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    APR RAL RAL eM: MAM DERE + Fen ~ SRHE + BRAVIA RAK EMU S HH - HEB (Christopher Marlowe) SABER) As bts Z ATR (SR ACCP EAR © ASTELYS—ABRARIYE AR + ATR /\ SE AG AAS SE SEA» PLAS ANG + Te EL ARISING RAT AIR» BEAR tf F HEB A SEAS (Tamburlaine ) (#9298 > (FES SCRE LUE RATE A HUE AC + TERRIER ey © SE IS HHL fd FT hE UR REN Se > GUST ARLE + FRE ~ ROE ET AURA WaT GEESE ) + OF EBITD ASC FE + ARES SCRE INP URES SRT AAR > UE Ay SPB aS CHER I OIL, BREE SO RS PE ER Jt COUSYEHI) FAW 7-38 GRISEA) + Abe + Bar SHE YR AEE TAIPEI THEATRE JOURNAL 3 (2006):7-38 Collage of Thestre, Tsipet National University of the Arts HAAREDB) : 2005.09.29 + HFM): 2008.11.01 5 REMAP UAL RB 41 Victor, Villain and Vagabond: Marlowe's Tamburlaine Vivian Ching-Mei Chu SZ Christopher Marlowe is presumably the greatest English playwright before Shakespeare Different from the other playwrights, the prodigious Marlowe was endowed with an insight snd Vision superseding his contemporaries. He not only exhibited a passion for polities, but was also keen on social observations in his time. This article is centered on exploring the characte zation of Tamburlai the super-hero created by the idiosyncratic playwright, ancl how this, character serves as a paragon for the Renaissance man, 1 intend to look into the techniques Marlowe employed to overtum the heroic model in classical tragedies and create a new species of superman-like human (Tambuslaine) with the qualities of a victor, villain, and vagabond that echoes the humanistic thinking and exemplifies the extremist rebel of conventions in the Renaissance period, and further reflects the unique values and theatrical culture of the Elizabethan public. Key words: Christopher Marlowe, Elizabethan Drama, Tamburlaine RAR RAR RAR Ms OHI Victor, Villain and Vagabond: Marlowe’, Tamburlaine Vivian Ching-Mei Chu Introduction In the English theatre history, Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) is considered the most outstanding playwright before William Shakespeare (1564-1616) (Kuritz 182). A Cambridge graduate, Marlowe was the top among the University Wits setively involved in the commercial theatre. He and John Lyly, Thomas Kyd. and Robert Greene collaborated to fuse ancient Greek and Roman tragedy and comedy with pastoral and romantic comedies then popular among the British people, and cultivated a golden, new panicle during the Renaissance in England. In the short span of six years before Marlowe was murdered at the age of twenty-nine, he composed four blank verse full-length plays: Tamburlaine the Great, Parts I & II (1587-1588). The Jew of Malta (1592), Doctor Faustus (1592), and Edward 1 (1594), and two inished scripts. All of Marlowe's characters display the spirit of the Renaissance humanism, demon- strating a luxuriant will and ambition to conquer. Their lust for power, wealth, and knowledge is insatiable, Tamburlaine the Great, written in mighty lines, was the blank verse long play that ushered in the heroic plays uendy in the cighteenth-century and also aceredited Marlowe with the mastery of playwriting in the circle (Chang 103). Marlowe's greatest achievernent lies in his replacing traditional verse with blank verse, thus effecting changes in scriptwriting for the fol- owing hundreds of yeurs. Marlowe's blank verse is penned with sueh virtuosity that it becomes paradigmatic for Shakespeare and the other playwrights of his time, Marlowe witnessed the sixteenth-century England in Queen Elizabeth’s reign (Queen Elizabeth I, 1558- 1603), when the ingdom was booming, with vi ies over Spain, Portugal, and Netherlands in conquests of oversea colonies, The military exploit culminated in the defeat ‘over the Spanish Armada that established England as the great marine power at that time. ‘The discovery of numerous new lands yielded limitless business opportunities for England, which 9 10 RB RL #1 also boosted domestic accumulation of riches. ‘The society was expanding on the whole, and the public gradually turned their attention from divine salvation sinee the Medieval period to mun- dane personal successes: individual gratification of desires substituted the immortal glory of Heaven. Marlowe got a firm grip on the time spirit and expressed it through his characters that are no longer like the traditional patriotic, devoted heroes. but ate heroes filled with individual- ism, Of all his plays, Tamburlaine the Great, Part I & Part Il is the play that best carries a moral across the times, “The main plot of Tamburlaine the Great stants from the