Body, costume, and desire in Christopher Marlowe

Area of Science:

• Literary analysis exploring themes in Elizabethan drama.
• Cultural studies examining gender and power dynamics.
• Historical studies of adolescent male representation.

Background:

• Elizabethan literature often features complex relationships between older men and adolescent boys.
• The concept of 'favors' as tokens of affection and status is prevalent in Marlowe's works.
• Adolescence was a critical period for social and economic negotiation in the 16th century.

Observation:

• Young men in Marlowe's plays utilize their youthful allure ('glamor') to gain social and economic advantages.
• Older, powerful men are depicted as captivated by adolescent beauty, sometimes to the detriment of their duties.
• The exchange of 'favors' signifies a transactional relationship, highlighting youth as a commodity.

Findings:

• Marlowe's plays illustrate how adolescent masculinity is performed and commodified through aesthetic presentation.
• The plays reveal a tension between patriarchal power and the destabilizing influence of same-sex desire.
• Youthful male beauty functions as a form of capital, enabling social mobility and negotiation.

Implications:

• Understanding these dynamics offers insight into Elizabethan societal norms regarding age, gender, and sexuality.
• The portrayal of compromised patriarchal power suggests anxieties about social order and male authority.
• Marlowe's work provides a lens into the construction and performance of masculinity in early modern England.