Shakespeare’s Contemporaries: Kyd, Marlowe, Jonson, and Webster
The Spanish Tragedy, Doctor Faustus, Volpone, and The Duchess of Malfi
Time: Summer 2025. Tues. 11:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. (May 27 – July 15).
Location: Maryland Pkwy campus, 4350 S. Maryland Pkwy. MAB2. Room to be determined.
Instructor: Alfred J. Drake, Ph.D.
Email: ajdrake@ajdrake.com | Web: https://www.ajdrake.com/shakespeare
Recommended Texts (*These editions can often be bought used at lower cost.)
Kyd, Thomas. The Spanish Tragedy. New Mermaids / Methuen, 2019. ISBN-13: 978-1408114216.
Marlowe, Christopher. Doctor Faustus. New Mermaids / Methuen, 2018. ISBN-13: 978-1474295178.
Jonson, Ben. Volpone. New Mermaids / Methuen, 2018. ISBN-13: 978-1350007796.
Webster, John. The Duchess of Malfi. New Mermaids / Methuen, 2020. ISBN-13: 978-1474295673.
We will examine two Elizabethan and two Jacobean plays, excellent works by Shakespeare’s earlier and later contemporaries. Thomas Kyd’s revenge play The Spanish Tragedy (1582-92) and Christopher Marlowe’s tragedy Doctor Faustus (1592-93) influenced Shakespeare as a young playwright, while Ben Jonson’s witty comedy Volpone (1606) and John Webster’s revenge play The Duchess of Malfi (1612-13) give us a sense of what was available to the London public in the time of Shakespeare’s maturity. The London stage during the Elizabethan-Jacobean period was vibrant and wide-ranging, and Shakespeare, while preeminent, was one author among many busy, talented dramatic artists.
Materials Specific to This Class – Added as Time Permits
Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy – Questions | Commentary
Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus – Questions | Commentary
Jonson’s Volpone – Questions | Commentary
Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi – Questions | Commentary
Schedule (Subject to change)
Week 1 May 27 Course Intro; Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy, Acts 1-2.
Week 2 June 03 Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy, Acts 3-5.
Week 3 June 10 Marlowe’sDoctor Faustus, Acts 1-2.
Week 4 June 17 Marlowe’sDoctor Faustus, Acts 3-5.
Week 5 June 24 Jonson’sVolpone, Acts 1-2.
Week 6 July 01 Jonson’sVolpone, Acts 3-5.
Week 7 July 08 Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi, Acts 1-2.
Week 8 July 15 Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi, Acts 3-5.