To Freya, where they first caught sight of the
Dread foe who had laid waste these lands. We have
Not name for them, but those who saw their flight
Spoke of steel bodies and a burning eye;
Curved ribs of metal, and a stubby rod
That shot a burning bolt of hot brimstone
Through plated ranks of rosy Taran youth.
One man, Coriolanus, was not moved.
He rode on, bravely, thus. His sword, death’s stamp,
Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot
He was a thing of blood, whose every motion
Was timed with dying cries; the gurgles of
The hidden occupants of these steel shells.
Still on he rode: unto the city that
Our metal foes had planted ’pon the plain.
A gilded plate suspended there on stilts,
Massy; a league from edge to edge, they said.
And from its glassy portals could be seen,
More of our foes, bright lamps upon their skulls,
Gazing dispassionate upon the sight.
Brave captain ours; alone he entered
The mortal gate of the city, which he painted
With shunless destiny; aidless came off,
And with a strange sword roaring in his fist
Ran reeking o’er metallic dead, as if
’Twere a perpetual spoil: and till we call’d
Both field and city ours, he never stood
To ease his breast with panting.
TILL
Worthy man!
KURSTER
He cannot but with measure fit the honours
Which we devise him.
THORVALD
Our spoils he kick’d at,
The ground was thick with riches from the stars
Minerals and devices crystalline,
Lay scattered on the muddy Taran ground.
He look’d upon things precious as they were
The common muck of the world: he covets less
Than misery itself would give; rewards
His deeds with doing them, and is content
To spend the time to end it.
KURSTER
He’s right noble:
Let him be call’d for.
TILL
Call Coriolanus.
KURSTER
He doth appear.
Enter CORIOLANUS, attended by ZADEK and FARRAH, two swordsmen.
ARCHIMANDRITE
The senate, Coriolanus, are well pleased
To crown thee Tara’s king.
CORIOLANUS
I do owe them still
My life and services.
ARCHIMANDRITE
It then remains
That you do speak to the people.
CORIOLANUS
I do beseech you,
Let me o’erleap that custom, for I cannot –
I cannot - not - not -
FARRAH (Aside)
Methinks I heard a spark. The hero has
A wire crossed within its circuitry.
What should we do? Old Zadek, quickly, speak.
ZADEK
Our hero is exhausted by his feats
He is a man of action, not of words.
Forgive his silence; call it eloquence.
KURSTER
Sir, the people
Must have their voices; neither will they bate
One jot of ceremony.
ARCHIMANDRITE
Pray you, go fit you to the custom and
Take to you, as your predecessors have,
Your honour with your form.
CORIOLANUS
It is apart
That I shall blush in acting, and might well
Be taken from the people.
ZADEK
Mark you that? How modestly he speaks.
FARRAH
How fit he is to lead the Taran state!
CORIOLANUS
To brag unto them, thus I did, and thus;
Show them the unaching scars which I should hide,
As if I had received them for the hire
Of their breath only!
FARRAH (Aside)
His voice returns. What strategy, Zadek?
ZADEK (Aside)
The Doctor, ’fore he left in his blue box,
Pressed but a little gift into my hand.
Quoth he: “If George is fagged after the fight –
And who could blame the old boy if he was? –
Then place this extra battery in his pack,
He’ll find the strength, at least, to take applause.”
Then added he: “Zadek, I have to go;
I pulled the Randomiser out of joint
To bring the TARDIS back to Tara’s shores,
And now I sense disturbance in the air –
That old Black Guardian is on my tail.”
And thus he went, with great celerity.
With flashing light, and wheezing, groaning sound.
The birds flew from the trees as he rose up.
FARRAH
Wise Doctor. He hath saved our country twice.
Once from the Count of hateful memory
And now from foes arrived from the stars.
ZADEK
And when Coriolanus’ strength has gone,
There’ll be another battle lost and won.
ALL
To Coriolanus come all joy and honour!
Flourish of cornets. Exeunt all.
* * *
Is this a Dalek I see before me?
* * *
MASTER FAUSTUS
One of the more extraordinary inclusions in the Shakespeare Notebooks is this extract from a play entitled Master Faustus. On the face of it, this seems to be either an early draft or a reworking of the play Doctor Faustus – which was written, of course, by Shakespeare’s contemporary Christopher Marlowe. Or was it? Did Shakespeare include in his Notebooks material actually written by Marlowe, or is this proof that Marlowe himself derived his own work from a previous text by Shakespeare?
Whatever the truth, this extract makes for fascinating reading – not least for the inclusion of Marlowe as a character within the drama. His death has some resonance with the actual event, though with its inclusion of ‘Daleks’ (presumably evil spirits) this is evidently intended as a ‘fantasie’.
