Marlowe's "Agonists"

Download or read book Marlowe's "Agonists" written by Christopher G. Fanta and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1970 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.