Thomas Thorpe (c. 1569c. 1635) was an
English publisher, most famous for publishing
Shakespeare's sonnets and several works by
Christopher Marlowe and
Ben Jonson. His publication of the sonnets has long been controversial. Nineteenth-century critics thought that he might have published the poems without Shakespeare's consent;
Sidney Lee called him "predatory and irresponsible." Conversely, modern scholars Wells and Taylor assert their verdict that "Thorpe was a reputable publisher, and there is nothing intrinsically irregular about his publication."