This book gathers all seven of the dramas of Christopher Marlowe, in which the lure of dark forces drives the shifting balances between weak and st...
read full description
reviews
Jun 30, 2011
Rae
rated it: 
Honestly, I started reading Marlowe because historically, he was widely considered a better playwright than Shakespeare. And yes, I did truly enjoy his work. But...it must be the theater snob in me, because I just truly prefer Shakespeare's scenes and monologues. And yes, I will ALWAYS prefer Merchant of Venice to The Jew of Malta. I don't care if Marlowe inspired Shakespeare on that one, Jew of Malta is terrifying in its anti-Semitic tone and even if Merchant was considered a comedy in its
More...
May 29, 2010
Charles
rated it: 
What would Marlowe have become if he had lived? Would he have outgrown the predilection for elaborate stage mechanics -- the trapdoor fall into the cauldron in "The Jew of Malta", the fiery sodomizing of Edward II? -- and the wooden ranting of Tamburlaine and the over-the-top villainy of Barabas? Would he have learned how to create characters and not just villains and victims? "Doctor Faustus" remains his greatest play largely because its spine is the myth of the Fall, and be
More...
Jan 04, 2008
Taka
rated it:
Dazzling at times, mediocre at times (3.5)--
Out of the seven plays, I think, two are brilliant (Doctor Faustus and The Jew of Malta), and five are between good and mediocre. And don't get me wrong. Marlowe is great, but his plays are unevenly written so that some of the soliloquies stand out and catch you off guard with their éclat amidst a mediocre story line (such is especially the case with Tamburlaine and Edward II). And each play exercises this dark pull on the reader that is bo More...
Out of the seven plays, I think, two are brilliant (Doctor Faustus and The Jew of Malta), and five are between good and mediocre. And don't get me wrong. Marlowe is great, but his plays are unevenly written so that some of the soliloquies stand out and catch you off guard with their éclat amidst a mediocre story line (such is especially the case with Tamburlaine and Edward II). And each play exercises this dark pull on the reader that is bo More...
Jan 14, 2008
Lawrence
rated it:
Picked this up because I was considering whether to see DC's The Shakespeare Theater's productions of Tamburlaine and Edward II. Opted solely to see Edward II after I read the reviews of both plays. Enjoyed reading and seeing Edward II. I like to read plays before I see them. Also liked reading Dr. Faustus and The Massacre at Paris. Found Tamburlaine to be a mess; The Jew of Malta, a little too disorganized and long. Dido was interesting as an early effort. I'd recommend reading a Marlowe
More...
May 05, 2008
Wendy
rated it:
A good collection of Marlowe's plays.
If you're not a Marlowe completist, you might want to read only his high points, which in my estimation are The Jew of Malta, Doctor Faustus, and Edward II. Dido, Queen of Carthage feels like a fairly slight exercise in riffing on the Aeneid. Tamburlaine the Great parts 1 and 2 has some very impressive poetry and some colorful action but didn't ultimately satisfy. The Massacre at Paris is very difficult to follow if you don't already know who the More...
If you're not a Marlowe completist, you might want to read only his high points, which in my estimation are The Jew of Malta, Doctor Faustus, and Edward II. Dido, Queen of Carthage feels like a fairly slight exercise in riffing on the Aeneid. Tamburlaine the Great parts 1 and 2 has some very impressive poetry and some colorful action but didn't ultimately satisfy. The Massacre at Paris is very difficult to follow if you don't already know who the More...
Mar 11, 2009
Chris
rated it:
Marlowe is great, he's a lot of fun; but how anyone could imagine that he was the person who wrote Shakespeare's plays (a popular theory for a while) is beyond belief. Marlowe just isn't in the same league as Shakespeare. It's like comparing Donovan and Bob Dylan. Donovan's nice, but he ain't Bob Dylan; and Marlowe ain't Shakespeare.
Jun 23, 2011
Kristi
rated it:
The only one of these plays that I had read before was Doctor Faustus, but it definitely fits in well among the rest of them. Marlowe managed to create plays in which there were none righteous, not even one. There were a few redeeming characters here and there, but for the most part those few redeeming characters would end up turning as soon as a good opportunity arose. This collection of plays provides a great look into the absolute evil that human beings are capable of, to each other and to th
More...
Mar 25, 2009
Trish
rated it:
Revisiting my college books again! Marlowe seemed a bit more accessible than Shakespeare, and it's a pity he died before he found his full potential.
May 29, 2009
Chris
rated it:
Almost as good as the Bard, if not for him I think Marlowe would have been the founder of english lit.
Dec 08, 2009
Melisende
rated it: 
Marlowe is a favourite of mine - I love his owrks, espcially his Edward II and Tamurlaine.
May 11, 2009
Lynda
rated it:
I loved the plays of Christopher Marlow. It is sad that he died so young.
Aug 24, 2010
Robyn
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Feb 19, 2010
Ayne
rated it:
One of the best writers of the Elizabethan era, it is unfortunate that contemporary audiences are not more familiar with Marlowe's works; had he not written during Shakespeare’s time, his plays, which were wildly popular, would likely be better known, as they hold up to the rigors of time.
Sep 08, 2008
Alyssa
rated it:
Makes William Shakespeare look like a shallow, no-talent hack. And I love ole Bill.
I especially recommend The Jew of Malta and Dr. Faustus.
I especially recommend The Jew of Malta and Dr. Faustus.
Jan 28, 2011
Moira
rated it:
I can't believe it took me til my late thirties to first read Edward II -- but it was well worth the wait. What a magnificent play. Pay for the bloody fish next time, Kit! Or at least dial back just a bit on trying to be the Elizabethan 007.
Mar 05, 2008
Krista the Krazy Kataloguer
rated it:
I read several of his plays for tragedy class in college, and then went on to read all the others on my own. He's my favorite playwright, and I think he was better than Shakespeare!
Feb 29, 2008
Nate
rated it:
marlowe ranges from pretty decent to not that great. i liked the dr. faustus and the first play about bayezid the best
Dec 17, 2009
Tree
rated it:
If only for an amazing version of the Jew of Malta... Honestly, I haven't read every play in here, but Barabas is worth it here.
Jun 06, 2007
Danielle
rated it:
"Is this the face that launched a thousand ships, and burnt the topless towers of illium?"... need I say more?
Jan 04, 2008
Excellent! Marlowe is my favorite Renaissance playwright, even over Shakespeare.
Feb 13, 2012
Feb 13, 2012
Feb 13, 2012
