Disintegrating Marlowe

Abstract:Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593) is often assumed to have an oeuvre that is authori-ally and textually well defined and neatly delimited, an oeuvre, that is, in keeping with his distinctive, well-defined biographical persona. This essay argues that this sense of a well-defined oeuvre is a convenient myth and that, if we are interested in a more accurate assessment of the extent and preservation of his writings, we first need to dis-integrate Marlowe. Where we may wish to find either plain Marlowe or not Marlowe, we may instead have collaborative Marlowe, revised Marlowe, doubtful Marlowe, and mutilated Marlowe. The early editions of Doctor Faustus end with the words, “terminat auctor opus,” and each of these words turns out to be characteristic of the myth this essay investigates and may have played a role in constructing it. Marlowe did not single-handedly complete all his writings, several of them are not sole-authored, and his collaborative and partly fragmented writings may not amount to what we usually consider an opus. Instead, they turn out to be fully embedded in the exigencies of the messy, collaborative world of the early modern theater and book trade.