This collection of essays challenges preconceptions about Marlowe by tackling major aspects of his dramaturgy, his use of magic, the homoeroticism of the plays, his female characters, twentieth-century performances of his plays, and the radical nature of his narrative poem Hero and Leander. Taking nothing on trust, the authors review what is known about Marlowe's life and plays, conditions in Elizabethan theater, and his reputation among his contemporaries and among late-twentieth-century critics. Together they contribute to the critical effort to construct a fuller understanding of the poet and playwright.