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‘Dark Renaissance’ historian on how Christopher Marlowe paved the way for Shakespeare

‘Dark Renaissance’ historian on how Christopher Marlowe paved the way for Shakespeare

NPR's Book of the Day · NPR

September 24, 20258m 50s

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Show Notes

The Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe is known as Shakespeare’s greatest rival. But in his new book Dark Renaissance, historian Stephen Greenblatt makes the case that Marlowe paved the way for Shakespeare. In today’s episode, Greenblatt joins NPR’s Ari Shapiro for a conversation about what made Marlowe a “lost soul,” how the playwright navigated a world of intense censorship, and evidence that points to his role as a spy.


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