul to Lucifer in exchange for twenty-four years of power and pleasure, can Faustus repent and be saved-or is it too late?This play, critically acclaimed as Christopher Marlowe's greatest work, boldly and imaginatively explores the age-old question: "What profits a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses his own soul?" Marlowe gives life to this concept in Faustus-a single man in whom Heaven and Hell do battle.Using both broad humor and deadly seriousness in this daring work, Marlowe addresses the essence of the human soul. Investigating the liability of knowledge, the interplay of free will and fate, and the perversion of power, Faustus's story has as much relevance to us today as it did to audiences in the sixteenth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This classic really holds up today
Unsatisfied with his position in life, Dr. John Faustus, a learned scholar, yearns for more. His friends, Valdes and Cornelius, teach him dark magic to call upon the Devil.After he bargains with Lucifer, Faustus is bestowed with a companion devil named Mephostophilis.With the help of his demonic friend, Faustus becomes famous and powerful.However, the fun and games do not last long.Soon, the Devil comes to take Faustus.He attempts to repent, to no avail, and is dragged to Hell.

Based on German legends, Doctor Faustus was written in approximately 1592 by Christopher Marlowe.He was a famous Elizabethan playwright who was the first to use blank verse in his plays, which was later adopted by Shakespeare and other playwrights.Numerous conspiracy theories surround Marlowe's life.Many historians believe Marlowe was a spy, and some contend he faked his death to write under the name "William Shakespeare."
--Reviewed by Veronica Hernandez

Easier than Shakespeare
A clear, concise, and beautifully written moral lesson about the choices we make and the consequences they entail. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the best-known works by the hugely influential English Renaissance dramatist Christopher Marlowe. The Introduction discusses the significance of this brilliant and major work, with detailed commentary provided for meanings of difficult words, lines, and references. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Infinite riches in a little play
Ok, so perhaps not infinite, but lots.Marlowe's plays are all a bit strange in their own way.The Jew of Malta is sort of like a really raw take on the issues in the Merchant of Venice (i.e. no sweet love story here).But Marlowe's Barabas gets to enjoy being bad a lot more than Shylock does, and the character is amazingly capable of perhaps not earning the reader's sympathy but extracting her complicity instead.There's some great language in this play and some spectacular misanthropy.The revels editions are always a good bet; they have enough scholarly apparatus to be of significant help and are well-edited and well laid-out on the page.This one is very thin and portable, and so it can feel like a rip-off for 9 bucks. However, the quality of the critical help here is far greater than in the Everyman collected edition of Marlowe.

Not Marlowe's Best, But Still Interesting.
I do not feel this matches Marlowe's "Faustus," "Massacre At Paris," "Dido Queen of Carthage," or "Edward II." But it does have some memorable features. At first, Barabas is asympathetic character, but like many of Marlowe's characters, he goes toofar and becomes detestable. Barabas' daughter Abigail is a striking figure.She initially feels sorry for her father but later sees what he has becomeand falls victim to her father's wickedness. Her death as a Christain in3.6 is memorable. Ithamore is convincing as a villain who knows no honor.Ferneze is fine as the hero who eventually restores order. It's notMarlowe's best play, but it is still worth some interest. ... Read more

Product Description
The book may have numerous typos or missing text. It is not illustrated or indexed. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website. You can also preview the book there.Purchasers are also entitled to a trial membership in the publisher's book club where they can select from more than a million books for free.Original Publisher: C. Chapple Publication date: 1821Subjects: Drama / General; Drama / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Foreign Language Study / Yiddish; Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Poetry / General; Poetry / American / General; Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh ... Read more

Product Description
The Works of Christopher Marlowe, Vol. 3 (of 3) is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Christopher Marlowe is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Christopher Marlowe then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), a man of extreme passions and a playwright of immense talent, is the most important of Shakespeare's contemporaries.This edition offers his five major plays, which show the radicalism and vitality of his writing in the few years before his violent death.
Tamburlaine Part One and Part Two deal with the rise to world prominence of the great Scythian shepherd-robber; The Jew of Malta is a drama of villainy and revenge; Edward II was to influence Shakespeare's Richard II.Doctor Faustus, perhaps the first drama taken from the medieval legend of a man who sells his soul to the devil, is here in both its A- and its B- text, showing the enormous and fascinating differences between the two.
Under the General Editorship of Dr. Michael Cordner of the University of York, the texts of the plays have been newly edited and are presented with modernized spelling and punctuation.In addition, there is a scholarly introduction and detailed annotation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

