The Marlowe Papers (39 page)
Read The Marlowe Papers Online
Authors: Ros Barber
Tags: #Fiction, #Historical, #Literary, #Biographical, #Women's Prize for Fiction - all candidates
GHOST
‘Kyd’s fishwife tale’
See note on the
Ur-Hamlet
in ‘Necessity’.
See note on the
Ur-Hamlet
in ‘Necessity’.
‘the speech from
Dido, Queen of Carthage
’
The speech recounting Priam’s slaughter of which Hamlet makes so much in front of the Players (and on which Polonius comments, ‘This is too long’) is in imitation of an even longer speech by Aeneas on the same subject in Marlowe’s earliest play.
Dido, Queen of Carthage
’
The speech recounting Priam’s slaughter of which Hamlet makes so much in front of the Players (and on which Polonius comments, ‘This is too long’) is in imitation of an even longer speech by Aeneas on the same subject in Marlowe’s earliest play.
IN PRAISE OF THE RED HERRING
‘red herring’
Thomas Nashe’s final prose work,
Lenten Stuff
(1599), is also known as
The praise of the red herring.
Thomas Nashe’s final prose work,
Lenten Stuff
(1599), is also known as
The praise of the red herring.
‘no one’s seen Thom Nashe’s corpse, or grave’
Nashe disappeared around 1601. Two epitaphs appeared that year, but we have no idea when or where he died, or in what circumstance. He was thirty-three.
Nashe disappeared around 1601. Two epitaphs appeared that year, but we have no idea when or where he died, or in what circumstance. He was thirty-three.
T.T. & W.H.
‘Bedlam is reserved for any maniac who makes that claim’
Thanks are due to Peter Farey for this excellent suggestion on how the secret of Marlowe’s faked death could be enforced by the State. There is a long history of Shakespeare sceptics being accused of (or even committed for) insanity, and that this might have begun in the late sixteenth century seems entirely possible, given the level of State suppression at the time. Committal to Bedlam in the early 1600s was a threat not to be considered lightly.
Thanks are due to Peter Farey for this excellent suggestion on how the secret of Marlowe’s faked death could be enforced by the State. There is a long history of Shakespeare sceptics being accused of (or even committed for) insanity, and that this might have begun in the late sixteenth century seems entirely possible, given the level of State suppression at the time. Committal to Bedlam in the early 1600s was a threat not to be considered lightly.
TWELFTH NIGHT
Leslie Hotson suggested
Twelfth Night
was written to celebrate the visit of Duke Orsino to London in early 1601. A. D. Wraight developed a Marlovian version of this theory, speculating that the author might have been present, perhaps disguised as a Moor.
Twelfth Night
was written to celebrate the visit of Duke Orsino to London in early 1601. A. D. Wraight developed a Marlovian version of this theory, speculating that the author might have been present, perhaps disguised as a Moor.
‘As Thorpe said’
In the letter that fronts Marlowe’s translation of Lucan, published in 1600, Thorpe addresses Marlowe’s publisher thus: ‘Blount: I purpose to be blunt with you, and out of my dullness to encounter you with a Dedication in the memory of that pure elemental wit, Chr[istopher] Marlow; whose ghost or Genius is to be seen walk[ing] the Churchyard in (at the least) three or four sheets. Me thinks you should presently look wild now, and grow humorously frantic upon the taste of it.’
In the letter that fronts Marlowe’s translation of Lucan, published in 1600, Thorpe addresses Marlowe’s publisher thus: ‘Blount: I purpose to be blunt with you, and out of my dullness to encounter you with a Dedication in the memory of that pure elemental wit, Chr[istopher] Marlow; whose ghost or Genius is to be seen walk[ing] the Churchyard in (at the least) three or four sheets. Me thinks you should presently look wild now, and grow humorously frantic upon the taste of it.’
‘And did they meet?’
