Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Jew of Malta, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
God and Machiavellianism
Religious Hypocrisy
Anti-Semitism
Money and Greed
Betrayal and Revenge
Summary
Analysis
Barabas enters the market, where many slaves are on display with their prices written on their backs. Everyone thinks that Barabas is penniless since Ferneze seized his estate, but the small fortune hidden in the floorboards saved Barabas, and he has come to the market to buy a slave. Barabas again complains about the “swine-eating Christians” who wanted Abigail to become a nun and scoffs. Abigail is at home in Barabas’s fancy new mansion (which is just as luxurious as Ferneze’s house), and she is still Jewish.
Barabas’s remark about the “swine-eating Christians” implies that he despises the Christians as much as they hate him, and it further underscores their religious strife. The price of the slaves clearly marked on their backs is a strong visual that speaks to the value of money in relation to human life. Not every slave is worth the same amount, which creates a hierarchy even within the slaves themselves and contributes to the obvious social inequality in Maltese society.
Themes
Barabas swears revenge against Ferneze and his son, Don Lodowick. Barabas is not capable of forgetting the slight of Ferneze’s theft. He says that “Jews can fawn like spaniels” when they want to—he learned long ago to let it go when people called him a “dog”—but he will have his revenge. As Barabas rants, he sees Lodowick enter the market. Lodowick heard that Barabas was there, and he is hoping to catch a glimpse of Abigail and see if she is as beautiful as Mathias claims. As Lodowick approaches, Barabas quietly says that he will now prove himself “to have more of the serpent than the / dove; that is, more knave than fool.”
Barabas swears revenge on Lodowick simply because he is Ferneze’s son, which underscores Barabas’s desire for revenge and the corruption and immorality that underpin his character. Lodowick has nothing to do with Ferneze’s theft of the Jews’ money, yet Barabas considers Lodowick guilty by association. Barabas’s comment that Jews can “fawn like spaniels” reflects anti-Semitic opinions that the Jews are no better than dogs and suggests that Barabas has internalized this hateful bias, as he easily slips into a submissive role when he suits him. Barabas’s claim that he will prove himself to be “more knave than fool” implies he has a plan and is actively scheming to get his revenge.
Themes
Literary Devices
Lodowick asks Barabas where he is going, and Barabas answers that he is going nowhere now. Barabas claims it is “a custom held with us” to stop and “turn into the air to purge ourselves” when a “Gentile” speaks. Lodowick ignores Barabas’s comment and asks if Barabas can help him find a diamond. Barabas claims that Ferneze has all his diamonds; the only diamond Barabas has left is his daughter, Abigail. (In an aside, Barabas says that he would rather see Abigail dead than with Lodowick.) Lodowick asks if Barabas’s “diamond” sparkles “without a foil,” and Barabas assures him that the diamond has never been “foiled.” Lodowick then asks if the diamond is “square or pointed,” and Barabas says it is “pointed,” but in another aside Barabas adds, “but not for you.”
A Gentile is someone who is not Jewish, and Barabas’s claim that it is a Jewish custom to purge one’s self after speaking with a Gentile further underscores the hate Barabas feels for Christians. Barabas implies that speaking to a Christian somehow taints him as a Jew, and he must “purge” the negative presence immediately. Lodowick and Barabas’s mention of a “diamond” is clearly about Abigail, and this association again conflates Barabas’s daughter with his wealth. Lodowick asks if Abigail’s beauty needs a “foil” (something of lesser beauty to enhance her own), and Barabas claims that she has never been “foiled,” which is to say that she is still a virgin and is therefore chaste and pure—and therefore worth more. Lodowick asks if the “diamond” (Abigail) is “pointed,” which is his way of asking if Abigail is promised to anyone. Barabas implies that she is indeed promised to Lodowick, but his quick aside obviously suggests otherwise.