rising, to the reign, and finally 10 the death of Tamburlaine, the Mongolian congueror. However, what Marlowe actually had plot- ted, was to obliquely refer to the current social situations in England through this legendary character, Marlowe learned from works by ancient Greek and Roman playwrights such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Lucius Annaeus Seneca, but he created a different line of tragic heroes, and rustic heroes. Here, the tragedy does not come from relentless manipulation by fate, but from the qualities of individual personality — a thirst for power and worship for beauty and strength, neither of which can ever be satisfied. The two traits are also typical of the Renaissance time spirit. ‘One may find that when Christopher Marlowe wrote Tamburlaine, he was virtually cele- brating a new and alien person who is @ prior incarnation of Nietzsche. Like Nietzsche, ‘Tamburlaine is an atheist who echoes “the overmen will be the apotheosis of man. Ye shall be 1s gods” . For the first time on the English stage appeared Tamburlaine who, unlike the high- born and virtuous classical and Medieval heroes. is the earliest prototype of the villain hero as @ superman rising from nowhere. Corresponding to the Renaissance’s humanism, Tamburlaine speaks for a new way of thinking about man and life. However, he speaks not for ordinary man; instead, he is a spokesman of an “outstretched” (Huston 3) individual who has an insatiable desire for power and ability and who would not hesitate to overstep others to reach his goals by all means. This hero conforms to no law but his own: he isa lawgiver and he disdains tradition- al moral restraints, Marlowe's Tamburlaine in many aspects manifests an archetype of this unique individual ‘The focus of this article is to investigate the difference between this heroic character and RGR EM RM KA HR MIR ‘other classical heroes, to race the historical background of this new category of hero, and to dis- ‘cuss how Marlowe used the superman Tamburlaine to reflect the ideal type of personality of a Renaissance hero in England. Moreover, the polities in the Elizabethan era was insidiously fick- Ic, with external threats from European marine forces and paganism periting the Anglican throne, as well as vagabonds causing social disturbances. Therefore, | will also explore how the social and political environment at that time produced a vital motive to Marlowe's creation of this lively Tamburlaine the Great |. Omnipotence VS. Imperfection ‘The first direct influence which contributes to the earliest Elizabethan playwrights such as Marlowe is the cult of idol. The Elizabethans worshipped the strong successful individual above all men, This flair was common in the Elizabethan era. The classical hero, however great and virtuous as he might be, suffers from a downfall due to some estor of judgment or weakness of character. Minturno has described the tragic hero as one who (gtd. In Waith 3). This classical idea about the ct are through human ere thrown into extreme unhappines tragic hero focuses on humanity's fatal limitation rather than greatness and virtue ‘The early Blizabethan heroic drama like Tamburlaine, nevertheless. is more concerned with man’s potentia iy than his limitation (Waith 3), Tamburlaine never has doubts about himself, He embodies “undisguised images of Renaissance man's recently sense of unlimited powers, abilities, and force” (Huston 4). Sir William Davenant has cited that “the heroic play in its purest form is « kind of celebration of greatness, where the conflicts of tragedy are replaced by ritual exaltation” (qtd. in Waith 3). Created by Marlowe with the reflection of the hero worship in his time, Tamburlaine indeed arouses in us great admiration rather than pity and fear. It is obvious that the fundamental characteristics of the Elizabethan heroie drama is its emphasis on ‘areatness rather than error which distinguishes it from the classical heroic tragedy. As appreciation for an individual and his potentiality grew, “the medieval worship of the saints was being supplanted by worship of those super-entrepreneurs: the heroic freebooter, con- 4querors and merchants of the [Elizabethan] age” (Gassner 191). ‘Tamburlaine’s original, Timur, was born fo be the heir of a Tartar tribe leader. Marlowe deliberately transforms Tambutlait RRS FA into @ vagabond on the road, making his fortunes by exercising virtues which conventional morality might consider as vices. ‘Tamburlaine rises not from what life offers him but from him self, He is a self-made man who disregards