The Passionate Shepherd to His Love Resources

Websites

Fact Check

Marlowe's life and death are surrounded by mystery and controversy. It's easy to buy into the literary rumor mill, but Encyclopedia Britannica will set you straight on the facts.

Luminarium

Always a safe bet for scoop on Renaissance writers, Luminarium just so happens to have the goods on our man Marlowe.

Break a Leg

Check out some of these Elizabethan theater companies to see if any Marlowe plays, like Doctor Faustus, are coming to a stage near you.

Crackpot Theories

For more about how Marlowe didn't actually die in 1593 but went on to write under the pseudonym William Shakespeare, check out the website of the International Marlowe-Shakespeare Society.

Video

Leap and Frolic, Leap and Frolic

We imagine all sheep in the passionate shepherd's world acted something like this.

Sing It, Ladies

The biggest choir ever sings the poem in all its glorious harmonies. You'll get chills. Shmoop did.

Audio

A Voice from the Past

Okay maybe it's from 1984 and not 1590, but this audio version of the poem is still worth a listen. And at least he's got the right accent.

Images

Mr. Marlow

Is this the face that launched a thousand ships? No, but this is a portrait of Christopher Marlowe in case you want to take a look at the man behind the magic.

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The Easily-Amused Shepherd to his Flavor of the Week

This painting by William Holman Hunt post-dates Marlowe by a couple centuries, but we think the shepherd blowing off his flock to flirt with a country lass is basically what Marlowe had in mind when he was writing.

Articles and Interviews

Much Ado about Something

For all you conspiracy theorists out there, here's an interview with Michael Rubbo, a leading proponent of the Marlowe-as-Shakespeare theory and the brains behind the 2001 documentary exploring the same question.

Books

Movin' to the Country…

… Gonna eat a lot of peaches. If you dig the pastoral vibes in "The Passionate Shepherd to his Love", this book by Paul Alpers goes into more details about the genre than you could ever possibly dream of.

CSI: Elizabethan England

Everybody loves a mystery, especially one that ends in murder. Check out this book for more on Marlowe's untimely demise.

The Devil's in the Details

David Riggs is one of the big names in the world of people who study Christopher Marlowe's life. Check out his book, The World of Christopher Marlowe, if you want to learn more about the author's life and career.

Movies and TV

Obligatory Nod to Dr. Faustus

For a well received but admittedly very free adaptation of Marlowe's famous play Doctor Faustus, check out this film directed by Jan Svankmajer. And then check out Shmoop's learning guide on the play.