ALEXANDER DYCE :
"if every old tragedy of more than usual merit, whose author is either doubtful or unknown, must be fathered' upon Marlowe, the catalogue of his [Marlowes] dramas will presently be swollen to a size, not easily reconcilable with the shortness of his life."
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Alexander Dyce (1798 – 1869) Dramatic editor and literary historian, an early biographer of Christopher Marlowe in 1850 published "The Works of Marlowe with some account of the author, and notes". In his chapter "Some account of Marlowe and his Writings" he concluded with 2 amazing prospects:
1.) It has been objectured that both "Locrine" and "Titus Andronicus" are by him: but, if every old tragedy of more than usual merit, whose author is either doubtful or unknown, must be fathered' upon Marlowe, the catalogue of his dramas will presently be swollen to a size, not easily reconcilable with the shortness of his life.
2,) ...that he displays the vast richness and vigour of his genius. But we can hardly doubt that if death had not so suddenly arrested his career, he would have produced tragedies of more uniform excellence; nor is it too much to suppose that he would also have given still grander manifestations of dramatic power.
Indeed for my own part, I feel a strong persuasion, that, with added years and well-directed efforts, he would have made much nearer approach in tragedy to Shakespeare than has yet been made by any of his countreymen.
1.) It has been objectured that both "Locrine" and "Titus Andronicus" are by him: but, if every old tragedy of more than usual merit, whose author is either doubtful or unknown, must be fathered' upon Marlowe, the catalogue of his dramas will presently be swollen to a size, not easily reconcilable with the shortness of his life.
2,) ...that he displays the vast richness and vigour of his genius. But we can hardly doubt that if death had not so suddenly arrested his career, he would have produced tragedies of more uniform excellence; nor is it too much to suppose that he would also have given still grander manifestations of dramatic power.
Indeed for my own part, I feel a strong persuasion, that, with added years and well-directed efforts, he would have made much nearer approach in tragedy to Shakespeare than has yet been made by any of his countreymen.
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In 1850 Marlowe expert Alexander Dyce seems to have been clearly ahead of his time!
But yet there was yet an insurmountable barrier to recognize "Shake-speare" as a pseudonym / penname of the incomparably productive Marlowe since he was murdered in a dispute over the payment of a bill exactly at the time of his greatest threat to life by the church and state.