Orthodox scholars assume Shakespeare was frequently at Court. However, there is no evidence to support the idea that Shakespeare performed at Court or met the Queen. Indeed, Diana Price has demonstrated he was in Stratford on several key occasions when the Lord Chamberlain’s Men were performing at Court (Price, pp. 32–5). In payments for court performances, his name is only once recorded among those of other company shareholders.
Orthodox scholars assume Shakespeare was frequently at Court. However, there is no evidence to support the idea that Shakespeare performed at Court or met the Queen. Indeed, Diana Price has demonstrated he was in Stratford on several key occasions when the Lord Chamberlain’s Men were performing at Court (Price, pp. 32–5). In payments for court performances, his name is only once recorded among those of other company shareholders.
AN EXECUTION
Following his bursting in on the Queen, unwigged and ungowned, when he returned unbidden from Ireland, the Earl of Essex was ordered to remain in his own house. He remained there from October 1599 to August 1600. Though his freedom was then granted, his basic source of income had been stopped and the Queen would not allow his presence at Court. The earl grew increasingly desperate, and on 8 February 1601, supported by a party of nobles and gentlemen, he marched from Essex House into the City in an attempt to force an audience with the Queen. He was opposed and forced back to his house, where he eventually surrendered. On 19 February 1601, he was tried for treason. On 25 February 1601, he became the last person to be beheaded in the Tower of London.
WILLLIAM PETER
Elsinore
Hamlet
was written some time between 1599 and 1602. Between the publication of the first and second quarto, Danish ‘flavour’ was added, according to John Michell (p. 221). As noted above, William Hall was supposedly paid for returning from Denmark with intelligence on 2 October 1601.
Hamlet
was written some time between 1599 and 1602. Between the publication of the first and second quarto, Danish ‘flavour’ was added, according to John Michell (p. 221). As noted above, William Hall was supposedly paid for returning from Denmark with intelligence on 2 October 1601.
ELSINORE
‘brother-in-law of our most wanted James’
James VI of Scotland was married to Anne, sister of the Danish king. The Earl of Essex had been a strong supporter of James’s succession to the English throne. After Essex’s execution, there was concern that James would forcibly depose Queen Elizabeth with the help of his Danish brother-in-law’s army.
James VI of Scotland was married to Anne, sister of the Danish king. The Earl of Essex had been a strong supporter of James’s succession to the English throne. After Essex’s execution, there was concern that James would forcibly depose Queen Elizabeth with the help of his Danish brother-in-law’s army.
LIZ
‘The week the old Queen died’
Queen Elizabeth I died on 24 March 1603. We know nothing of the marriage of Will Peter’s sister Liz. But one of the curious anomalies in that privately printed poem
A Funeral Elegy
, which claims to be by one ‘W.S.’ but is now attributed to John Ford, is its statement that the coyly referenced ‘subject of this verse’ had been married for nine years when John Ford was well placed to know that the putative subject, William Peter of Whipton near Exeter, had only been married for three. Thus is drawn into a Marlovian framework the possibility daringly suggested by Richard Abrams; that even though
A Funeral Elegy
is not written by Shakespeare, it may be
about
him (Abrams).
Queen Elizabeth I died on 24 March 1603. We know nothing of the marriage of Will Peter’s sister Liz. But one of the curious anomalies in that privately printed poem
A Funeral Elegy
, which claims to be by one ‘W.S.’ but is now attributed to John Ford, is its statement that the coyly referenced ‘subject of this verse’ had been married for nine years when John Ford was well placed to know that the putative subject, William Peter of Whipton near Exeter, had only been married for three. Thus is drawn into a Marlovian framework the possibility daringly suggested by Richard Abrams; that even though
A Funeral Elegy
is not written by Shakespeare, it may be
about
him (Abrams).
