Christopher Marlowe and the Armada

As an important intelligence agent, Marlowe was sent to assess the volatile situation in France, and whether the Catholic Holy League was planning to join King Philip's "Great Enterprise" against England. Picked up off the coast of Brittany at the last minute by Captain Fenner's ship, the "Nonpareille", they sailed to join Drake's squadron at Plymouth.

The seal of confirmation is contained in the Armada report written for Lord Admiral Howard for presentation to Sir Francis Walsingham. This manuscript is shown to be in Marlowe's hand. A comprehensive calligraphic comparison, letter by letter, with the extant folio leaf of Marlowe's "The Massacre of Paris" in the Folger Library, establishes that the two hands are identical.

Marlowe's Armada experience is dramatically reflected in his "Armada" play, "Edward the Third", with the young Edward Alleyn playing the Black Prince.

The apocryphal play, attributed by some to Shakespeare, is identified as Marlowe's first English history play which launched the vogue for English historical drama (over 200 plays) dating precisely from 1588.

A.D. Wraight is the author of "Christopher Marlowe and Edward Alleyn", "In Search of Christopher Marlowe" and "The Story That the Sonnets Tell".