Themes
Literary Devices
Barabas points to a Turkish slave and notes the price of 200 crowns. Barabas wonders if Turks are worth that much, and Lodowick notes a Moor worth 200 silver coins. Barabas asks why the Turk is worth more than the Moor and is told that the Turk is younger and in better shape. Barabas asks if the Turkish slave is in possession of the Philosopher’s Stone, and the young Turk assures him that he is not. Barabas decides that he will have a slave who is skinny and “sickly,” so it will cost less to feed and keep him.
Clearly, Barabas does not think the slaves are worth their price. He asks if the Turk worth 200 crowns is in possession of the Philosopher’s Stone (an alchemical substance that can turn base metals to gold) because that is the only way Barabas believes the Turk is worth so much money. His decision to buy a “sickly” slave who costs less to feed again speaks to Barabas’s greed and implies he values his wealth over human life.
Themes
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Barabas is shown a skinny slave named Ithamore, who comes from Arabia. Barabas pays 100 crowns and marks Itahamore’s price on his back. Then, Barabas turns to Lodowick and tells him to come and visit soon. They will talk about the “diamond,” Barabas says. As Lodowick exits, Mathias enters the market with his mother, Katherine. Mathias wonders what business Lodowick has with Barabas and worries that it might be about Abigail. Barabas watches Mathias enter. He knows that Mathias and Abigail love one another, but Barabas must “frustrate both their hopes” to get his revenge on Ferneze.
Barabas marks Ithamore’s price on his back so there is no confusion as to the slave’s personal worth. Moreover, Barabas clearly values his revenge more than Abigail. He knows that Abigail loves Mathias, but Barabas is willing to “frustrate” and sacrifice this love to exact his revenge. This implies that Barabas’s money is more important to him than Abigail is, and it further showcases his greed and despicable Machiavellian nature.
Themes
Katherine and Mathias inspect the slaves for sale, and Mathias pretends not to know Barabas. Then, Mathias quietly asks Barabas why he was talking to Lodowick, but Barabas tells him not to worry. They were talking about “diamonds,” Barabas says, “not of Abigail.” Katherine notices the hushed conversation and asks Mathias if he is talking to a “Jew.” Mathias admits he is, but he tells his mother they are talking about a book Mathias wants to borrow. Katherine forbids Mathias to talk to Barabas. “He is cast off from heaven,” she says. Katherine and Mathias pay for their slave and exit.
Obviously, Barabas is lying and wants Mathias to think that he still has a chance with Abigail, even though Barabas has already promised her to Lodowick. This is yet another example of betrayal within the play, as Barabas makes a deal with both Mathias and Lodowick only to go back on his word. Katherine’s obvious distaste for the Jewish community (she, too, believes Jews are responsible for Christ’s crucifixion and are “cast off from heaven”) again reflects Malta’s anti-Semitic society. Marlowe’s targeted audience likely would have sympathized with Katherine, which also underscores the bias of broader English society in the 1500s.
Themes
Barabas asks Ithamore about his birth and profession. Ithamore says he is of low birth, and he claims that his profession is whatever Barabas wants. In that case, Barabas says, he will teach Ithamore his “trade.” First, Ithamore must be devoid of “compassion, love, vain hope, and heartless fear,” and he must “smile when the Christians moan.” Ithamore is excited by Barabas’s words. “Oh brave, master, I worship your nose for this,” Ithamore says. Barabas next tells Ithamore a bit about himself. Barabas likes to take late-night walks, murder sick people, and poison wells. When Barabas was young, he studied medicine and killed many people with his potions. Since then, he has been “extorting, cozening, [and] forfeiting” countless people into bankruptcy and debtors’ prison. Local hospitals are littered with the orphans of Barabas’s victims, and some have even committed suicide in their grief, but Barabas just smiles at their pain.