IAGO
‘A friend will ask a friend’
On 28 March 1603 Francis Bacon wrote a letter to lawyer and writer John Davies – apparently the John Davies, later to be knighted, whose epigrams had been published alongside Marlowe’s translation of
Amores
. Davies was riding north to meet the new king, James, as he travelled from Scotland to London. Bacon closes with the phrase, ‘So desiring you to be good to all concealed poets’. Baconians assume this is a reference to Francis himself but there is no necessity for it to be self-referential, and nothing supports the idea that Francis Bacon possessed any capacity for writing verse (though his brother Anthony did). Bacon’s biographer Spedding said, ‘the allusion to “concealed poets” I cannot explain’ (Cockburn, pp. 14–15).
On 28 March 1603 Francis Bacon wrote a letter to lawyer and writer John Davies – apparently the John Davies, later to be knighted, whose epigrams had been published alongside Marlowe’s translation of
Amores
. Davies was riding north to meet the new king, James, as he travelled from Scotland to London. Bacon closes with the phrase, ‘So desiring you to be good to all concealed poets’. Baconians assume this is a reference to Francis himself but there is no necessity for it to be self-referential, and nothing supports the idea that Francis Bacon possessed any capacity for writing verse (though his brother Anthony did). Bacon’s biographer Spedding said, ‘the allusion to “concealed poets” I cannot explain’ (Cockburn, pp. 14–15).
A NEVER WRITER TO AN EVER READER. NEWS.
The title is copied from an open letter attached to the 1609 quarto of
Troilus and Cressida
, published, like the
Sonnets
in the same year, by George Eld.
Troilus and Cressida
, published, like the
Sonnets
in the same year, by George Eld.
THE MERMAID CLUB
‘Shake-speare’
The frequent hyphenation of Shakespeare’s name is not, as is sometimes claimed, due to the requirements of kerning fonts (the need to separate the tails of a long
k
and a long
s
) since the name is often hyphenated in the absence of them and also left unhyphenated at times when they are present. Its frequent hyphenation in early texts is highly unusual when compared with the treatment of other names, and it has never been satisfactorily explained.
The frequent hyphenation of Shakespeare’s name is not, as is sometimes claimed, due to the requirements of kerning fonts (the need to separate the tails of a long
k
and a long
s
) since the name is often hyphenated in the absence of them and also left unhyphenated at times when they are present. Its frequent hyphenation in early texts is highly unusual when compared with the treatment of other names, and it has never been satisfactorily explained.
Thomas Greene
No relation to Robert Greene. A writer and lawyer whom John Marston and his father sponsored to enter the Middle Temple in 1595. Greene was appointed steward of Stratford-on-Avon in August 1603, and is believed to have lived with the Shakespeare family at New Place from 1603 to 1611 (Newdigate). A published poet himself, whose works include a sonnet praising Michael Drayton, he shows no awareness of his host’s reputation as a writer, and though he keeps a diary, and the
Sonnets
were published during his stay at New Place, he makes no mention of it. Nor does he comment on William Shakespeare’s death in 1616 (though he mentions the deaths of others) (Jiminez). However, he appears to have taken that event as a cue to resign his clerkship, sell the Stratford house he had moved into in 1611, and go to live in Bristol (Fripp).
No relation to Robert Greene. A writer and lawyer whom John Marston and his father sponsored to enter the Middle Temple in 1595. Greene was appointed steward of Stratford-on-Avon in August 1603, and is believed to have lived with the Shakespeare family at New Place from 1603 to 1611 (Newdigate). A published poet himself, whose works include a sonnet praising Michael Drayton, he shows no awareness of his host’s reputation as a writer, and though he keeps a diary, and the
Sonnets
were published during his stay at New Place, he makes no mention of it. Nor does he comment on William Shakespeare’s death in 1616 (though he mentions the deaths of others) (Jiminez). However, he appears to have taken that event as a cue to resign his clerkship, sell the Stratford house he had moved into in 1611, and go to live in Bristol (Fripp).
