Christopher Marlowe Research Paper

Who was Christopher Marlowe? A playwright, a poet and a spy? How could one be a poet and a spy? Marlowe in his time revealed speculations about the time he lived in and the ideals of mankind. Marlowe's works are of great importance in English literature and theatre. From Doctor Faustus to The Massacre at Paris, Marlowe's works helped open up a new literary work where other authors were able to use Faustus as an example and they interpreted the character in their own versions of the story. To understand the mystery and possibly why such a great aspiring playwright might have died so early in life at twenty-nine years old, many have speculated, and have proof, that Christopher Marlowe was a spy for Queen Elizabeth. To understand why he

After Queen Elizabeth acceded to the throne, in 1568 Walshingham began to work with William Cecil, Elizabeth’s principal secretary. They both wanted to get rid of the potential plots by Catholics in France, Spain and England (Budiansky). From 1569 he led a network of spies who combated those Catholics who conspired to depose the Protestant Elizabeth and put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. Elizabeth’s spies worked with codes and invisible ink breaking seals of documents of plots against the Queen, and forging signatures. “Walsingham’s agents were remarkably effective, particularly in the teeming, stinking streets and alleys of London” (Hutchinson). The spies were often paid from Walsingham’s own pocket; he operated from his home in Seething Lane close to the Tower of London, where prisoners were interrogated and tortured before execution. It was a brutal time, and Walshingham was a ruthless zealot. Walshingham was Queen Elizabeth’s head recruiter for her spy ring (Watts).

Under Walsingham’s successful spy ring he recruited a man by the name of Faunt who happened to be a graduate of Cambridge, and who eventually became Walsingham’s 'confidential clerk.' There is probable cause that Faunt had a role in recruiting Christopher Marlowe for Walshingham. He had all the good qualities of a good spy and excellent writing skills that could help to get messages across for Queen Elizabeth