Christopher Marlowe
English · 16th century
English playwright and poet of the Elizabethan era, author of The Passionate Shepherd to His Love and major plays including Doctor Faustus.
Connection to Taylor Swift
Uncle Jerry draws a thematic parallel between Marlowe's Passionate Shepherd to His Love and Taylor's invitation to escape to the lakes, both are appeals to a beloved to leave the world behind and live in nature.
Notable Works
- The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, Doctor Faustus, Tamburlaine the Great
Appears in the Archive
Context within the Archive
Faust
“Flesh and blood amongst war machines You're the new god we're worshipping Promise to be dazzling”
Angela & Uncle Jerry identify the chorus's bargain — take the glory, give everything — as Faustian. Uncle Jerry explicitly says 'this is Faustian' and compares it to Dr. Faustus selling his soul to the devil for knowledge and power. The song's fame bargain (promise to be dazzling in exchange for giving everything) mirrors the Faustian pact where the cost of the gift is the soul itself.
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
“Take me to the Lakes, where all the poets went to die”
Angela & Uncle Jerry draw a direct thematic parallel between the lakes and Marlowe's Passionate Shepherd to His Love, both are invitations to escape into nature with a beloved. Uncle Jerry quotes the poem and says it resonates with Taylor's 'Take me to the Lakes' and the impulse to just go and experience nature together.