conventional morality and dares to proclaim man's independence of God. In other words, this man is the master of his own fate. AS Tamburlaine speaks to Theridamas: hold the Fates bound fast in iron chains, ‘And with my hand turn Fortunes” wheel about, ‘And sooner shall the sun fall from his sphere Then Tamburlaine be slain or overcome. (Part i, 173-76) Marlowe first reveals Tambutlaine as a unique individual in his portrayal of Tamburlaine’s impossible physical power and majesty. As he writes: Of stature tall, and straightly fashioned, Like his desire, lift upwards and divine, So large of limbs, his joints so strongly knit, Such breadth of shoulders as might mainly bear Old atlas’ burden His looks do menace heavuen and dare the Gods, His fierie eles are fixt vpon the earth, As if he now deuis'd some Stratageme: ‘Or meent to peierce Auemnas darksome vaults, To pull the triple headed dog from hell (Part t,t, 132-13) ‘This rebel in the traditional Christian sense is no braggart but a superman. For ‘Tamburlaine, there is only victory; he is a never-failing conqueror. During his endless conquest of one country after another, Tamburlaine always wins, except his failing to escape from the inevitable death of old age. a He RAR MBM R 13 In Tamburlaine, one finds this Marlovian hero's spirit is itself part of the nature of God. “Tamburlaine reveals the self-proclaimed god as a mortal, a human bei whose strength is his inhumanity and whose weakness is his mortality” (Levin 50). According to Ellis-Fermor, Marlowe's idea of God and all religious creeds and forms, are mingled in the empire of ‘Tamburlaine, love,” “Iupiter.” “the gods.” “heaven,” all refer to the idea of something like “Providence” (140), Ellis-Fermor further indicates that “God” is generally used to express Marlowe's highest conceptions of the supreme power: He that sits on high and never sleeps, Nor in one place is circurnscriptible, But everywhere fils ever continent With strange infusion of His sacred vigor, . (Part tl, ii, 49-52) ‘Tamburlaine’s God, however, is not the orthodox Chistian God but a pagan one~Marlowe portrays Tamburlaine as Achilles or Hercules, Thus Eugene Waith claims “Tamburlaine’s is a cosmic extension of the eruelty Achilles shows to Hector or Hercules to the innocent Lichas” ( “Tamburlaine, the Herculean Hero” 248), Theridamas’ exclamation at Tamburlaine’s first appearance to the Persians, for instance, recalls Hercules: His looks do meanace heauen and dare the Gods, His fierie eles aro fixt vpon the earth, As If he now deuis’d some Stratageme: (Or meant to peierce Auernas darksome vaults, To pull the triple headed dog from hell. (Part |, ii, 149-153) Before the battle against Mycetes, Tamburlaine challenges the gods and threatens to chase the stars from heaven, When defeated, Cosroe cries: What means this diuelish shepheard to aspire With such a Gaintly presumption, RG To cast up hils against the face of heaven: ‘And dare the force of angrie Juipter. (Part |, iv, 130-142) Furthermore, Tamburlaine retorts 10 Cosroe and alludes to himself as Achilles rebelled the elder tyrants (98); The thirst of raigne and sweetnes of a crown, ‘That caused the eldest sonne of heauenly Ops, To thrust his doting father from his chaire, ‘And place himselfe in the Emperiall heauen, Moou'd me to manage armes against thy state. (Part |, v,43-47) It seems that Marlowe deliberately exceeds Tamburlaine's God-like qualities ‘Tamburlaine’s whirl to success does not rely on military force but on his inexplicable charisma and mental ability, as well as magnificent rhetorical power. His enemies such as Mycetes. Cosrve, and Bajazeth all mock at him for his lack of military skills. However, when confronting ‘Theridamas in the opening act, Tambutlaine's quiet yer irresistible persuasion is like a spell that turns Theridamas to desert Mycetes and seek alliance with Tamburlaine. Afterwards. ‘Theridamas acts like one of Tamburlaine's faithful disciples until he dies, Tambuslaine's conquests are always legendary. His conquests appear quite effortless and his opponents are like foils to him. As Bradbrook notes, “the series of opponents are only a 20 of ninepins to be toppled over: there is no interest attached to them, except as necessary ‘material upon which Tamburlaine can demonstrate his power” (139). Indeed, Marlowe con- trasts Tamburlaine with his enemies by undermining those opponents’ strength and exposing their flaws mercilessly to degree of absurdity. For instance, the three monarchs whom ‘Tamburlaine confronts are the foolish Mycetes, his brother Cosroc, and the