Several plays have shaped Edward's contemporary image. Christopher Marlowe's play "Edward II" was first performed around 1592 and focuses on Edward's relationship with Piers Gaveston, reflecting 16th century concerns about the relationships between monarchs and their favourites. Marlowe presents Edward's death as a murder, drawing parallels between the killing and martyrdom; although Marlowe does not describe the actual nature of Edward's murder in the script, it has usually been performed following the tradition that Edward was killed with a red-hot poker. The character of Edward in the play, who has been likened to Marlowe's contemporaries James VI of Scotland and Henry III of France, may have influenced William Shakespeare's portrayal of Richard II. In the 17th century, the playwright Ben Jonson picked up the same theme for his unfinished work, "Mortimer His Fall".