MARLOWE
Hi all! This edition contains A & B versions of Faustus, which is VERY important for most scholarship and I found for pleasure as well.
C

WOW
HAVING BEING A SIXTH GRADE STUDENT WHO WAS ASSINGED TO DO A BOOK REPORT ABOUT A CLASSIC NOVEL OR SHORT STORY.IDECIDED TO CHOOSE AN UNCONVENTIONAL NOVEL .I CHOSE THIS ONE BECAUSE IT IS NOT ONLY DISTURBING BUT AMAZING AS WELL IT IS ONE OF THE BEST IF NOT THE BEST NOVEL EVER WRITTEN. MOVE OVER SHAKESPHERE MARLOWE IS COMING FOR YOR CROWN YOU MAY NO LONGER BE THE GREATEST WRITER WHO HAS EVER LIVED ONCE WORD OF THIS REVIEW GETS OUT.

Yes, the English Renaissance CAN be humorous!
Christopher Marlowe is a genius.This thorough, Oxfordiancompilation of his best known plays contains Tamburlaine the Great parts one and two, the Tragical History of Doctor Faustus in its original A-text and its later B-text, The Jew of Malta, and Edward II. The beauty of these dramas lies in the fact that they're short but powerful reading pieces.In five acts Marlowe was able to generate a story complete with action, classical allusions, and a bawdy humor one might not expect from otherwise generally classified stuffy English Renaissance drama.This book contains an exhaustive introduction that explains many details of the publication dates of the plays and the differences between versions (Faustus).It also contains a thorough section for notes that further explain the texts.Finally, it contains a glossary of the commonly used words from the texts.The bottom line?This book is a great read--it's funny (I can't begin to stress that enough), and you will appreciate Marlowe's wit and talent just as much as William Shakespeare did.Buy it today! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An excellent book for anyone wishing to study Marlowe's life and career
Clear and level-headed is how I would describe the style of presentation in this wonderful biography about the famous Elizabethan playwright, Christopher Marlowe. Kuriyama succeeds in giving us a more objective account of his life and experiences, unlike other modern publications that tend to over-exaggerate the accusation made by one of his acquaintances that he had a `cruel heart'.The author concentrates on portraying the real man through concrete documentation and sound theories.If you are unfamiliar with Marlowe's life and times, I would certainly recommend this book to you first to keep your feet on the ground before delving into other publications that have offered some strange speculations, such as the notion Marlowe faked his own death, or have veered off into a confusing tangle of espionage history to speculate on the nature of his employment within the Elizabethan secret service.Kuriyama's text is a breath of fresh air.

This book includes an easy to follow chronology of Marlowe's life and career, an excellent 67 page appendix featuring a reprint of every extant first-hand document relating to the playwright and his close acquaintances, a number of illustrations, and an index.A must-have for every Marlowe devotee.

E.A. Bucchianeri, author of "Faust: My Soul be Damned for the World"

The Truth About Christopher Marlowe...
...is that we can never really know the complete truth. I once did a paper on Marlowe (1564-1593) during my college days and I have been fascinated with him ever since. Like his exact contemporary Shakespeare, Marlowe has left us only a paper trail to follow. He didn't have the advantage of having a set of his plays published during his lifetime and of course he didn't plan to be stabbed to death when he was 29. Because all we have are a few documents and a possible portrait at Cambridge you have to fill in the blanks with a lot of conjecture which can't be based on solid evidence.

Some biographers have followed in the footsteps of writers such as George Garrett (ENTERED FROM THE SUN) and Anthony Burgess (A DEAD MAN IN DEPTFORD) and have created quite a fanciful life for the poet. It makes for good reading but often distorts what little truth there is. Constance Brown Kuriyama in her well documented book is able to show us what is known and then gives us the luxury of making our own observations. Of course she draws her own conclusions but unlike most other Marlowe biographies (and I have read a number of them) she lets the facts speak for themselves without a lot of embellishment. Marlowe emerges as a powerful personality whose ideas as presented in his few plays show him to be one of the most original thinkers and observers of the Elizabethan age. His early and violent death continue to strike a resonant chord to this day as we think on what was lost and on the impact he had on other writers who followed him.

