Gutenberg Articles

Appearance

Excerpt ​

Excerpt from The Jew of Malta, by Christopher Marlowe

 BARABAS. O, they were going up to Sicily.<br />
 Well, go,<br />
 And bid the merchants and my men despatch,<br />
 And come ashore, and see the fraught [24] discharg'd.

 SECOND MERCHANT. I go.<br />
      [Exit.]

 BARABAS. Thus trolls our fortune in by land and sea,<br />
 And thus are we on every side enrich'd:<br />
 These are the blessings promis'd to the Jews,<br />
 And herein was old Abraham's happiness:<br />
 What more may heaven do for earthly man<br />
 Than thus to pour out plenty in their laps,<br />
 Ripping the bowels of the earth for them,<br />
 Making the sea[s] their servants, and the winds<br />
 To drive their substance with successful blasts?<br />
 Who hateth me but for my happiness?<br />
 Or who is honour'd now but for his wealth?<br />
 Rather had I, a Jew, be hated thus,<br />
 Than pitied in a Christian poverty;<br />
 For I can see no fruits in all their faith,<br />
 But malice, falsehood, and excessive pride,<br />
 Which methinks fits not their profession.<br />
 Haply some hapless man hath conscience,<br />
 And for his conscience lives in beggary.<br />
 They say we are a scatter'd nation:<br />
 I cannot tell; but we have scambled [25] up<br />
 More wealth by far than those that brag of faith:<br />
 There's Kirriah Jairim, the great Jew of Greece,<br />
 Obed in Bairseth, Nones in Portugal,<br />
 Myself in Malta, some in Italy,<br />
 Many in France, and wealthy every one;<br />
 Ay, wealthier far than any Christian.<br />
 I must confess we come not to be kings:<br />
 That's not our fault:  alas, our number's few!<br />
 And crowns come either by succession,<br />
 Or urg'd by force; and nothing violent,<br />
 Oft have I heard tell, can be permanent.<br />
 Give us a peaceful rule; make Christians kings,<br />
 That thirst so much for principality.<br />
 I have no charge, nor many children,<br />
 But one sole daughter, whom I hold as dear<br />
 As Agamemnon did his Iphigen;<br />
 And all I have is hers.--But who comes here?

Explanation ​

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe ​

Context of the Play ​

The Jew of Malta (c. 1589–1590) is a darkly satirical tragedy by Christopher Marlowe, a contemporary of Shakespeare. The play follows Barabas, a wealthy Jewish merchant in Malta, whose fortunes rise and fall amid political intrigue, religious conflict, and personal vengeance. The play explores themes of greed, religious hypocrisy, Machiavellian cunning, and the precarious position of Jews in a Christian-dominated society.

This excerpt occurs early in the play (Act 1, Scene 1), where Barabas is at the height of his wealth and power. He has just learned that his ships, laden with riches, have safely arrived in Malta. His speech reveals his materialism, disdain for Christian morality, and pride in Jewish financial success, setting the stage for his later downfall.

Line-by-Line Analysis & Literary Devices ​

1. Barabas’ Initial Commands (Lines 1–4) ​

"O, they were going up to Sicily. Well, go, And bid the merchants and my men despatch, And come ashore, and see the fraught discharg'd."

  • Context: Barabas is speaking to the Second Merchant, instructing him to ensure his ships are unloaded and his goods (fraught = cargo) are brought ashore.
  • Tone: Authoritative, businesslike—Barabas is in control, giving orders with confidence.
  • Significance: This establishes his wealth and commercial power, as well as his dependence on trade networks (Sicily was a key Mediterranean trading hub).
  • Dramatic Irony: The audience knows (or will soon learn) that Barabas’ fortune is fragile—his wealth will later be seized by the Maltese government.