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Early Modern Literary Studies
, 8.2, 6:1–39
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, 8.2, 6:1–39
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, 21:2, 83–100
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, 21:2, 83–100
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, Limpsfield Chart, N. B. Cockburn
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, Limpsfield Chart, N. B. Cockburn
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, London, Virago
Golden Lads: A Study of Anthony Bacon, Francis and Their Friends
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, 60, 723–43
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, 60, 723–43
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, XXXIII, 50–62
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, XXXIII, 50–62
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, 102, 42–54
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, 3, 44–52
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, London, Oxford University Press
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, 6,
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, 6,
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, London, Methuen.
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, London, Bantam
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, London, Bantam
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, New York, The Shakespeare Oxford Society
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, Madison, N.J., Fairleigh Dickinson University Press; London, Associated University Presses
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, Ithaca, London, Cornell University Press
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, Ithaca, London, Cornell University Press
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, 33, 3–43
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, 33, 3–43
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, London, Thames and Hudson
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, London, Thames and Hudson
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, Vol III No 3
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, Vol III No 3
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, Oxford, Basil Blackwell
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, Oxford, Basil Blackwell
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, London, Vintage
The Reckoning: The Murder of Christopher Marlowe
, London, Vintage
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, London, Century
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, London, Century
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, 6, 18,
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, 6, 18,
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, Contributions in Drama and Theatre Studies Number 94, Westport, Connecticut and London, Greenwood Press
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, 9, 1–31
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, 9, 1–31
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, London, Faber and Faber
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, London, Faber and Faber
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, London, Harper Perennial
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, 47, 541–65
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, 47, 541–65
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, London and Boston, Faber and Faber
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, Chichester, Adam Hart
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, Chichester, Adam Hart
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22–5
Marlowe Society Newsletter 30,
22–5
This book would not exist were it not for Mike Rubbo, Jonathan Bate, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Mike Rubbo’s documentary
Much Ado About Something
exposed me to the Marlowe theory of Shakespeare authorship for the first time and included interviews with Jonathan Bate, who provided me with my lightbulb moment when he said, of the ‘crazy’ idea that Marlowe faked his death and escaped into exile, ‘I do think there is a really good novel in here’. Without the generous funding of the AHRC, I could not have taken four years out of my life to research and write this book, and I wish to express my sincere thanks to those who selected this project for funding, and the British taxpayers who continue to fund research in the arts and humanities. It is the mark of a civilised country.
Much Ado About Something
exposed me to the Marlowe theory of Shakespeare authorship for the first time and included interviews with Jonathan Bate, who provided me with my lightbulb moment when he said, of the ‘crazy’ idea that Marlowe faked his death and escaped into exile, ‘I do think there is a really good novel in here’. Without the generous funding of the AHRC, I could not have taken four years out of my life to research and write this book, and I wish to express my sincere thanks to those who selected this project for funding, and the British taxpayers who continue to fund research in the arts and humanities. It is the mark of a civilised country.
The Marlowe Papers
was built on a sturdy skeleton of research that was largely the work of others. Numerous contributors to the
Marlowe Society Newsletter
, the
Marlowe Society Research Journal
, and Carlo DiNota’s blog The Marlowe-Shakespeare Connection will recognise aspects of their work in mine. My deepest gratitude goes to Peter Farey, author of the Marlovian website to which I most often returned, for arguing with integrity and logic, correcting my misapprehensions, and sharing with me his data, research, microfilms, and theories. My chief (if virtual) company during this adventure has been the founder members of the International Marlowe Shakespeare Society: not only Peter, but Mike Rubbo, Daryl Pinksen, Isabel Gortazar and Carlo DiNota; all have, through discussion, helped me shape my ideas. Alongside Peter Farey, the late Dolly Wraight provided a significant proportion of the foundations on which this narrative is woven; David More furnished it with John Penry, and Tom Chivers (who would probably wish me to point out he is not a Marlovian) must be credited with The Flanders Mare. Anthony Kellett proved excellent at sourcing
particular research materials, as did a man at the Open University whom I cannot name.
