In gathering together chapters rich in detail and brimming with critical vigor, this recent Arden Early Modern Drama Guide fulfills the goal, set out by the Series Editors, of offering “a clear picture of the critical and performative contexts” of Marlowe's tragedy. Taken together, these chapters offer a plethora of original arguments that will inspire new critical responses to Edward II in scholarship, performance, and teaching. The high critical calibre of these chapters position Edward II at the centre of what Melnikoff calls 'a larger Marlowe moment' (5). Melnikoff's succinctly and persuasively argued Introduction makes it clear that this moment arises from both the play's 'theatrical vitality' (4) and the work of scholars who address important topics in rigorous and accessible ways … This volume compiles plenty of fresh evidence and many new insights in carefully organized chapters moving from general to specific themes. By this criterion alone, the collection is excellent … By blending original research of new evidence with rigorous and accessibly presented surveys of the main areas of the historiography of Marlowe's tragedy, Melnikoff's superbly edited book offers itself as an indispensable contribution to the collections of new essays that indeed created and extended the Marlowe moment in criticism.

The Marlowe Society of America