"I crave but this: grace him as he deserves,
And let him not be entertained the worse
Because he favours me."
The Prologue of The Jew of Malta is spoken by the character Machiavel, a ghost based on the historical figure Niccolo Machiavelli. Here, Machiavel implores the audience to judge Barabas fairly, and not to let their own biases get in the way of their perception of him. This warning, however, is not explicitly attached to religion or to Barabas's Judaism. Instead, Machiavel asks the audience to judge Barabas fairly despite his "favoring" of Machiavellian principles like trickery, deceit, and unchecked ambition.
"Daughter, I have it. Thou perceiv'st the plight
Wherein these Christians have oppressed me.
Be ruled by me, for in extremity
We ought make bar of no policy."
After his property and wealth have been seized, Barabas devises a plan to get revenge on the Christians who have caused him such strife. Here, tells his daughter Abigail that because they have been put in "extremity," or desperate circumstances, they must devise a plot of their own to deceive the Christians who have wronged them. Barabas uses the word "policy" ironically to describe this impending scheme, as Ferneze claims that seizing the Jews' property was an act of political necessity.
"If your first curse fall heavy on thy head
And make thee poor and scorned of all the world,
'Tis not our fault but thy inherent sin."
In this quotation, Ferneze defends his choice to seize the property of all the Jews in Malta, perceiving it as retribution for their "inherent sin." This sin, he suggests, stems from the crucifixion of Jesus Christ 1500 years earlier. Ferneze's argument will likely appear weak to audiences, based on mere prejudice and self-interest rather than political acumen or moral rectitude. Audiences quickly learn that Barabas is not the only deceitful and manipulative character in the play.
"We Jews can fawn like spaniels when we please,
And when we grin we bite; yet are our looks
As innocent and harmless as a lamb's."
In this quotation, Barabas attaches his penchant for lying, deceiving, and violence directly to his Jewishness. This is an important moment in the play, as it showcases how Barabas is leaning into the stereotypes that have been leveraged against him by the Christians in power. Of course, Barabas's antagonism stems not from his Jewishness (which he uses here as a type of excuse for his behavior) but from his murderousness and hateful drive.
"But I perceive there is no love on earth,
Pity in Jews, nor piety in Turks."
When Abigail learns that Barabas was involved in the deaths of both Mathias and Lodowick, she runs away to become a nun. Here, she expresses her skepticism and disappointment in organized religion in general, including her own religious affiliation. It is questionable, however, whether her decision to become a Christian nun actually transcends these unsavory qualities she sees in Jews and Turks.
"Thus every villain ambles after wealth,
Although he ne'er be richer than in hope."
In Act Three, Barabas promises to acknowledge Ithamore as his heir. Immediately after, he utters this quotation, remarking how Ithamore will only ever be rich in "hope" rather than material wealth. Barabas here demonstrates that he is deceitful and manipulative even to his allies and companions.
"Oh, unhappy day!
False, credulous, inconstant Abigail!
But let 'em go. And, Ithamore, from hence
Ne'er shall she grieve me more with her disgrace,
Ne'er shall she live to inherit aught of mine,
Be blest of me, nor come within my gates
But perish underneath my bitter curse
Like Cain by Adam for his brother's death."
When Barabas learns that Abigail has converted to Christianity and run away to become a nun, he takes it as a personal offense. Here, he compares her "transgression" to the murder of Abel by his brother, Cain. Crucially, however, his knowledge of the story is warped; in Genesis, it is God who punishes Cain for murdering his brother, not Adam (Cain and Abel's father). This quotation demonstrates how Barabas will even twist the text of the Bible to serve his own revenge plot.
"To undo a Jew is a charity and not a sin."
Here, Ithamore alludes to an earlier remark from Barabas to Abigail, in which he tells his daughter that "it's no sin to deceive a Christian" (2.3). Both characters therefore embrace the notion that sinful behavior is acceptable when it is done against other religious groups, reframing their deceitful and villainous acts as service to their own religious communities.
"A Jew's courtesy.
For he that did by treason work our fall
By treason hath delivered thee to us."
When Calymath's army is destroyed, Ferneze (who worked with Barabas to destroy the army), tells Calymath that the blame is entirely on Barabas. Moreoer, Ferneze attaches this blame to Barabas's Judaism, suggesting that he was also a victim of "a Jew's courtesy" and not culpable for the role he played as Barabas's temporary ally.
"Know, Governor, 'twas I that slew thy son;
I framed the challenge that did make them meet.
Know, Calymath, I aimed thy overthrow,
And, had I but escaped this stratagem,
I would have brought confusion on you all…"
In his speech immediately preceding his death, Barabas explains all his evildoing and the victims of his scheming. This quotation can be interpreted as a type of confession, in which Barabas unloads his conscience just before dying. More likely, however, this speech is not so much confessional as it is boastful – Barabas is proud of the chaos he has brought upon his enemies, and wants to die knowing they knew he was responsible. In many ways, his dying speech showcases how little Barabas has changed over the course of the play.