was built on a sturdy skeleton of research that was largely the work of others. Numerous contributors to the
Marlowe Society Newsletter
, the
Marlowe Society Research Journal
, and Carlo DiNota’s blog The Marlowe-Shakespeare Connection will recognise aspects of their work in mine. My deepest gratitude goes to Peter Farey, author of the Marlovian website to which I most often returned, for arguing with integrity and logic, correcting my misapprehensions, and sharing with me his data, research, microfilms, and theories. My chief (if virtual) company during this adventure has been the founder members of the International Marlowe Shakespeare Society: not only Peter, but Mike Rubbo, Daryl Pinksen, Isabel Gortazar and Carlo DiNota; all have, through discussion, helped me shape my ideas. Alongside Peter Farey, the late Dolly Wraight provided a significant proportion of the foundations on which this narrative is woven; David More furnished it with John Penry, and Tom Chivers (who would probably wish me to point out he is not a Marlovian) must be credited with The Flanders Mare. Anthony Kellett proved excellent at sourcing
particular research materials, as did a man at the Open University whom I cannot name.
Thanks must go to Blake Morrison for his support from beginning to end, and for fathering a small family of postgraduate writers at Goldsmiths with whom I could share progress and the occasional free glass of wine (writers’ oxygen). Lavinia Greenlaw’s early criticism, though hard to swallow, prevented me from travelling any further down a narrative dead-end. Andrew Hadfield gave me an excellent grounding in the Early Modern literary and political scene, kept me on track, and facilitated my research despite the fact that I have a worrying tendency to be heretical. My earliest readers Catherine Smith, Clare Best and James Burt helped me identify places where the text was unclear, and the first wave of anachronisms. Kate Miller alerted me to the Marlovian leanings of Ted Hughes. To all, thank you.
It is likely this novel would be mouldering with others in my bottom drawer were it not for Robyn Young, Rupert Heath and Hilary Mantel. Robyn took the first twenty pages of
The Marlowe Papers
onto a train and so enthused about it to her agent that he swiftly became mine. Rupert’s faith in the book allowed him to achieve something others believed impossible. While many established novelists routinely ignore writers seeking their approval, Hilary Mantel said nice things when it mattered. All writers need angels: these were mine.
The Marlowe Papers
onto a train and so enthused about it to her agent that he swiftly became mine. Rupert’s faith in the book allowed him to achieve something others believed impossible. While many established novelists routinely ignore writers seeking their approval, Hilary Mantel said nice things when it mattered. All writers need angels: these were mine.
Especial thanks to Carole Welch at Sceptre for her vision in taking on so unusual a beast, for her keen editor’s eye, essential to making a good book better, and for teaching me more about etymology than I ever imagined I would know. Thanks also to Hazel Orme for her painstaking corrections and to Lucy, Nikki, Bea and Jason at Sceptre for everything they have done to help
The Marlowe Papers
on its way.
The Marlowe Papers
on its way.
The largest thanks I have left almost to the last. Stephen Knight was the only person with whom I shared the novel-in-progress. He
accompanied me patiently and unstintingly through the long sequestered years of this novel’s writing, rekindled my faith in the work when I had lost it, and managed to be both gentle and incisive, suggesting cuts with the kindly phrase, ‘Well, this part might not make it into the final draft, but …’ It is little wonder his students call him Saint Stephen. Without the guidance of his novelist-poet-dramatist’s eye and his ability to see the wood when I was lost in the trees, I would probably never have emerged into the light.
accompanied me patiently and unstintingly through the long sequestered years of this novel’s writing, rekindled my faith in the work when I had lost it, and managed to be both gentle and incisive, suggesting cuts with the kindly phrase, ‘Well, this part might not make it into the final draft, but …’ It is little wonder his students call him Saint Stephen. Without the guidance of his novelist-poet-dramatist’s eye and his ability to see the wood when I was lost in the trees, I would probably never have emerged into the light.
Finally, to my husband and children who put up with seeing very little of me for several years, kept the house ticking over despite my physical and mental absence, and largely respected the ‘No Entry’ sign on my study door. It may be that none of you read this book for a very long time, but should you ever do so, I hope you feel it was worth it.
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