John Marston was an English poet, playwright, and satirist during the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods. He was a contemporary of Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare, known for his sharp, satirical style and often controversial works. His most famous plays include 'The Malcontent' and 'The Dutch Courtesan,' which often explored themes of moral corruption and societal hypocrisy. After a relatively short but impactful literary career, he mysteriously abandoned the theatre and became a clergyman.