Tamburlaine the Great

When first presented before Elizabethan audiences, "Tamburlaine the Great" met with considerable popular approval but over the centuries since then it has seen few professional performances. This fully annotated version, with parts one and two in a single volume, takes account of the recent work on Marlowe. This text is related to contemporary theatrical conventions and conditins, and offers a critical account of the play closely attuned to a sense of theatre. Aspects fo the play discussed include its response to "Machiavellian" ideas and the degree to which its sensational violence can provoke laughter from the audience. A full survey of recent criticism is included and a brief biography of Marlowe.