literary context

  • RSC 2025 production

  • baines document

    • suggests that Marlow was gay - “boys are fools”

  • Jew of Malta - early 1590s

    • machiavellian character in Marlowe’s play

    • raises the question of whether all religions are presented badly - is Marlowe politically radical

    • the prologue is given by machiaveli - good summary of what he thought

    • guise - scheming catholic member of the court and had just died, lots of plotting and scheming in france (french wars of religion)

      • france start to get protestant pop in 1530s. henry II had jousting accident, he dies, creates power vaccuum

      • catherine medici becomes regent

      • st bartholomew massacre during charles ix reign - catholic mob violence against protestants

      • henry iii takes over (one w minions), assassinated in 1589

    • france is in complete political and religious chaos when writing this

    • machiaveli has been in france, hes been in the papcy, going to appear on stage in the form of the duke now

    • draco - famously harsh leader

    • there is no religion, atheistical

      • edward doesnt invoke god, victories back and forth and claiming god on their side

      • edward attacks the church, duke of conventry baptised in church

      • sodomy

      • republican ideas - believing in meritocracy over divine right

    • might first made kings, not god

    • control power through violence, better fear than love

    • people getting upset about murder is foolery

    • climbing followers, who stab each other in the back for power

  • mirror of magistrates

    • mortimer - 1559

  • alex pearson production

  • book 1 and 2 - satan’s size and power

    • his spear, to equal which the tallest pine hewn on norwegian hills, to be mast of some great admiral, were but a wand

    • nathless he so endured till on the beach

    • comparison to whales

    • he is humanoid - depicted as a classical hero with spear and shield, armour

      • dore’s illustrations of satan 1855

      • john martin causeway from chaos, captured sublime elements

    • tuscan artist - galileo, other contemp ref are conquistadors, america has influence on creation of PL

    • devils compared to bees - classical ref to carthinegeans building like bees for Dido

  • book 9 - shrunken

    • physically smaller, still silver tongued

    • knows that it is dreadful, reducing himself to something more base

  • book 4 - adam and eve first introduced

    • contemplation and valour formed - men are stronger and more thoughtful

      • no hair below the collar - his hair wont be long, puritan aesthetic

    • softness, sweet attractive grace - describing eve

      • long hair acts as a veil, dishevelled, wanton, required gentle sway, her appearance is suggested to be alluring

    • first thing milton says is that they are not equal

    • durer presents adam as ideal man in painting - his body mirrored on apollo belvedere