Barabas’s “trade” is clearly Machiavellian deviousness, which is why Ithamore must lack all compassion and empathy to take part in it. Barabas is not only a greedy and deceitful cheat, he is also murderous. He kills indiscriminately, but he especially hates Christians and revels in their pain. As a Turk, Ithamore is likely Muslim, and he clearly hates the Christians as well. He tells Barabas he worships his “nose” for his execution of Christians, which is a reference to Barabas’s enormous nose and the offensive stereotype that all Jews have large, hook noses.
Themes
Ithamore next tells Barabas about himself. He enjoys burning down Christian villages, cutting the throats of Christian travelers, and crippling Christians on pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Barabas can’t believe his luck. “We are villains both,” he says. “Both circumcisèd, we hate Christians both.” Don Lodowick again enters the market, asking Barabas where the “diamond” is that he promised. Barabas guides Lodowick to his mansion and yells for Abigail to open the door. Abigail appears, and Barabas tells her “entertain” Lodowick. In an aside, Barabas quietly tells her to treat Lodowick like a “Philistine”—promise to love him but remember that he does not come from “the seed of Abraham.”
Clearly, Ithamore hates the Christians as a Muslim just as much as Barabas hates them as a Jew (and he is just as wicked as Barabas), which further underscores religious strife in the play, and Barabas’s language reflects this hatred. Circumcision (the removal of the foreskin of the penis soon after birth) is a religious practice often observed in Judaism and Islam but often not performed in Christianity. Again, Lodowick’s reference to the “diamond” is code for Abigail, and Barabas wants Abigail to “entertain” Lodowick (pretend to love him as part of Barabas’s revenge scheme) even though Lodowick is a “Philistine” and doesn’t come from “the seed of Abraham” (i.e. he isn’t Jewish).
Themes
Abigail is reluctant and reminds Barabas that she loves Mathias. Of course, Barabas says, promising Abigail that she will have Mathias. But for now, Barabas needs her to distract Lodowick for a bit. She agrees and exits with Lodowick. Alone, Barabas celebrates his scheming. Lodowick will soon kiss Abigail and fall in love with her, and then Lodowick and Mathias will kill each other, and Barabas’s revenge on Ferneze will be complete. Suddenly, Mathias enters, and Barabas asks him to stop and visit.
This passage again underscores Barabas’s desire for revenge and the lengths he will go to have it. Barabas knows that Abigail loves Mathias, yet Barabas hopes his plan will end in Lodowick and Mathias’s deaths, which will surely break Abigail’s heart and rob her of her happiness. Barabas doesn’t think twice about sacrificing Abigail’s happiness in the name of his revenge, which again highlights his Machiavellian deviousness and suggests that Barabas’s love for his gold is greater than his love for Abigail.
Themes
Mathias immediately asks where Abigail is, and Barabas answers by telling Mathias how he intends for Abigail to marry him. Yes, Mathias says, “or else thou wrong’st me much.” Barabas begins to cry and tells Mathias that Lodowick has been pursing Abigail behind Mathias’s back, sending her letters and gifts. Abigail sends them back and locks the door, but Lodowick persists. Now, Barabas is sure Abigail is somewhere with Lodowick. Mathias draws his sword and swears he will kill Lodowick. Barabas stops him. Please, Barabas begs. “If you love me, no quarrels in my house.” Then, Lodowick and Abigail appear holding hands. Mathias promises (with much difficulty) not to kill Lodowick—not now, at least—and exits.
Mathias’s claim that Barabas will “wrong’st [him] much” if Barabas doesn’t allow Abigail to marry him implies that Barabas has already promised him Abigail’s hand, and Barabas obviously doesn’t have a problem going back on that promise and betraying Mathias and Abigail. Here, Barabas puts on quite the act to convince Mathias that Lodowick and Abigail are in a relationship behind his back, and Mathias easily takes the bait. Barabas’s plea that Mathias will not fight in his house if Mathias “loves [him]” is certainly ironic. Clearly, Barabas loves only himself and his gold, and he will sacrifice anyone for his wealth and revenge.
