Образы Марло и Шекспира в современной киноиндустрии

The paper reviews images related to Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare in current film industry. Whatever interrelations existed between these playwrights  can only be guesswork, based on their literary output; however, they are frequently presented as rivals in the poetic art. No evidence survives of their personal acquaintance, yet there are a few points showing their acquaintance with each other’s work, which we can proceed from. In film, there is an obvious tendency to demonize Marlowe as a risky adventurer and poet who can to a tragic end very early. On the contrary Shakespeare the man from Stratford is usually presented in a more romantic light. This opposition is rooted in the traditional images of each poet in world culture and in national traditions. We propose the thesaurus approach as an effective tool in interpreting such phenomena as Shakespearean sphere, Shakespearean and; Marlovian industries, and some others. Appropriate analysis can yield significant results and bears witness to the efficiency of these notions in modern humanitarian studies.