Christopher Marlowe was born in February 1564 and wrote most of his plays in the 1580’s and 1590’s. One of his most famous plays written in this time is The Jew of Malta and the topic of this paper as well. This play was written around 1590 (the exact date is not known). At that time England was in a rather complicated situation in terms of religion and policy. Queen Elizabeth I. tried to change the major religion from Catholicism towards Protestantism. Furthermore the religious reformation in Germany enacted by Martin Luther had a widespread influence on every European state and also on England. The entire era between the 14th and the 16th century was a time full of changes, revolutions and reformations established in Italy, where the term Renaissance was initiated. In that confusing time a group of people was blamed for everything bad that happened and was hunted all over Europe – the Jews.
Most of the Jews came to Europe during the early Middle Ages around 1000 AD trying to find a calm place to live and to make a living by trade and craft. But after some time they developed a talent for money-trade and commerce and most of the Jewish families got rich. This was not for their advantage because most Europeans got jealous and the Jews were first avoided by the citizens of their hometowns, later even outlawed. The story of Marlowe’s Jew is strongly connected to the history of the Jews and the Renaissance period, which is the main topic of this assignment. I am going to find out how Jewish the Jew of Malta really was in connection to Renaissance history.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
2 JEWS IN THE RENAISSANCE
2.1 SOCIETY, JEWS AND THE RENAISSANCE
2.2 JEWS IN ENGLAND
3 JEWS IN MALTA
3.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
3.2 THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF MALTA IN THE RENAISSANCE
4 BARABAS, THE JEW OF MALTA
4.1 THE CHARACTER OF BARABAS
4.2 HOW JEWISH IS BARABAS
5 CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper explores the historical and cultural representation of Jewish identity in Christopher Marlowe's play "The Jew of Malta". The primary research objective is to analyze to what extent the protagonist, Barabas, reflects actual historical Jewish realities of the Renaissance era versus anti-Semitic stereotypes and the literary archetype of the "Vice".
- Historical context of Jews in Europe and England during the Renaissance.
- The significance of Malta as a setting for Marlowe's drama.
- Analysis of Barabas as a complex, villainous literary character.
- The intersection of religious prejudice, greed, and power-seeking in the play.
- The comparative villainy of Christian characters versus the Jewish protagonist.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 The Character of Barabas
The period of Renaissance was a time of changes on all levels and therefore in the theatres as well. The medieval mystery and morality plays became the basis for a new form of theatre and drama writing and Christopher Marlowe was one of the founders of a new era, together with Kyd, Shakespeare and Johnson. The plays they wrote were made for the two new theatres built in London during the 14th century, with actors playing regularly throughout summer for 3000 people of all social groups. Satisfying these different social groups was not easy for the dramatists but this fact marks the plays of that time. They were “volkstümlich und von raffiniertem Kunstanspruch, spektakulär und intellektuell fordernd, unterhaltsam und die Probleme der Zeit anpackend“. Marlowe as well as the other writers of the time used a new form of rhyming, the blank verse. The topics of these dramas were old human motives like the seeking for power, knowledge and wealth, which derived from the everlasting contact between the audience and the dramatists because they were also citizens and knew what moved the people of the time.
Marlowe used these motives in his plays like Tumberlain the Great, Dr. Faustus or in The Jew of Malta. Especially in the last one he created a very dark protagonist, an absolute villain, living and acting in a Malta, which did not relate to the real history. Marlowe’s Malta is ruled by the Knight’s of St. John but under a secular system of magistracies led by Ferneze, the governor of Malta. Moreover, the Jews are no semi-autonomous group but totally dependent people living separated from the rest of Malta. Solely one Jew made it to autonomy, Barabas, the protagonist of the drama. Barabas lives with his only daughter Abigall in a huge house in the middle of Malta’s main city next to the sea with a trading port. He is working as a merchant, trading with jewels, silk, spices and everything of high value. With that trade he became a very wealthy man.
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces Christopher Marlowe and his play "The Jew of Malta", outlining the historical context of the Renaissance and the research questions regarding the portrayal of Jewish identity.
2 JEWS IN THE RENAISSANCE: This section provides an overview of the status of Jewish communities in Europe and England, emphasizing the prejudices, economic roles, and systemic persecutions they faced.
3 JEWS IN MALTA: This chapter analyzes the specific historical and political background of Malta as a Christian stronghold and describes the situation of the Jewish community within this context.
4 BARABAS, THE JEW OF MALTA: This main part examines the character development of Barabas, exploring his motives, his relationship with his daughter, and his degree of conformity to traditional Jewish stereotypes versus the literary "Vice" archetype.
5 CONCLUSION: The final chapter summarizes the findings, arguing that Barabas is a stereotypical representation rather than a realistic Jewish figure, and reflects broader contemporary issues of the author’s time.
Keywords
Christopher Marlowe, The Jew of Malta, Barabas, Renaissance, Jewish stereotypes, antisemitism, literature, drama, villain, Vice archetype, history, Malta, religion, power, greed
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper examines the portrayal of the character Barabas in Christopher Marlowe's play "The Jew of Malta" and assesses how his representation relates to the historical realities and anti-Semitic stereotypes of the Renaissance.
What are the central themes discussed in this work?
The work focuses on religious conflict, the role of Jews in European history, the literary construction of the villain, and the impact of socio-political conditions on theatrical themes.
What is the primary research question?
The study seeks to determine how Jewish the protagonist Barabas really is and why Marlowe created such a specific character within the context of the era.
Which scientific method does the author employ?
The author uses a qualitative, analytical approach, combining historical research on the status of Jews in the Renaissance with a literary analysis of Marlowe's drama.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body is divided into three sections: the history of Jews in Europe and England, the socio-political situation in Malta, and a detailed character analysis of Barabas in the play.
What keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Christopher Marlowe, The Jew of Malta, Barabas, Renaissance, stereotypes, villain, and religious identity.
Why did Marlowe choose Malta as the setting for the play?
The author argues that because Jews were absent from England at the time, Marlowe chose the distant, "foreign" setting of Malta to project contemporary fears and stereotypes onto a controlled, literary environment.
How does the author characterize the relationship between Barabas and the Christian governor Ferneze?
The author identifies Ferneze as a second, arguably more dangerous villain, noting that he eventually adopts the same treacherous and deceitful methods as Barabas to maintain power.
Is Barabas a realistic depiction of a Renaissance Jew?
No, the author concludes that Barabas is not a realistic Jew, but rather a "Vice" figure who uses Jewish traits selectively as a mask to serve his own selfish and murderous goals.
- Quote paper
- Doreen Bärwolf (Author), 2008, How Jewish is the Jew of Malta?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/156446
