Information about Lightborn
Lightborn is a creation of Marlowe, not a traceable historical character, however here is some interesting information and theory in regards to the character.
Some quotes about Lightborn:
From Flaunting: Style and the Subversive Male Body in Renaissance England by Amanda Bailey. Relevant section here.
The murder also harkens back to Dante's Inferno, in which sodomizers reside in the seventh circle of hell where they have fire rained upon them.
- Lightborn is the English translation of Lucifer
- He is fitting for Edward's murder due, in large part, to the aesthetic value he places on his murder style
- he is very theatrical in the way he kills Edward
- he brags about the murders he has committed in the past, and his descriptions can be read with the idea of a penetration of orifices in mind
- he describes the past murders in a very sensual way
Some quotes about Lightborn:
- "Edward's execution is fashioned in accordance with Gaveston's 'lascivious shows.'"
- He "understands homicide as an art."
- "He prides himself on elegance."
From Flaunting: Style and the Subversive Male Body in Renaissance England by Amanda Bailey. Relevant section here.
The murder also harkens back to Dante's Inferno, in which sodomizers reside in the seventh circle of hell where they have fire rained upon them.