If you are interested in Elizabethan drama beyond Shakespeare and the effect of the Renaissance in England then you really need to be acquainted with Christopher Marlowe and this is the ideal place to start. The book is easy to follow without dumbing down the material and almost half of it consists of documents and other details that ground the proceedings in a reality that few others can match. Thank you Constance Brown Kuriyama for a job well done.

the definitive story
If you're going to buy one book on Marlowe, this should be it.Kuriyama does an extraordinary job of sifting through the mystery and garbage to tell the story of Marlowe.Too many writers have sensationalized and distorted the facts, whereas Kuriyama not only provides the evidence but interprets them analytically and beautifully.Also, this is the only book where you'll find all the original source documents in one place.Plus, she knows how to keep you interested, writing in a well-thought out style that doesn't insult your intelligence, but doesn't lose you either.Well worth the read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful
This is my favorite novel.Why the hell is it out of print?Perhaps readers were turned off by what they assumed would be a dry historical tale.How unfortunate, because this is simply a great read.One of the few novels that I've reread.But wait, perhaps you think my taste in books might be peculiar and thus reflect poorly on this work - okay, fair assumption that.My favorite writers are Morrison, Atwood, Barker, Moore, Heller, Greene to name a few - if that helps.Anyway, the previous review says it all; I just wanted to reiterate that this is a terrific read.

An exploration into literary
A very clever novel which neatly compasses epic historical fresco, philosophical thoughts and almost devilish satire in the form of Christopher Columbus' "autobiography". We'll follow Columbus' tragicomicallife from early childhood to an old age, while we witness his successes andfailures, sea voyages and love affairs. The book is full of anachronisms(for example, Columbus constantly mocks or comments his latter-daybiographers) and all kinds of literary novelties. Despite the abundanthumour and sometimes plain wackiness, the book also offers a very humaneand touching description of an era which saw, among other things, thehorrors of Spanish inquisition, slavery and subjugation of Indians.

Mr.Marlowe's autobiography of Cervantes is stylistically very much the samething. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Drama / General; Drama / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Drama / Continental European; Drama / Shakespeare; Literary Criticism / Drama; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very Underrated!
Some of you probably remember this as the play Marlowe managed to complete before he was killed in "Shakespeare In Love." It is interesting that even though many critics do not see this as one of Marlowe's better plays, Marlowe (in the movie) said that this was even better than his "Dr. Faustus." The play begins with the Protestant Prince Navarre marrying a Catholic Princess. While some are hoping this will make peace between the Catholics and Protestants in France, many see the approaching war as inevitable. Anjou (the eventual King Henry III) teams up with the overly ambitious Guise and they decide to eliminate the Protestants. Most of the scenes that follow are short murder scenes, but Marlowe knew what he was doing. By keeping the scenes short, he emphasizes that murder is a vile act. (Hollywood has always looked for ways to justify and even glorify killing.) Well, action movies are here today and gone tomrrow, while the classics from Marlowe, Shakespeare, and Dickens will survive time. Quoting a bit of Shakespeare: 'the truth should live from age to age.' Moving on, King Charles IX is understandably sad at the bloodshed. Upon his death, Anjou is crowned King Henry III. Marlowe keeps the tension as the Protestants (under Navarre) start to strike back. Then, there comes a rift between Henry III and Guise. And should we be surprised about this? Ambition seldom knows loyalty. Henry III realizes that Guise is popular, so a secret murder is his best bet. And Navarre is sharp enough to realize that if he helps bring down Guise, he may win Henry III's gratitude. It is interesting that someone even tries to warn the ego maniac Guise of the danger he is in, but Guise compares himself to Caesar and foolishly walks into the death trap. (Undoubtedly Shakespeare had this in mind when he wrote his "Julius Caesar.") Moving on, Henry III plots the murder of a cardinal who he sees as dangerous. (But as in Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," some enemies are more powerful after their death.) The death of this cardinal brings about a successful attempt on Henry III's life. And we can see that Henry III's death was revolving in Shakespeare's mind as he wrote his "Hamlet." If we accept Marlowe's words (in "Shakespeare In Love") that this is even better than "Dr. Faustus," we'll have to fight many critics. But the argument is that this play is historical and completely plausible. And the more believable something is, the more scarey it is likely to be. In the movie, Shakespeare choked a bit when Marlowe just said the title. It's sad that this play will probably never get the attention it deserves.

