The Marlowe-Shakespeare Continuum

In The Marlowe-Shakespeare Continuum, Donna N. Murphy demonstrates how Christopher Marlowe, sometimes in co-authorship with humorist Thomas Nashe, appears to have “become” Shakespeare on a linguistic basis. She documents a sharp, upward learning curve, with the initial penning of works she examines in the following chronological order: Caesar’s Revenge, II Henry VI, The Taming of a Shrew, III Henry VI, Edward III, Titus Andronicus, Thomas of Woodstock, Romeo and Juliet, and I Henry IV, and separates certain plays into Marlowe and Nashe components. Those who read Murphy’s book with an open mind are likely to find her work surprisingly convincing.