Marlowe carefully chose geographic locations in his plays that would be meaningful to early modern English audiences. Places like Tamburlaine's conquered lands moving east to west or Barabas living in Mediterranean trade cities. These locations highlighted protagonists transgressing moral and physical boundaries. Marlowe was interested in new geography becoming more scientifically accurate through tools like Ortelius' atlas, as the concept of "oikumene" or ordered world was shifting. Oikumene represented the distinction between one's homeland and foreign lands, and crossing its borders through travel was seen as transgressive and a loss of identity. In Marlowe's plays, the relationship between protagonists' identities and their movement between geographies is explored.

1. Geography and identity inGeography and identity in
MarloweMarlowe
Haleh Esmailian
English Literature student
Tabtiz university, Iran

2. Foreign settings in early modernForeign settings in early modern
English dramaEnglish drama
• Vague and impreciseVague and imprecise
• Designed to generate a nebulous sense ofDesigned to generate a nebulous sense of
OthernessOtherness
• Evocatively alienEvocatively alien
• Shakespeare’s famously non-existent BohemianShakespeare’s famously non-existent Bohemian
shore in The Winter’s Taleshore in The Winter’s Tale

3. Christopher Marlowe’s playsChristopher Marlowe’s plays
stand asstand as
an obvious exception to thisan obvious exception to this
viewview

4. Locations are carefully chosen inLocations are carefully chosen in
Marlowe’s plays:Marlowe’s plays:
• Tamburlaine’s imperial conquests carry himTamburlaine’s imperial conquests carry him
from East to West, ever closer to an Englishfrom East to West, ever closer to an English
audienceaudience
• Barabas lives at the centre of MediterraneanBarabas lives at the centre of Mediterranean
tradetrade
• Faustus exists on the fault line of Protestant andFaustus exists on the fault line of Protestant and
Catholic conflictsCatholic conflicts

5. His intentions and/or motives forHis intentions and/or motives for
carefully choosing his locations:carefully choosing his locations:
• The late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries areThe late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries are
epochal moment in the histories of geography andepochal moment in the histories of geography and
cartography for which Marlowe’s interests werecartography for which Marlowe’s interests were
sustained.sustained.
-Tamburlaine’s many conquests are based upon Abraham-Tamburlaine’s many conquests are based upon Abraham
Ortelius’s influential atlas,Teatrum Orbis TerrarumOrtelius’s influential atlas,Teatrum Orbis Terrarum
(1570).(1570).
This was a sign of his interest in new geography andThis was a sign of his interest in new geography and
cartography according to the 20cartography according to the 20thth
century critic, Ethelcentury critic, Ethel
Seaton.Seaton.

6. • Reading his protagonists in geographicReading his protagonists in geographic
terms, are identified as transgressors ofterms, are identified as transgressors of
both moral and physical boundaries.both moral and physical boundaries.

7. Moral and physical
Boundaries
Of the
protagonists
“old” and “new”
geographies
World and local
geographies
Affective and rejected
geographies

8. The emergence of “NewThe emergence of “New
Geography” as a brand new andGeography” as a brand new and
serious scientific major caused:serious scientific major caused:
• A shift from imprecise and religious or mythopoeticA shift from imprecise and religious or mythopoetic
geography to an accurate and scientific one.geography to an accurate and scientific one.
• Increasingly precise representations of the worldIncreasingly precise representations of the world
by means of:by means of:
- Ortelius’s atlasOrtelius’s atlas
- mapping technologiesmapping technologies
- ever-widening distribution of printed geographicever-widening distribution of printed geographic
materialsmaterials

9. Marlowe’s plays in geographicalMarlowe’s plays in geographical
sense are considered to besense are considered to be
conspicuous productsconspicuous products
• Tamburlaine, feels like looking at theTamburlaine, feels like looking at the
map of the Mediterraneanmap of the Mediterranean
• The Jew of Malta, reveals geographicThe Jew of Malta, reveals geographic
precision and specificityprecision and specificity
• Dr. Faustus, sets out ‘to proveDr. Faustus, sets out ‘to prove
cosmography’cosmography’

10. John Gillies, who compellingly analysedJohn Gillies, who compellingly analysed
the concept ofthe concept of
“old geography”“old geography”
in Marlowe’s Tragedies, uses a termin Marlowe’s Tragedies, uses a term
calledcalled
‘‘oikumeneoikumene ‘ to clarify the‘ to clarify the
relationship between geography andrelationship between geography and
identity in his plays.identity in his plays.

11. What is ‘oikumene’ ?What is ‘oikumene’ ?
• Giambattista VicoGiambattista Vico’’s conception of an ancients conception of an ancient ‘‘poetic geographypoetic geography’’..
• predicated on the Greek notion.predicated on the Greek notion.
• A word thatA word that suggestively combines the senses ofsuggestively combines the senses of
- ““world” and “house”world” and “house”
- Strong sense of difference between ‘us’ and ‘them’Strong sense of difference between ‘us’ and ‘them’
- Distinction between ‘inhere’ and ‘out there’Distinction between ‘inhere’ and ‘out there’

12. • ‘‘In the beginning the Greek image of the wordIn the beginning the Greek image of the word
uikumene was literally bound by theiruikumene was literally bound by their
geographic “home”.geographic “home”.
• But later with further geographic knowledgeBut later with further geographic knowledge
available, the symbolic architecture of theavailable, the symbolic architecture of the
oikumene was simply exported.oikumene was simply exported.
• This flexibility ensured the word’s potency intoThis flexibility ensured the word’s potency into
the Renaissance.the Renaissance.
• As a result, it symbolizes ‘utter divorce andAs a result, it symbolizes ‘utter divorce and
difference’ between lands inside the settingdifference’ between lands inside the setting
frame and those outside it.frame and those outside it.

13. Oikumene in Renaissance:Oikumene in Renaissance:
• Passage beyond the bounds of the oikumene isPassage beyond the bounds of the oikumene is
symbolically and morally fraught.symbolically and morally fraught.
• lands beyond the oikumene are both sources oflands beyond the oikumene are both sources of
wonder and home to ‘the monstrous’ .wonder and home to ‘the monstrous’ .
• Thus voyaging beyond the bounds of theThus voyaging beyond the bounds of the
oikumene is linked with transgression associatedoikumene is linked with transgression associated
with encounters with the purely Others.with encounters with the purely Others.
• Passage through oikumene means leaving thePassage through oikumene means leaving the
ordered world behind.ordered world behind.

14. And here comes the concept ofAnd here comes the concept of
Identity and it’s relation toIdentity and it’s relation to
geography:geography:
• Since this old or poetic geography, oikumene, isSince this old or poetic geography, oikumene, is
both grounded inboth grounded in
and is the ground forand is the ground for
a conception of identity, the distinction betweena conception of identity, the distinction between
those inside the frame and those beyond it,those inside the frame and those beyond it,
builds the concept of identity in the protagonistsbuilds the concept of identity in the protagonists
who travel in and out of the borders of their ownwho travel in and out of the borders of their own
land and the other’s.land and the other’s.