Hero and Leander is conventionally regarded as a fragmented poem. Many critics hold the view that Marlowe never actually finished his poem, but left it incomplete at his death. This view is supported by the existence of two contemporary continuations of Marlowe's work. It seems self-evident that any poem that can be completed must in itself be incomplete. However other critics, such as Marion Campbell have challenged this inference: "We should treat with caution the …showed first 75 words of 1707 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1707 total…with which he treats Musaeus' original tale, suggests he never intended to follow this story to its tragic denouement. The deaths of the two lovers would have been an ill-conceived conclusion in light of the more comic tone. However, it can be argued that Marlowe has brought this traditionally tragic tale to an appropriately tragic end, one that unifies the poem as a complete work, reflecting the central theme of the ambivalent nature of love.