Turkish emperor Bajazeth, Marlowe makes Mycetes a coward who defends his sovereignty by constant curses upon Tamburlaine. Especially ridiculous is his childish act of hiding his crown in the sand when defeated and chased by Tamburlaine. APR RRR RM: EGR Compared with his brother Mycetes, Cosroe appears a more vensible and competent ruler. Im fact, his only deficiency is his inability to recognize the extraontinary when he sees it in the person of Tamburlaine, Bajazeth, Tamburlaine's third antagonist, is but a proud and cruel tyrant With his first words in the thind act he shows us a new perspective of his pomposity: ings of Barbary, and my portly bassos ‘Tamburlaine, as his creator Marlowe, is endowed with a gift of gorgeous rhetoric. In his usage of words, Tamburlaine is not merely talking, he is doing. Levin suggests that perhaps because of the limitation of the stage, the basic convention of Marlovian drama is to “take the ‘word for the deed.” And “[Tamburlaine's |words are weapons; . . . verbal rather than physical aggression, .. Hence the hero is & consummate shetorician” (43). Mycetes confesses that he is “insufficient to express the same [as Tambutlaine]" ‘To speak poorty in this play, as Mycetes does, “is to signal inadequacy in all activities of life. while the ability to speak magnificent, 10 use “working words,” reflects all kinds of power. . . Words and style directly express the will and the power of the characters” (Huston 8). ll. Dual Character of Hero and Villain: the Semi-god Tamburlaine ‘The Marlovian hero Tamburlaine, however eloquent and powerful is not a “noble” hero in a strictly classical sense. Although Tambuslaine exhibits courtesy, loyalty, and liberality as romantic heroes do, he can be very cruel. In many aspects, Tamburiaine resembles Greek gods, as previously mentioned, striving for power and passion over morality which are the characteris- tics of the “pagan” gods. ‘Tamburlaine’s treatment of Bajazeth is a striking demonstration of his resolute cruelty. In Part I, Scene ii of Act IV, the defated Turkish emperor is brought on in his cage to Tamburlaine to serve as his footstool. Tamburlaine further insults the emperor in his cage by giving him food ‘on the point of his sword in a banquet. AC the highest moment of his eloquence, Tamburlaine seldom employs physical force to turture his victims. Instead, his verbal abuse is sharper than a 16 RRS 4 knife. He teases Bujazet before he goes to fight the soldan: “Pray for us, Bajazet: we are going.” He dominates Bajazet's mind in the way of “a snake with a squirrel: it robs the victim of its sense of proportion by raising in its mind a mirage of inexplicable and unfounded terror” (Ellis. Fermor 139). In the last act of Part I we see Tamburlaine command the death of the virgins of Damascus, who come to beg for mercy for the city. In his great desperation after the dcath of his loving Zenocrate, Tamburlaine orders a massaere and sets fie on the city where Zenocrate This merciless conqueror hero is not Marlowe's original idea; rather it derives from the ‘popular conventions of that time. Hence Ellis-Fermor writes, “Tamburlaine is for the most part endowed with the convention attributes of a conqueror. .. he demonstrates, rather woodenly, the dignity. the pomp, and the good-humoured arrogance of « man conscious of carrying all before him” (144), Marlovian villain heroes such as Tamburlaine and Barabbas are not ut jque on the Elizabethan stage. either. It is a well-known fact that Machiavelli had a great influence upon the Renaissance dramatists. Particularly influential was his villain hero who was so dominant on the Elizabethan stage that he become one of the characteristics of Elizabethan drama Marlowe's Tamburlaine, in many aspects, reminds us of Machiavelli's Prince, In Prince Machiavelli modeled for later dramatists that the complete prince should possess both the courage of the lion and the cunning of the fox (Levin 37). When Tamburlaine is first introduced by other characters, as a thief, he is compared to a fox. Afterwards, when he first wears armor, hie is deseribed as a lion, As Jonathan Crewe points out “the conception of the dramatic protagonist, whether tragic ‘or comic, as a negative exemplum is too powerfully entrenched in the sixteenth century, (G25), Unknown to the classical dramatists, the Elizabethan dramatists were more fascinated by ‘an imperfect yet above all mortal. Furthermore, one may find, as Marlowe's cont porary Rankins observes well, all theatrical phenomena are “monstrous.” meaning evil, alien and pro- foundly