SCENE I – A TAVERN IN DEPTFORD
Enter MARLOWE, a playwright. He is accosted by DOBBIN and DULLBERRY, two ruffians.
DOBBIN
Prithee, art thou the famous playwright?
MARLOWE
Ay.
DOBBIN
Fellows, ’tis Master William Shakespeare!
MARLOWE
Shakespeare?
DOBBIN
The greatest writer who ever did draw breath!
DULLBERRY
Romeo and Juliet!
DOBBIN
Ye Comedy of Errors!
MARLOWE
I wrote not them. I am Christopher Marlowe.
DULLBERRY
Morley?
MARLOWE
Marlowe.
DOBBIN
Who?
MARLOWE
Know thee not the Tragedie of Tamburlane?
DULLBERRY
I fear me not.
DOBBIN
Though, I am full sure it is most good.
DULLBERRY
If not as good as those of Master Will. Hast thou met him?
MARLOWE
I know him well.
DOBBIN
Then tell him how good we think him.
MARLOWE
I shall.
DOBBIN
He really is very good.
DULLBERRY
Truly. No hack poetaster he.
MARLOWE
Friends, for so I call ye, I know right well your intention.
You art the Lord Keeper’s men, are ye not?
Come to pay me m
y bloody recknynge.
But the sun is shining, and I shall not fight with you today.
DOBBIN
He turns down our challenge?
DULLBERRY
He doth. The insult shall not stand.
They draw and fight. Enter MAGISTER.
MAGISTER
Put up thy bright swords noble gentlemen,
Else the dew will rust them.
For I am the Master and thou wilt obey me.
DOBBIN AND DULLBERRY freeze.
MARLOWE
I am impressed.
MAGISTER
Christopher Marlowe, come with me.
I have an offer you can not refuse.
SCENE II – MARLOWE’S HOUSE
MARLOWE
What manner of man are you, sir?
MAGISTER
I am a man of stars, who has waited in the skies
Long have I wished to help you, but I feared
I should overwrack your mind.
MARLOWE
A spirit?
MAGISTER
Let’s call it that. And so to work.
MARLOWE
What is your business with me?
MAGISTER
Good Marlowe, but glance close through my tricked glass
I have a thing to show. A vision of a scribe
Mighty, all garlanded with poesy’s bays
And right clapper-claw’d to infinity
Time has no measure, nor does thy fame.
One name shall echo cross the stars. Marlowe.
MARLOWE
Say you so?
MAGISTER
Ay. I am the Master. My word’s my power.
And Kit, I give it thee. Say what you see?
MARLOWE peers through MAGISTER’s magical scrying glass
MARLOWE
I am amazed. I but hoped my words would
Outlive my span a little. But here I see them
Printed, studied, acted, quoted, learned
Quite picked apart and then repatched
Brought to life and done to death unending.
I see my plays acted through the ages.
I see boys squeak my lines in endless generation,
In dumb show processional til the crack of doom.
I see a stage lit by dying stars, and
On it voic’d my words, their final echo
Cloak’d by the closing curtain of creation.
I see only Marlowe, Marlowe, Marlow. My unending
Line. You, Magister, you have shown me
The book of time, and my whole life within.
I should be a dot, a blot, the flea’s flea.
And yet, writ large, just MARLOWE still I see.
Do you lie?
MAGISTER
Lie? I never lie.
I fear my vision has much shook thy brains.
Good Marlowe, lay that damned book aside,
And gaze not on it lest it tempt thy soul.
MARLOWE
Nay, I’ll see more. Christopher Marlowe?
A Canterbury cobbler so oversouled?
With nature’s pride and richest furniture
My works do menace heaven and dare the gods!
And yet, there is a name I thought to see
Writ on eternity’s fair brow. I squint
But see it not. My Will is Shaken by it.
MAGISTER
Oh, Master Shakespeare? Fear him not.
His bright eyes suddenly burn so pale.
For he is but a candle in the wind.
And I shall snuff him out.
MARLOWE
I will no harm to Will. And yet –
MAGISTER
And yet.
MARLOWE
Yet. Spirit, good or bad, why help you me?
MAGISTER
I am one who weaves behind the rich
Tapestry of time. I pick up threads,
Pull colours, endeavour and much mend.
You are one gold yarn I seek to lengthen.
I do prepare a trap beyond a trap
Which one day it would be a joy to spring.
Against that day I need you, Kit.
I can’t get you out of my head
You work is all I think about.
For there is a dark secret in you.
Forsake thy king and do but join with me
And we will triumph over all the world.
I hold the fates fast bound in iron chains
And with my hand turn Fortune’s wheel about
May we become immortal like the gods.
