Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe (baptised 26 February 1564 – 30 May 1593), was an English playwright, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe stands among the most renowned Elizabethan playwrights. His significant influence on the literary landscape is evident through the "many imitations" of his play Tamburlaine. Scholars believe that he was the foremost dramatist in London before his mysterious early death. Furthermore, some attribute a considerable influence on William Shakespeare, who was baptised in the same year and later became the preeminent Elizabethan playwright. Marlowe's pioneering use of blank verse set a new standard for the era. His plays are marked by their ambitious protagonists and humanistic themes, intertwined with realistic emotions. Despite the complexity of reconciling these themes with Marlowe's portrayal of extreme physical violence and cruelty in his works, they reflect the Elizabethan audience's appetite for such displays.

Marlowe's life was as dramatic as his plays. The circumstances surrounding his death in 1593 are still the subject of speculation and scholarly debate, due in part to the sensational and varying reports that emerged afterwards. Theories regarding the cause of his death include a bar-room brawl, blasphemous libel, homosexual intrigue, betrayal by a fellow playwright, and espionage on behalf of Elizabeth I's Privy Council. The discovery of an official coroner's account in 1925 has yet to resolve these uncertainties or offer a conclusive narrative of Marlowe's life and death.