Christopher Marlowe was an English playwright, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. Born on February 26, 1564, in Canterbury, he was a contemporary of William Shakespeare. Marlowe is often heralded as one of the most important figures in the development of English drama. He is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his own mysterious and untimely death, which occurred in 1593, when he was just 29 years old. Marlowe's body of work includes plays such as "Doctor Faustus," a tragedy about a man who sells his soul to the devil, "The Jew of Malta," which explores themes of religious conflict and revenge, "Edward II," a historical play about the English king and his fall from power, and "Tamburlaine the Great," a two-part play about the rise of the historical figure Timur (Tamerlane). Marlowe's poetic works include "Hero and Leander" and "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love." Marlowe's life was fraught with intrigue and controversy, and his death has long been the subject of speculation, with theories ranging from an assassination prompted by his alleged work as a spy to a bar brawl gone wrong. Despite his brief career, Marlowe's influence on Elizabethan drama and his role in shaping the form of English tragedy are well recognized.