Sara wrote:
> The more I read these messages, the more I am convinced that
> some among
> us view Marlowe as a James Bond kind of figure, or maybe an early-modern
> version of "The Third Man".
Let me say, I'm not yet entirely convinced of all Peter Zenner's arguments.
But I can tell you this, the more you view Marlowe in terms of "The Third
Man", and even James Bond - and not just Marlowe - the closer you may
approach reality.
Try to imagine how, at the end of the sixteenth-century, you might travel
from London to Cambridge. Even supposing you had nothing to hide - not like
Spenser, who had upset a few of his elders and betters, and certainly not
like Marlowe, who had seriously upset some very important people.
How would you travel? Where's the road? Is it safe to use the road?
(Absolutely not!) How long will the journey take? What papers do you need?
What happens if you don't have them? Can you prove you are not a vagrant?
How do you book into an inn? How do you get out of an inn with your life
and possessions intact? Do you have a sword? Do you know how to use it?
And after all that - you're supposed to write poetry!
Andy
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|