MARLOWE
Had I as many souls as there be stars
I’d give them all my Mephistophilis
By you, I’ll be great conqueror of the world
And make a bridge through the moving air.
SCENE III – MAGISTER’S LIBRARY
MARLOWE enters, much amazed
MAGISTER
I do nothing Marlowe, but to delight thy mind
And let thee see what magic can perform
Hold, take these books, peruse ’em thoroughly
The iterating of these lines brings gold.
Pageant: As Marlowe reads, figures dance about him in merry processional
MAGISTER
What think you, Kit? Have I not shown you
All the greatest stories of the world?
MARLOWE
I have solved the code of great Da Vinci
I have beheld all fifty shades of grey
And met Dame Bridget who counts all her food
And learned the secrets of that galaxy
So long ago and far, far away.
MAGISTER
And were you struck?
MARLOWE
Well,
I liked the strong magicks of young orphan
Harry. That is a story which methinks has legs.
And yet . . .
MAGISTER
And yet?
MARLOWE
Yet.
MAGISTER
Fear not. I have yet wilder skies than these.
I call down heavens, unwrap the stars
He must needs go that the devil drives
There shall be no rest for the wicked
I will be Paris, and for love of thee
Instead of Troy, shall Skaro’s towers be sacked
Come, step into my magic cabinet.
At MAGISTER’S invitation, MARLOWE and he enter a box
SCENE IV – MAGISTER’S VAST CABINET
MARLOWE
What great reckoning in a little room!
Is this the jakes of Ajax? This box is
Bigger on the inside than the outside!
MAGISTER
You have seen nothing yet, my friend.
MAGISTER performs a conjuration.
Infernal trumpets sound.
MARLOWE
What dread noise is that?
MAGISTER
’Tis the music of the spheres.
They are the alarums of our excursion.
See? We ride the back of time.
From Peru to Cebu, hear the power of Babylon,
From Bali to Cali – far beneath the Coral Sea.
We sail away, sail away, sail away.
MARLOWE
I am amazed, gentle Mephistophilis.
Our souls whose faculties can comprehend
The wondrous architecture of the world,
And measure every wandering planet’s course
Still climbing after knowledge infinite
And always moving as the restless spheres
Will us to wear ourselves and never rest.
MAGISTER
We are landing. ’Tis but the gentlest bump. Come let us go.
But Kit, beware. We voyage on a planet of total war.
SCENE V – THE DEAD REALM OF SKARO
Enter a pageant of DALEKS
DALEKS
We sing in praise of total war
&nbs
p; Against the Thals whom we abhor
To free the tomb of Zeg our lord
We’ll put all creation to the sword
There is no greater glory than
To burn with fire the lake of Darren
The DALEKS espy MAGISTER and MARLOWE
DALEKS
Do not move! Do not move! Exterminate!
MARLOWE
What wild mechanicals? What dread armour!
I will not fear bugbears and hobgoblins
And utterly scorn both gods and monsters.
MAGISTER
Your boldness does you merit. Yet should we run.
Here have I left a little work undone.
DALEKS
Halt! Thou are the Master! Exterminated shalt thou be!
MAGISTER
Run.
MARLOWE
Run?
MAGISTER
Run!
They flee back to Magister’s Cabinet
SCENE VI – MAGISTER’S CABINET
Enter MARLOWE and MAGISTER at a fast pace
MARLOWE
If heaven were made for man, ’twas made for me
Have I not made music with my Mephistophilis?
MAGISTER
I think there are many stories here for you.
All the roads that lead you there are winding
And all the lights that see you there are blinding
But after all, thou shalt bow to my wonder will.
MARLOWE
How know you of these worlds and creatures?
MAGISTER
As you have Will, I have my adverse,
A dreadful Doctor, a trickster japery
A gallivanting gallimaufry of Gallifrey.
He stirs these creatures up like wanton boys
Sticking a hornet’s nest, and ’tis my job
To clear up his mess. We are Lords Temporal
Falling in endless fight like Lucifer and Gabriel
Our tales entwined. My destruction eternal.
MARLOWE
O what a cozening Doctor was this to practice on you so!
Where next, gentle Magister?
MAGISTER
We’ll chase the stars from heaven and dim their eyes
That stand and muse at our admired arms.
We’ll crest fair the moons of frozen Telos
And loop the lonely tail of Mondas, quick
We are but twenty-four hours from pulsar.
Pageant of stars unfurled
MAGISTER
We cross the void beyond the mind,
The empty space that circles time
We see where others stumble blind
To seek a truth they never find
Eternal wisdom is my guide
I am the Master.
MARLOWE