Shakespearean England was a treasure trove of historical giants - Elizabeth I, Ben Jonson, the Earl of Essex, Edward Alleyn, John Lyly, William Kempe - all fascinating to be sure. It was hard to choose, but here is a list of those five contemporaries of the Bard whose lives I find most intriguing.
1) Christoper Marlowe
In 1593 the brilliant young playwright Christopher Marlowe was stabbed to death in a Deptford lodging house brawl. His plays have been the subject of a plethora of papers and books, and the events surrounding his suspicious death have chilled and captivated all those interested in Renaissance England. It was only a matter of time before this skilled, openly homosexual dramatist, who studied at Cambridge and traveled abroad, would become the frontrunner in the authorship debate. Theory has it that, because he was about to be tried for heresy, Marlowe staged his death and fled to Italy. From there, Marlowe is supposed to have penned all the works attributed to Shakespeare and had them smuggled back to England.
2) Sir Walter Raleigh
Certainly Sir Walter Raleigh, the explorer, poet, philosopher, soldier, statesman, and political pundit, had the busiest life of any Elizabethan subject. As one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite courtiers, the charming Raleigh enjoyed a life of fame, riches, and swashbuckling. However, Raleigh's arrogance and bravado made him unpopular with many, and he was eventually executed for treason against the new monarch, James I.
3) James I
After the death of Elizabeth I, James the VI of Scotland became the new ruler, known in England as King James I. His fascination with the occult prompted him to write his own treatise on witchcraft, Daemonology, and many believe that James's vehement belief in the divine right of kings influenced Shakespeare's playwriting methodology. James I is probably best known for his translation of the Bible into English which became known as the Authorized King James Version.
4) Dr. Simon Forman
The mysterious Dr. Forman, an English astrologer and doctor whose many scandals riveted Elizabethan England, wrote scores of papers on the subjects of medicine and astrology. He saved countless lives during the plagues of 1592 and 1594, yet was imprisoned by the Royal College of Physicians in London for use of "magical potions" to help patients.
5) Richard Burbage
Richard Burbage, the famed Elizabethan actor, artist, and theatrical entrepreneur, gained unprecedented acclaim by playing many of the major Shakespearean characters, including Othello, Hamlet, Lear, and Richard III. In 1599, Richard, with the help of his brother, built what is now the most recognizable playhouse in the Western world -- the Globe Theatre.
In 1593 the brilliant young playwright Christopher Marlowe was stabbed to death in a Deptford lodging house brawl. His plays have been the subject of a plethora of papers and books, and the events surrounding his suspicious death have chilled and captivated all those interested in Renaissance England. It was only a matter of time before this skilled, openly homosexual dramatist, who studied at Cambridge and traveled abroad, would become the frontrunner in the authorship debate. Theory has it that, because he was about to be tried for heresy, Marlowe staged his death and fled to Italy. From there, Marlowe is supposed to have penned all the works attributed to Shakespeare and had them smuggled back to England.
Certainly Sir Walter Raleigh, the explorer, poet, philosopher, soldier, statesman, and political pundit, had the busiest life of any Elizabethan subject. As one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite courtiers, the charming Raleigh enjoyed a life of fame, riches, and swashbuckling. However, Raleigh's arrogance and bravado made him unpopular with many, and he was eventually executed for treason against the new monarch, James I.
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