002 - Dramatis Personae

Christopher Kit Marlowe (baptised 26 February 1564 – 30 May 1593) was a prominent English dramatist, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. Renowned as the leading Elizabethan tragedian before William Shakespeare, Marlowe is celebrated for his stunning blank verse, complex protagonists, and his tragic, untimely demise. The Jew of Malta, written in 1589, weaves a gripping tale of religious conflict, intrigue, and vengeance, all set against the backdrop of the fierce rivalry between Spain and the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean. This play is widely regarded as a significant influence on Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. The narrative begins with a prologue delivered by Machiavel, a ghostly figure inspired by Niccolò Machiavelli, who sets the stage for the tragedy of a Jew. (summary by Wikipedia) Thomas Heywood, a contemporary dramatist, also contributed Prologues and Epilogues tailored for both court performances and the Cock-Pit theatre, proclaiming, …making choice of you unto whom to devote it. (summary by David Lawrence)