Great Plays

Tamburlaine

English · Drama, Tragedy

Tamburlaine is the work identified in this recording’s title, presented under the radio series name Great Plays. Christopher Marlowe’s tragedy follows Tamburlaine, a shepherd who rises to power through military conquest and seeks to extend his dominion across the known world.

The play’s dramatic scenes trace the costs of ambition and the exercise of power, moving between battlefield triumphs, political confrontations, and moments of personal loss. Its heightened language and large-scale conflicts give the story the sweep of a historical tragedy while keeping its focus on the character of a ruler who refuses to accept limits.

As a radio presentation, the work invites listeners to follow Marlowe’s verse and the unfolding drama through performance and sound. The result is a forceful encounter with a classic stage tragedy, centered on the tension between extraordinary aspiration and the human consequences of conquest.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.