Marlowe

One of the most interesting parts about Christopher Marlowe was the finding of a portrait of him, years after his death in 1593. Although there is no solid evidence that the anonymous sitter is Marlowe, but  clues do suggest the almost certainty that it is Marlowe. An example of this evidence is that Marlowe was 21 years old in 1585, when the painting was made. Also, he was the only 21-year old student at Corpus Christi, where the painting was later found and where he himself recieved his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1584.

His works were heavily influenced by William Shakespeare despite the fact that he is believed to be roughly two months older than him (his exact date of birth is unknown, although there is records of his Baptism on the 26th February 1564).

Marlowe also helped several actors by writing parts especially for them. An Elizabethan actor named Edward Alleyn, supposedly had several roles written for him, largely due to the fact that he was tall for the time, so roles such as Dr Faustus became him.

Shortly after receiving his master's degree, Marlowe went to London. He became known for his wild ways and unorthodox thinking. In 1589, for example, he was imprisoned for a time in connection with the death of a certain William Bradley, who had been killed in a violent quarrel in which Marlowe was suspected to have played an important part. He was several times accused of being an "atheist" and a "blasphemer," most notably by one of his fellow playwrights Thomas Kyd. These charges led to Marlowe's arrest in 1593, but he died before his case was decided.