threatening to a desired sense of order. In Rankin's mind: Monstrousness comes to be identified not only with moral transgression and AMR SUS AS RA BOI even with demonic possession (anxieties thet fuel much Jacobean antitheatri- calism, to say nothing of Dr. Faustus) but also with insupportable transares- sions of class and cultural boundaries. . . the result of such transgressions is the appeareance. . . of new and alien personae, ones threatening constitutive cultural definitions of the human. (qid. in Crewe 324). Rankin’s nightmare of the monstrous dramatic personae has a strong affinity with the rise of commoners, the import of Machiavelli's idea, individualism, and paganism in sixteenth and seventeenth century England. Marlowe of course did not neglect this situation. In Tamburlaine, the ‘eythian vagabond “invades a ‘familiar’ monarchical order that is either effete [Mycetes] or merely opportunistic [Cosroe]" (Crewe 326). Crewe further states that by superceding the old monarchy, by moving from an outside to an inside position and from an out law to & lawgiver, Tamburlaine “recovers culturally constitutive powers—even a ‘lost’ cultur- al destiny—the existence of which normally goes unrecognized” (326). By overthrowing the old monarchy, Tamburlaine redefines Christian morality as “usurpa- tion and particide get{ting] enunciated as the universal rule” (Crewe 327). ‘This is contrary to the typical political thought in the dynasty of Tudor which emphasizes divine harmony as a rule to ensure monarchie stability. Men and women are expected to obey this nor: rebellion will be condemned as it leads to ruin and disorder (Burnett 308), ‘The emphasis of hierarchy underwent considerable transformation in the late sixteenth cen- tury. Political instabilities and economic inequalities were increasingly apparent in this period According to Burnett, the older feudal order based on land was being challenged by the rising commoners as upstarts who gained titles and influential positions whereas aristocracy was declining. ‘The House of Commons was opposing the royal advocate (Burnett 309), The “Homily on Obedience” was completely out of place in Flizabethan society. Furthermore, as Burnett suggests, the problem of vagrancy deeply troubled the Elizabethan establishment. “The ‘most immediate and pressing concern of the govemment during our whole period, but particu- larly for something more than a century (ea. 1520-1640.) . .. was with the problem of vagrancy In official eyes, vagrants were associated with rebellion and crimes. .. A roving, licentiows ungodly individual who thieved and terrorized—this was the authoritarian view of the a RMF vagabond” (Burnett 318). Physically strong men not having regular jobs were thought to be particularly dangerous. William Harrison has written that the population of vagrants was above 10,000 persons. The vagabonds were frequently criticized for stealing and robbing. They were regarded as lecherous and having dynamic sexual appetites for which they “most shamefullie abused ther bodies and brought forth basterdes” (gtd. in Burnett 312). In Tamburlaine, there are distinctive implications that Marlowe was aware of contempo- rary attitude towards the cuases and d reat of Vagrancy (o the monarchy. Like the vagabonds ‘Tamburlaine is rebellious and travels frcely at will. “He [Tamburlaine] is a ‘masterless man,” broken away from the established order and acknowledging no authority but his own... he resembles the vagabond in rejecting “servitude” and choosing instead ‘to live at liberty’” (310). Tamburaine’s scold of old monarchy and his boast of inviting divine powers to defy gods parallel the vagabond’s opposition to a God-appointed, hierarchical conception (Crewe 314), Tambuclaine’s enemies often snecr at him for his complete lack of military skills and for leading an army that is disorganized. For his enemies, Tamburlaine is a “sturdy Seythian thief”, a “thievish villain”, and “the great Tartarian thief!” He “heads a lawless train” like ss him as a vagabonds wandering on the road, as Corsoe describes him. ‘The Soldan even cum “peasant ignorant.” One needs to note, however, the differences between Tamburlaine and the typical vagayond. For Tamburlaine is not just a lecherous monster: he is loyal to Zenocrate till her death, He is not a beggar nor an idler. In fact he murders Calyphas for his “folly, sloth and damned idleness” (II. Iv. i. 126). And yet the implication of vagrancy remains part of ‘Tamburlaine's nature. Marlowe's portrayal of Tambuclaine as a vagabond is certainly not a coin- ‘idence; it