ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT 34
ON THE ARTS MAP
THE MAKING OF MARLOWE:
POET, PLAYWRIGHT, PROVOCATEUR
An interactive exhibition running from Saturday 25 July to Sunday 22 November( excluding Mondays) at The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge in Canterbury exploring the life of the city’ s most famous poet and playwright, Christopher Marlowe.
Born in 1564- the same year as William Shakespeare- Marlowe came of age during the height of the English Renaissance. The son of a shoemaker, he received an elite education thanks to scholarships that took him from the King’ s School, Canterbury, to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
By the late 1580s, he was writing for London’ s commercial playhouses, completing tragedies such as Tamburlaine and Doctor Faustus that stunned audiences with their power and intensity. His‘ mighty line’ helped to transform the sound of English drama.
Marlowe’ s life was as dramatic as his works.
He may have served as a spy for Elizabeth I’ s government while at Cambridge. He was arrested several times in England and abroad, accused of violent behaviour and illicit activities, suspected of heresy and atheism, and ultimately killed at the age of just 29 in suspicious circumstances.
Despite his short and turbulent life, Marlowe left behind an extraordinary legacy of poetry, translations and plays that changed the course of English literature.
Visit the exhibition to discover artefacts, historical documents and interactive displays that bring to life the story of Canterbury’ s notorious poet, playwright and provocateur!
Admission is free, though donations are greatly appreciated.
canterburymuseums. co. uk / the-beaney the _ beaney
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TUDOR DAGGER
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