Claim: Christopher Marlowe wrote plays.

Christopher Marlowe , also known as Kit Marlowe -LRB- baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593 -RRB- , was an English playwright , poet and translator of the Elizabethan era . Marlowe was the foremost Elizabethan tragedian of his day . He greatly influenced William Shakespeare , who was born in the same year as Marlowe and who rose to become the pre-eminent Elizabethan playwright after Marlowe 's mysterious early death . Marlowe 's plays are known for the use of blank verse and their overreaching protagonists .   A warrant was issued for Marlowe 's arrest on 18 May 1593 . No reason was given for it , though it was thought to be connected to allegations of blasphemy -- a manuscript believed to have been written by Marlowe was said to contain `` vile heretical conceipts '' . On 20 May , he was brought to the court to attend upon the Privy Council for questioning . There is no record of their having met that day , however , and he was commanded to attend upon them each day thereafter until `` licensed to the contrary '' . Ten days later , he was stabbed to death by Ingram Frizer . Whether the stabbing was connected to his arrest has never been resolved .