Marlowe's "Agonists": An Approach to the Ambiguity of His Plays

by Christopher G. Fanta

Overview

In his closely argued essay Christopher Fanta maintains that the ambiguity in Marlowe's plays may well result from the duality of Marlowe's thought. Fiery protagonists like Tamburlaine, who are bent on overpowering the limitations of society and nature, are set against what Fanta terms the "agonists": a handful of minor, virtuous characters who by their actions and interaction with the hero express Marlowe's "other," muted voice. Fanta analyzes five "agonists": Zenocrate and Olympia in Tamburlaine, Abigail in The Jew of Malta, Prince Edward in Edward II, and the Old Man in Dr. Faustus.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780674550605
Publisher:	Harvard University Press
Publication date:	01/01/1970
Series:	LeBaron Russell Briggs Prize Honors Essays in English , #1970
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	60
Product dimensions:	(w) x (h) x 0.30(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Plays

A Note on a Theory of Tragedy

Bibliography

Notes