Hecate’s Ban Queen Elizabeth Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and time agreeing, Confederate season else no creature seeing, Thou mixture rank, of midnight weeds collected, With Hecate’s ban thrice blasted, thrice infected, Thy natural magic, and dire property, On wholesome life usurp immediately. —Hamlet (3.2.244–249) CHRONOLOGY 1558 Elizabeth ascends as queen of England and the next year the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity establish the Church of England 1564 Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare born 1583 John Whitgift consecrated archbishop of Canterbury 1587 Mary Queen of Scots executed to stem the Catholic threat Marlowe’s Tamburlaine revolutionizes the London stage 1588 The Spanish Armada turns back from invading England The first Marprelate Tract, a scathing satire on Archbirshop Whitgift and the Church of England, appears ?1590 Whitgift possibly censors and closes down Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus 1592 Richard Baines and Marlowe trade charges of treason in Flushing, Marlowe is arrested, and released by Burghley 1593 February-May: Religious persecution under Whitgift and Elizabeth reaches a climax, as parliamentary leader James Morice is detained, several Separatist leaders are hung, Thomas Kyd is tortured, and Marlowe is arrested amid charges of atheism May 30: Marlowe “dies” at Madame Bull’s house in Deptford June 12: Venus and Adonis, Shakespeare’s first work, appears 1598 Love’s Labor’s Lost, the first play in Shakespeare’s name appears 1599 Marlowe’s works undergo a revival and Archbishop Whitgift orders that his translation of Ovid’s Elegies, as well as other erotic and satirical works, be burned in the public square 1603 Queen Elizabeth dies and James I accedes to the throne First Quarto of Hamlet published 1604 Archbishop Whitgift dies Second Quarto of Hamlet published with puns on Whitgift 1623 Shakespeare’s First Folio published 14 The Comical History of Christopher Marlowe, Clown Prince of England Blest O thrice blest, whom He hath chose Who first with heav’ns did earth enclose. —Psalm 115 LONDON: Situated on the river Thames, London was inhabited by about 200,000 people in the 1590s. The highest spire is St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Rose and (later the Globe) theatre were situated on Bankside between London Bridge (in the center) and Lambeth (to the left), residence of the archbishop of Canterbury. Westminster Hall, where Parliament met and the site of the Star Chamber, is opposite Lambeth and near to Whitehall, Queen Elizabeth’s main palace. Deptford, where Marlowe reputedly died on May 30, 1593, is located at the right bend of the river. The queen’s palace at Greenwich is about a mile east of Deptford on the right above the large circular enclosure. (From John Speed, Theatre of the Whole Island of Great Britain) 15 ELIZABETHAN DRAMATIS PERSONAE * = Probably sympathetic to Marlowe. See Glossary for more information on key persons, places, and events The Crown, Church, Lords, and Retainers *ADMIRAL, LORD (CHARLES HOWARD) Hero of the Armada campaign, patron of Marlowe’s troupe BACON, FRANCIS Adviser to Queen Elizabeth BAINES, RICHARD Government agent and informer BANCROFT, RICHARD Bishop of London Queen Elizabeth BUCKHURST, LORD (THOMAS SACKVILLE) Playwright, commissioner of Ecclesiastical Causes *BURGHLEY, LORD (WILLIAM CECIL) Principal adviser to Elizabeth, Lord Treasurer, patron of the Muscovy Co. *CAREY, SIR GEORGE Knight Marshall and patron *CECIL, SIR ROBERT Privy councilor and adviser to Queen Elizabeth CHOLMELEY, RICHARD Informer against Marlowe COSIN, RICHARD Ecclesiastical lawyer *DANBY, SIR WILLIAM Queen Elizabeth’s coroner DRURY, THOMAS Agent provocateur Lord Burghley EGERTON, SIR THOMAS Lord Keeper of the Great Seal ELIZABETH TUDOR Queen of England *ESSEX, EARL OF (ROBERT DEVEREUX) Soldier and courtier who rebelled against