top of page

Christopher Marlowe

Christopher Marlowe, a renowned Elizabethan playwright and suspected spy, was killed at just 29 years old in a Deptford tavern under suspicious circumstances. Official records claim a quarrel over a bill led to his death, but centuries of theories suggest assassination, espionage, or even a faked death.

486px-Marlowe-Portrait-1585.jpg

Key details:

​

  • Victims: Christopher Marlowe (29)​

​

  • Perpetrators: Ingram Frizer (officially)​

​

  • Date of Murder: May 30, 1593.

​

  • Location: Eleanor Bull's Tavern, Deptford

​​​​​

Key Facts:

​​​​

  • Christopher Marlowe was a leading figure in Elizabethan drama, known for plays like Dr Faustus and Tamburlaine the Great.

​

  • His life was controversial, marked by accusations of atheism, blasphemy, and rumours of espionage.

​

  • Marlowe was killed by a single dagger wound above the right eye.

​

  • The coroner’s inquest stated that Marlowe died during a quarrel over "The Reckoning" (the bill).

​

  • Ingram Frizer claimed self-defence and was quickly pardoned.

​

  • Theories and speculations included

    • Political assassination - Marlowe’s intelligence work and heretical views made him a threat to powerful figures. Theories suggest Robert Poley, a known spy, orchestrated the murder.​

    • Revenge for heresy - Marlowe’s alleged atheism and blasphemous statements (detailed in the Baines Note) could have incited retaliation.

    • Espionage gone wrong - All three men present at the tavern—Frizer, Poley, and Nicholas Skeres—had ties to Elizabethan intelligence.

    • Cover-up - The swift resolution and lack of further investigation suggest a deliberate suppression of details.

    • Faked death - Some believe Marlowe staged his death to escape charges of heresy and continued writing under the pseudonym William Shakespeare.

​

  • The tavern, owned by Eleanor Bull, was a known meeting place for individuals engaged in covert activities.

​

  • The Baines Note, submitted shortly before Marlowe’s death, accused him of scandalous statements against Christianity and societal norms.

​

  • Marlowe’s death remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of literary history.

​

  • His work profoundly influenced contemporaries, including Shakespeare, and his death has inspired endless theories, from assassination to literary conspiracies.

6748ba0fe6601_2025NOMINEE.png

Subscribe Form

Thanks for submitting!

  • Instagram

©2024 by Sinister South Podcast.

bottom of page