The Tragedy of the Rich Jew

of Malta
Written by
Christopher Marlowe
Presented by
Christopher Knock

Marlowe Facts and Fictions

Life span 15641593
Born in Canterbury
Educated at Cambridge
Actor and dramatist for the Lord Admiral's Company in
London (1587)
Thought by some to be a spy working as part of the great
espionage network created by Elizabeth I's secretary of
state, Sir Francis Walsingham.
Died by having his own dagger shoved into his eye in a
bar.
Friser (the killer) thought to be a collaborator in a lager
cover up scheem.

Review

Plot

Prologue
Act 1
Opens with Barabas
Governor puts tax on Jews of Malta

Act 2
Barabas continues to scheme to get his wealth back

Act 3
Intro to Bellamira and her pimp Pilia-Borza

Act 4
Barabas and Ithamore have killed the nuns
The friars die of greed

Act 5

Barabas helps Calymath invade Malta

Barabas becomes governor of Malta
Barabas makes a deal with Ferneze
Ferneze betrays Barabas and he dies

Characters

Barabas and Ithamore

Ferneze
Abigail
Mathias and Lodowick
Friar Jacomo and Friar Bernardine

Themes and Symbols

Machiavellian
Deception

Vengeance
Hypocrisy
Gold
Others?

Questions to ponder
The Jew of Malta is supposed to be played
as a tragedy. How might the irony of the
play hinder the players from producing a
tragic work?
If Barabas is all evil why do we as the
audience feel sympathy for him?
What references or allusions in the play lead
to a possible anti-Semitic reading of the
play?

Bibliography
David, Eric Rasmussen. "The Jew of Malta."
Oxford English Drama: Christopher Marlowe,
Doctor Faustus and other plays. Ed. Bevington
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995. 249-322.
Jokinen Anniina . "luminarium." Marlowe,
Christopher. 27/09/2003. . 4/11/2003
<http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/marlowe.htm>.
"Marlowe, Christopher." The Columbia Electronic
Encyclopedia. 2003 on Infoplease.com.
2003 Family Education Network.4/11/2003
<http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0831904.
html>.