Conflating Babel and Babylon in Tamburlaine 2

Abstract

This essay argues that the second of Marlowe's Tamburlaine plays conflates two biblical narratives—those of the Tower of Babel and the fall of Babylon. While this conflation was widespread in early modern culture, Marlowe's play—unlike many other representations of these narratives—does not suggest reconciliation or salvation as an alternative to the tower or the fall of man. Instead, through its complex response to theological, political, and linguistic issues, Tamburlaine 2 depicts a world in which Babel and Babylon cannot be redeemed.

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