Friday, May 13, 2011

Did Marlowe Die in Deptford in 1593?

Dr. Ros Barber explores whether Christopher Marlowe was really killed in Deptford in 1593.

Part 1 video; Part 2 video.

Ros Barber is the first person in the world to complete a PhD in Marlovian authorship theory. Her PhD was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK). A founding member of the International Marlowe-Shakespeare Society, she has published articles challenging the orthodox biography of Marlowe in academic books and journals, including the peer-reviewed Routledge journal Rethinking History. Her essay "Was Marlowe a Violent Man?," which was presented at the Marlowe Society of America conference in 2008, is featured in Christopher Marlowe the Craftsman (Ashgate 2010). A published poet, her latest poetry collection, Material (Anvil 2008), was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation and was funded by Arts Council England.

Click here for her interview with former BBC World Service journalist Tim Grout-Smith on the Marlowe-as-Shakespeare theory.



Order Ros's debut novel today!

"It’s enough to strike despair into the heart of James Shapiro, author of Contested Will, as well as the hearts of all the other Shakespeare experts who refute the so-called 'authorship controversy'."  (Financial Times)


Click here for the blog's home page and recent content.THE MARLOWE PAPERS Jarmusch

12 comments:

daver852 said...

A truly excellent presenation of the facts as we know them. Bravo, Ros!

Kravath said...

As a regular reader of the blog, I am happy to see this all laid out visually. Very logical conclusions, given the evidence.

Christine said...

Extremely helpful and well done!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for taking the time to debate this, I really feel strongly about it and love studying more on this topic. If possible, as you achieve expertise, would you mind updating your blog with additional information? This can be very useful for me.

LaurenceJ said...

FANTASTIC!

PatriciaCramner said...

I do not see anything unreasonable about this presentation by Ms. Barber; it's very measured and well-supported. How could there not be reasonable doubt regarding alleged murder of Marlowe?

Amazing, isn't it, how a little delving into the details can raise such intriguing questions? Look at the evidence, folks.

Considering all the facts, to just say that Marlowe was killed in 1593 is rather naive.

Maureen Duff said...

Makes the case for escape clear and logical. Very well done, Ros. Can't wait to read your new book.

KayDeeHutch said...

Wow. This is quite persuasive. And I just figured what Brittanica said was open and shut: that Marlowe was killed in a tavern brawl.

TheAmazingLuke said...

very cool.

DresdenDoll said...

Has anyone disputed what Ms. Barber has laid out??? So what exactly - dear Stratfordians and Oxfordians, etc. - is out of line with Ms. Barber's thesis?

I laugh at those who dismiss Marlovians - especially when the thesis is not that far fetched, (considering who Marlowe was and what he was up against). That Marlowe escaped is less an anomaly than Oxford writing Shakespeare.

Dan Sayers said...

Ros - great video, really lays out the available evidence very clearly and shows why the Marlovian case is actually quite likely, the more you look into it. Now if only there was some really good evidence of a surviving Marlowe post-1593. Apart from the abundant literary clues, of course.

DresdenDoll, yes - I like to think that the difference between the three is that Oxford was born 'great', Marlowe achieved greatness, and Shakespeare had (Marlowe's) greatness thrust upon him.

tourneur said...

The poignant contemporaneity of faking death:

http://jalopnik.com/5813689/is-ryan-dunns-death-the-most-elaborate-jackass-prank-ever