h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"No Shakespeare without Marlowe"? Of course not, but consider the quite logical posibility that the elaborate details of Marlowe's last *known* day of 30 May 1593 in Deptford were planned and set into motion so that Marlowe's life would be saved. Either the actor William Shakespeare served as play broker to Marlowe (and other playwrights as well, or the name 'William Shakespeare' was a pseudonym for Christopher Marlowe.

That's certainly one possible version of the events - but of course those 'elaborate' events that lead to his 'death' could also have been staged to ensure Marlowe was killed (thereby ensuring his silence on matters political, theological, sociological etc etc.)not saved...

Personally, I'd rather believe that he lived on 'til a ripe old age masquerading as Will Shakespeare, and churning out plays, but the only thing we can know for certain is that the creative work he produced under his own name and in the official span of his life, was revolutionary and groundbreaking. That's what I meant in saying there couldn't have been a Shakespeare without him!

DD

PS - I guess you're not a Baconite then!