is rather an indirect statement of his political ideal. Moreover, it shows Marlowe's awareness of the contemporary political and social situation and Tamburlaine is his embodiment of the superman-villain hero predominant in his time. For a villain hero like Tambuslaine, traditional morality is non-existent and hierarchy signi- fies corruption. ‘Tamburlaine's concrete transgression of the Christian norms is demonstrated in his denial of any religion. He frequently condemns Christ and Mahomet when encountering his, enemies who represent orthodox political power. In the second part of Tamburlaine, AAPL RAL RM BM OI A ‘Tamburlaine boasts that he will invade heaven after Zenocrate’s death, He challenges Mohmet by burning the Koran. This anti-Christ hero condemns Christianity as equally as Mahometanism, Moho Jet appears at first as the prophet and friend of God but finally ‘Tamburlaine claims him as a delusion In vain, | see, men worship Mahomet. My sword hath sent millions of Turks to helt ‘And yet | live untouched by Mahomet. . Now, Mahomet, if thou have any power, Come down thyseif and work a miracle, For God that sits in heaven, if any god, For He is God alone, and one but He. ‘Tambutlaine also openly satirizes Christianity. His hatred of the characteristic vices of the Christian character is proclaimed through the mouth of Oreanes in lines which echo his own personal feeling: Can there be such deceit in Christians. Or treason in the fleshly heart of man, Whose shape is figure of the highest God? Then if there be a Christ, as Christians say, But in their deeds deny him for their Christ, . (Part Il, i, 36-40) ‘Thus Henry Wells writes: “Tamburlaine is a glaring symbol of the anti-Christ. A new Lucifer. . .he embodies. .. all the ideals decried in Christ n teaching. Proud, ambitious, wrath- ful, irreverent, amorous, luxurious, and treacherous...” (81). lll. Paragon of humanism and Insatiable Desires ‘The succession of Elizabeth to the throne in 1558 brought English a strong political solidity and economie prosperity, which marked its peak with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. 20 RF A England afterwards became a model of independence and vigor. The Medieval God-oriented sense of life gave way to the man-oriented, humanistic outlook which stresses achievements on ‘earth, Mahood argues thatthe whole story of Renaissance humanism is told in four Elizabethan tragedies: the two parts of Tamburlaine the Great, Doctor Faustus, The Jew of Malta and Edward 11 (95), Although Tamburlaine boasts that he will scale the heavens, as Jove did, and become immortal, his essential drive is “to be a king,” and this motive is revealed in ‘Theridamas’s reply to Tamburlaine: ‘Tamburlaine; And ride in triumph through Persepolis! Is it not brave to be a king, Techelles? ‘Techelles: O, my lord, “tis sweet and full of pomp.” ‘Usumeasane: To be a king is half to be a god. ‘Theridamas: A god is not so glorious as a king. | think the pleasure They enjoy in heaven Cannot compare with kingly joys in earth. (Patt Il. 5. 50-64) ‘One needs to note. however, the throne Tamburlaine secks is no less than an earthly crown: What he desires is to overthrow the old gods and their creations, and establishing himself as the creator of a new world shaped according to his will and imagination, He is to storm and heav- fens, as he frequently boasts he will. His ultimate goal is not merely man's thirst for political power but a new idea of reality that he tries to impose on nature— “man assumes that nature feels what he feels. .. man commands nature, and even the god themselves, to share his feelings tan commands nature, and even the gods themselves, to share his Feelings and obey his wishes” (Huston 8). ‘To be a king [for Tamburlaine represents man’s craving to overthrow the (old order and hierarchical ways of thinking. It also means to Tamburlaine the absolute power to have one’s will, In his essay titled “Christianity and The New Age.” Christopher Dawson indi- rectly verifies Huston’s view of Tamburlaine as spokesman of the Renaissance way of thinking: The Westem mind has tumed away from the contemplation of the absolute an eternal to the knowledge of the particular and the contingent. It has made RRR RR RRS Fs ROR man the measure of all things and has sought to emancipate human life from its dependence on the supernatural. (qtd. in Rohrman 2) ‘Although Tamburlaine is Marlowe's poetic ereation much nurtured by the Renaissance and Elizabethan ways of thinking, Tambuslaine foreshadows the overreacher hero that was about to dominate the