Elizabeth HATTON, SIR CHRISTOPHER Lord Chancellor, ally of Whitgift *HUNSDON, LORD (SIR HENRY CAREY) Lord Chamber- lain, patron of Shakespeare’s acting troupe HOOKER, RICHARD Church of England theologian JAMES VI King of Scotland and later James I of England *KNOLLYS, SIR FRANCIS Treasurer of the Queen’s Lord Buckhurst Household and staunch Puritan & Lord Admiral 16 Dramatis Personae 17 *LEICESTER, EARL OF (ROBERT DUDLEY) Queen’s favorite, Puritan protector MUNDAY, ANTHONY Dramatist and informer PAULE, GEORGE Whitgift’s comptroller and biographer *PEMBROKE, EARL OF (HENRY HERBERT) Theater patron *PEMBROKE, EARL OF (WILLIAM HERBERT) Dedicatee of the First Folio PERNE, ANDREW Theologian and mentor of Whitgift PHELIPPES, THOMAS Intelligencer, Essex spymaster Robert Cecil *POLEY, ROBERT Intelligencer, Deptford participant POPHAM, SIR JOHN Chief Justice, ally of Whitgift PUCKERING, SIR JOHN Privy councilor, ally of Whitgift SIDNEY, SIR ROBERT Governor of Flushing * SOUTHAMPTOM, EARL OF (HENRY WRIOTHESLEY) Patron of the arts TILNEY, SIR EDMUND Master of the Revels TOPCLIFFE, RICHARD Crown torturer YOUNG, RICHARD Justice of the Peace, ally of Whitgift *WALSINGHAM, SIR FRANCIS Secretary of state, head of the secret service John Whitgift WHITGIFT, JOHN Archbishop of Canterbury Poets, Stationers, Divines, & Servants *ALLEYN, EDWARD Actor and the leading performer in Marlowe’s plays *BARROW, HENRY Separatist lawyer BRUNO, GIORDANO Astronomer, martyr *BULL, ELEANOR Proprietress of an inn in Deptford *BLOUNT, EDWARD Publisher of the First Folio CARTWRIGHT, THOMAS Theologian and Puritan leader *FIELD, RICHARD Stationer, publisher of Venus and Kit Marlowe Adonis *FRIZER, INGRAM Servant of Thomas Walsingham, Marlowe’s reported assailant *GREENWOOD, ROBERT Separatist minister *HENSLOWE, PHILIP Proprietor of the Rose theatre *JONSON, BEN Poet and dramatist *KETT, FRANCIS Theologian, martyr *KYD, THOMAS Dramatist, roommate of Marlowe’s *LING, NICHOLAS Stationer, associate of Marlowe, publisher of Hamlet *MARLOWE, ANTHONY Manager the Muscovy Company *MARLOWE, CHRISTOPHER (KIT) Poet, playmaker, and Mary Sidney government agent 18 Hamlet *MARPRELATE, MARTIN Pamphleter and satirist *MORICE, JAMES Lawyer, member of Parliament *NASHE, THOMAS Satirist, chronicler, and dramatist *NORTHUMBERLAND, EARL OF (HENRY PERCY) Patron of School of Night *PENRY, JOHN Separatist minister, executed by Whitgift *RALEGH, SIR WALTER Navigator, poet, and patron of the School of Night *SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM (WILL) Actor, shareholder in Earl of Essex the Globe theatre *SIDNEY, MARY (COUNTESS OF PEMBROKE) Poet and patron of the arts *SIMMES, VALENTINE Stationer, printer of Hamlet Q1 *SKERES, NICHOLAS Servant of the Earl of Essex, Deptford participant *STUART, LADY ARBELLA Royal maiden and claimant *THORPE, THOMAS Publisher of Shake-speare’s Sonnets *THROCKMORTON JOB Member of Parliament UDALL, JOHN Puritan, dissident clergyman *WALSINGHAM, THOMAS Intelligencer, Marlowe’s patron *WATSON, THOMAS Musician, poet Arbella Stuart The Catholic Counter-Reformation ALLEN, REV. WILLIAM Founder of the Catholic English seminary in Douai and later at Rheims CATHERINE DE MEDICI Queen Mother of France GUISE, DUKE OF (HENRI LORRAINE) Mastermind of the St. Bartholemew’s Day Massacre MARY, QUEEN “Bloody” queen of England, Elizabeth’s half-sister MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS (MARY STUART) Former queen Philip II of Scotland, executed by Elizabeth PARMA, DUKE OF (ALESSANDRO FARNESSE) Spanish military leader in the Netherlands PARSONS, FATHER ROBERT Catholic seminary head PHILIP II King of Spain and husband of Queen Mary SOUTHWELL, FATHER ROBERT Jesuit poet and martyr STANLEY, SIR WILLIAM English Catholic military leader *STRANGE, LORD (FERDINANDO) Theater patron The Muse *HECATE queen of Night and goddess of magic, Mary Queen of forbidden knowledge, and the Underworld Scots.