Themes
Lodowick and Abigail approach, and Lodowick asks if that was Mathias he saw leaving. Barabas confirms it was and informs Lodowick that Mathias has sworn an oath to kill him. Lodowick can’t imagine why his friend would want to kill him, and Barabas informs him that Mathias is angry over Abigail. Lodowick turns to Abigail and asks if she loves Mathias. Barabas tells Lodowick to look to Abigail’s smile for her answer. Abigail smiles at Lodowick, but in an aside, she admits that she does love Mathias and is smiling “against [her] will.” Lodowick can no longer contain his affection and asks Barabas if he will have his “diamond.” Barabas says Lodowick will (the “diamond” is “unsoiled,” he adds), unless Ferneze will object to his son marrying a Jewish girl—even a rich one.
Barabas’s machinations are on full display here. While it may be true that Mathias wants to kill Lodowick, this is only because of Barabas’s scheming, and Barabas’s continued conniving ensures that Lodowick feels the same way. Abigail smiles “against [her] will” despite her love for Mathias, which suggests she will do anything for her father, who clearly doesn’t care about her. When Lodowick asks outright if he will have Abigail (his “diamond”), Barabas again reminds him that she is “unsoiled,” or pure and virginal, which presumably makes her worth more money. Of course Ferneze will object to his son marrying a Jew (he thinks the Jews are damned), but it doesn’t matter, since Barabas knows that Abigail will never marry Lodowick.
Themes
Lodowick assures Barabas that he is interested in Abigail, not Barabas’s money, and needs only Barabas’s consent to marry her. In another aside, Abigail asks Barabas if she must really agree to marry Lodowick. Barabas tells her it is just a farce; she doesn’t really have to marry him. “It is no sin to deceive a Christian,” Barabas says. Abigail begins to cry, and Lodowick asks if she is alright. Of course, Barabas says, claiming it is a Jewish custom for newly betrothed maidens to weep. Mathias again enters, and Lodowick vows revenge before he exits.
Clearly, Abigail isn’t alright, but her misery has little effect on Barabas’s scheming, and he continues with his plan despite the pain it is causing his daughter. Barabas’s claim that is not a sin to deceive Christians again speaks to the play’s religious strife and hypocrisy. It is a sin to deceive anyone, but the religious bias and hate runs so deep in Marlowe’s play, and so it goes, in 16th-century English society, that this fact is lost.
Themes
Mathias begs Barabas to let him kill Lodowick, but Barabas again tells Mathias to stand down. Mathias can exact his revenge later, Barabas suggests, and Mathias agrees. Barabas again promises that Abigail will marry Mathias, but he says that Lodowick has gone to tell Mathias’s mother, Katherine, that Mathias is in love with Abigail. “She’ll die with grief,” Mathias says and exits.
Like Barabas, Mathias is intent on revenge, which suggests that betrayal and revenge go hand in hand. Of course, Lodowick is not on his way to visit Katherine (this is simply more of Barabas’s machinations), but the implication here is that Mathias’s mother will “die with grief” because her son is in love with a Jewish girl, which further highlights anti-Semitism and hate.
Themes
Alone with Barabas and Ithamore, Abigail promises that she will make Mathias and Lodowick friends again, and that she will have Mathias as her love. Barabas ignores her and tells Ithamore to lock her back in the house. After Ithamore locks Abigail away, Barabas asks Ithamore if he is enjoying himself. Ithamore admits that he is, and that he is impressed with Barabas’s scheming. Barabas gives Ithamore a letter and tells him to deliver it to Mathias and claim it is from Lodowick. The letter is a fake challenge from Lodowick to Mathias, and it is sure to turn them against each other.
Again, Barabas is hoping that Lodowick and Mathias will kill each other in a duel, and his forged letter ensures this battle. Notably, Barabas ignores Abigail and locks her in the house, which again suggests that Barabas doesn’t love his daughter or respect her in the least. He claims to love her most, but he uses her as a pawn in his revenge scheme, and he refers to her as a material asset worth only what a prospective husband is willing to pay.
Themes
