The Jew of Malta Literary Elements

drama; tragedy

English

16th-century Malta

Machiavel introduces the play in the Prologue and serves as a type of narrator for the events to follow.

ironic, darkly humorous, skeptical

There is no discernible protagonist or antagonist in the play, as Barabas is both a victim of Christian prejudice and a murderous, unrepetant villain.

The central conflict of the play is the hatred and prejudice that exists between the Jews and Christians of Malta, embodied by Barabas and Ferneze. The catalyst for this conflict is Ferneze's decision to seize all the wealth of the Maltese Jews in order to pay tribute to the Turks.

The climax of the play occurs when the Turks arrive in Malta and Barabas's crimes are revealed.

Machiavel's Prologue foreshadows Barabas's eventual demise, as he suggests that Barabas is deceitful, manipulative, and self-interested without shame.

When Barabas tells Abigail that they must develop a "policy" of their own, he is using understatement ironically. Barabas really means that they will develop a revenge scheme to lodge against the Christians who claimed that seizing Jewish property was simply a matter of governmental "policy."

The play makes frequent allusions to the Bible, specifically the Old Testament (which is observed by both Christians and Jews alike).

Important imagery in the play includes Barabas's nose, wealth/gold, transactional language, and curses or fantasies of revenge.

The central paradox of the play is that Barabas is both the protagonist and antagonist – at times, the audience will sympathize him as a victim of Christian prejudice. However, Barabas is himself hateful and deceptive, and he murders numerous innocent people over the course of the play.

Ferneze and Barabas are parallels of one another, in that both characters (the former Christian, the latter Jewish) use religion as an excuse for villainous behavior in pursuit of personal gain.

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By having Machiavel introduce the play in the Prologue, The Jew of Malta sets up audience's expectations for the play's main character, Barabas. However, Barabas is not the only Machiavellian character in the play, and the Prologue suggests that audiences consider Barabas's circumstances carefully before passing judgement on him alone.