VERY UNDERRATED!
I CAN NOT understand why this play of Marlowe's was never popular. In this chilling masterpiece, not a single page is wasted. This play offers several dramatic passages. Guise's soliloquy in scene 2 is especially powerful.Another aspect of this play that Marlowe handles with the utmost of geniusis Anjou's rise to King Henry III, and later his fall. Throughout the play,Guise presents us with chilling moments and his death is handled withdramatically appropriate lines. The reconciliation between King Henry IIIand Navarre also demonstrates Marlowe's mastery of literature. Finally,King Henry III's death really helps us to see that Marlowe paved the wayfor Shakespeare in every sense of the word. If you liked Marlowe's"Faustus" and "Edward II," you WILL NOT want to missthis one! ... Read more

Product Description
Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) emerges in most accounts of his life by biographers and critics as a mysterious and sensational action figure, a hapless pawn of circumstance, or a pseudonymous cipher. Constance Brown Kuriyama's new biography reconstructs the eventful life of a radically innovative playwright who flourished briefly and died violently more than four hundred years ago, yet persists in the romantic imagination even today. Many discoveries about Marlowe?s life have emerged over the past hundred years. The author here supplements these findings with new material, placing the dramatist and poet more precisely in his historical milieu. Kuriyama interprets Marlowe's acts of violence-inexplicable though they may seem-as logical consequences of the circumstances he faced. Experience and temperament both accounted for the characteristically brash way he moved through the world. The stringent constraints of Elizabethan society, which encouraged intense political and religious conflicts, had a great influence on Marlowe's thinking, while his ambitions were stirred by the period's unprecedented opportunities for talented individuals to rise in society. The documentary evidence assembled by Kuriyama-and made available to readers-allows her to show how Marlowe was able to take advantage of Elizabethan social mobility. In the context of Elizabethan education, society, and culture, Marlowe becomes a fully human, three-dimensional figure. ... Read more

Product Description
Tamburlaine the Great - Part 2 is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Christopher Marlowe is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Christopher Marlowe then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Christopher Marlowe was a 16th century English playwright.He was the leading Elizabethan tragedian before Shakespeare.His works are known for their overreaching protagonists and his use of blank verse.Little is known about Marlowe's life, but there is much speculation about his possibly being a spy, homosexual, a heretic, magician and atheist.Edward the Second is an English history play about the deposition of the homosexual King Edward II by his barons and the Queen of France.The play begins with the recall of his lover, Piers Gaveston, from exile, and ending with his son Edward III's execution of Mortimer Junior for the king's murder ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Another Brawling Genius
Shakespeare has given the world a magnificent set of plausible villains - Iago, Richard III, Lady MacBeth, for instance - as well as a more complex set of morally flawed heroes - Othello, Lear, Coriolanus, Henry V, Hamlet. No one, however, has delivered a judgment of immorality against Shakespeare merely on the premise that to understand a rogue, he must have been one. Perhaps it helps that almost nothing of Shakespeare's personal behavior, virtuous or vicious, has been reported.

Christopher Marlowe was a tempestuous, unstable fellow - a spy and a brawler, who was eventually killed in a tavern brawl. Too little is known, really, to brand him as a rogue, but the signs are clear. In the play Edward II, his best and his closest to Shakespeare in dramatic impact, Marlowe has given us a cast all of whom are morally compromised if not purely evil. Hey, the bad guys whack the bad guys and the audience loves it! Sounds like cable TV! Marlowe understood violence and cruelty at least as well as Shakespeare, and we have no reason to suppose that it wasn't first-hand knowledge. Of Shakespeare's peers, only John Webster had as profound an understanding of "wickedness."

Hollywood, heads up! A film about Marlowe in the process of writing and rehearsing Edward II would be a smash! I'm available to write the screen play.

Meanwhile, readers, if your only experience of Marlowe was Doctor Faustus in high school, I think you'll be surprised at the intensity and word-craft of Edward II. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

Product Description
From one of England's greatest playwrights, a remarkably inventive and poetically expressive work that set the form for later Elizabethan dramas. The two-part romantic tragedy focuses on Tamburlaine--a Mongol warrior whose relentless rise to greatness and power, together with his enormous greed and vanity, culminates in his eventual downfall.
... Read more