Elizabethan stage. Johannes Birringer defines the overreacher as someone who is self-assured, so certain of his own power, that he recognizes no reality outside his own mind, and no law outside his own will” (83). Indeed, one may find that the overreucher hero prevails the Elizabethan drama as the Medieval virtuous saint and chivalrous hero were fading away, ‘Tamburlaine, Hieronimo, and Vindici are all perfect examples of these overreacher heroes, Each of them is a self-appointed god who can remake the old, traditional wor'd to suit his desire. For these overreachers follow no traditional law but their own—a self-justified, unchecked by-morality-law, for which they can be very cruel. Each of them is an absolutist in love, in poli- ties, or in revenge. Both Hieronimo in The Spanish Tragedy and Vindici in The Revenger's Tragedy refuse to accept the injustice of the world. They impose their own interpretation of justice on the world by revenge. ‘The purest form of this type of individual iy revealed, however, in Marlowe's ‘Tamburlaine. As Robrman comments that Tamburlaine, created by Marlowe with the eyes of his time, is “a symbol and a symptom of the beginning of man’s quest for power . .. terrible, deadly power over others (5). In Tamburlaine, the hero's singular desire is conquest and kingship. “A god is not so glori ous asa king..." as Theridamas speaks for Tamburlaine. By conquering and bettering all other men, the fundamental idea that Marlowe wants to express in Tamburlaine is that if man will, he can transgress man’s limitations —to reach the sublime, Ellis-Fermor suggests that the first part of Tumburlaine is. * a study of the irresistible power of a mind concentrating upon an end wi h it pursues with unsleeping singleness of purpose” (138). Tamburlaine states this idea when replying to Costoe: Our souls, whose faculties can comprehend The wondrous architecture of the world: 2 2 Ae Fd ‘And measure every wandering planot's course, Stil climbing after knowledge infinite, And always moving as the restless spheres, Wills us to wear ourselves and never rest, Untii we reach the ripest fruit of all, That perfect bliss and sole felicity, ‘The sweet fruition of an earthly crown. (Part I, vi, 16-24) Almost all of Marlowe's plays manifest this yearning that the Renaissance man was dis- playing. In Doctor Faustus, the power is sought through learning and science; in Tamburlaine, however, the principle power is courage and force of arms. To reject man’s limitations, Tamburlai c frequently proclaims that he will seale the heavens, as Jove did, and become immortal: man's will and power of imagination will conquer physical barriers and reach immor- For Tamburlaine, there is only one absolute truth—the human will, ‘Thus he says: Man's desire and valiance that range All circumstance, and come to port unspent. (Part Il, |, 25-26) Although he always wins in the battlefield, Tamburlaine is afterall a god-like mortal being. ‘The death of Zenocrate, coming abruptly after the opening of Part II which shows Tamburlaine At the peak of his power, marks the beginning of the conqueror's disillusionment. At ‘enocrates's death, unable to give or retain life, Tamburlaine can only revenge on Death by mas. sacte and fire. From this point, it is evident that even when Tamburlaine's conquests have enlarged his earthly power, he is losing his greatness of mind. His intellectual power is giving away fo endless killing. On the one hand, he still asserts m: 's self-sufficiency and greatness dependent of God; on the other hand, he denies man’s greatness altogether and begins to blas- pheme gods and humans. Tamburlaine’s own death is the other disillusionment, which shows that “man cannot usurp power over life and death for his own ends” (Mahood 103), Before his RR EM RA RM: ew ete ‘deat, Tamburlaine says, “For Tamburlaine. the Scourge of God must die.” Conclusion Garlands always and only fall on the heroes. The typical taits of a hero include super wisdom, ability, and virtues. An indispensable role in epics and legends, heroes have been applauded by voluminous poetry and songs for their command of extraordinary intelligence, courage and principle, and have been a psychological projection of an ideal image desired by people. From ancient Greek and Roman period to the Middle Ages, the two-thousand-yeartra- dition of noble heroes first met with severe challenges during the Renaissance. The lofty, out- standing, classical hero was turned into an ambivalent amalgam of superman, villain, and under

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