2. Barabas’ Triumphant Monologue (Lines 5–23) ​

"Thus trolls our fortune in by land and sea, And thus are we on every side enrich'd: These are the blessings promis'd to the Jews, And herein was old Abraham's happiness:"

  • "Trolls our fortune in" → "Trolls" (archaic) means "rolls in" or "comes in abundantly." Barabas personifies Fortune (the classical goddess of luck) as bringing him wealth from all directions.
  • "Blessings promis'd to the Jews" → A biblical allusion to God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:2–3), where prosperity is promised. Barabas twists this into a justification for material wealth, ignoring spiritual dimensions.
  • Themes: Greed as divine favor—Barabas equates wealth with God’s blessing, a blasphemous (from a Christian perspective) reinterpretation of Jewish faith.

"What more may heaven do for earthly man Than thus to pour out plenty in their laps, Ripping the bowels of the earth for them, Making the sea[s] their servants, and the winds To drive their substance with successful blasts?"

  • "Pour out plenty in their laps" → Hyperbolic imagery of overflowing wealth—Barabas sees himself as favored by nature itself.
  • "Ripping the bowels of the earth" → Violent, almost grotesque metaphor for mining (gold, silver, gems). Suggests exploitation of nature for profit.
  • "Making the sea[s] their servants" → Personification of the seas and winds as obedient forces that carry his ships safely.
  • Themes: Human domination over nature—Barabas sees the world as existing to serve his greed. This reflects Renaissance mercantilism, where wealth was seen as a sign of virtue.

"Who hateth me but for my happiness? Or who is honour'd now but for his wealth?"

  • Rhetorical questions → Barabas challenges societal norms, suggesting that envy and wealth (not morality) determine status.
  • "Happiness" → Here, it means prosperity, not joy. Barabas equates wealth with well-being.
  • Themes: Social critique—Marlowe exposes how money, not virtue, commands respect in a corrupt world.

"Rather had I, a Jew, be hated thus, Than pitied in a Christian poverty; For I can see no fruits in all their faith, But malice, falsehood, and excessive pride, Which methinks fits not their profession."

  • "Rather had I... be hated thus" → Barabas prefers being a rich, hated Jew to a poor, pitied Christian.
  • "No fruits in all their faith" → Sarcastic attack on Christianity—he sees Christians as hypocrites (malice, falsehood, pride).
  • "Fits not their profession" → "Profession" here means religious calling—he mocks Christians for failing to live by their own teachings (e.g., humility, charity).
  • Themes: Religious hypocrisy—Barabas, though greedy and ruthless, exposes Christian corruption, a common anti-clerical theme in Renaissance drama.

"Haply some hapless man hath conscience, And for his conscience lives in beggary."

  • "Haply" = perhaps | "Hapless" = unlucky
  • Barabas dismisses morality as foolish—those with a conscience end up poor, while the ruthless (like him) thrive.
  • Themes: Moral relativism—Barabas rejects Christian ethics in favor of pragmatic self-interest.

"They say we are a scatter'd nation: I cannot tell; but we have scambled up More wealth by far than those that brag of faith:"

  • "Scatter’d nation" → Reference to the Jewish diaspora (exiled from Israel).
  • "Scambled up" → "Scramble" means competed fiercely—Jews, despite persecution, have outperformed Christians economically.
  • "Those that brag of faith" → Sarcasm—Christians boast of their religion but are less successful than Jews in business.
  • Themes: Jewish resilience & financial stereotype—Marlowe plays into (and critiques) the anti-Semitic trope of Jews as greedy moneylenders, but also highlights their survival despite oppression.

"There's Kirriah Jairim, the great Jew of Greece, Obed in Bairseth, Nones in Portugal, Myself in Malta, some in Italy, Many in France, and wealthy every one; Ay, wealthier far than any Christian."

  • Catalogue of wealthy Jews → Barabas lists successful Jewish merchants across Europe, reinforcing the idea that Jews dominate trade.
  • "Wealthier far than any Christian" → Hyperbole, but also a provocative claim that challenges Christian economic superiority.
  • Historical Context: In Renaissance Europe, Jews were often restricted from land ownership and pushed into finance and trade, leading to stereotypes of Jewish wealth.

"I must confess we come not to be kings: That's not our fault: alas, our number's few! And crowns come either by succession, Or urg'd by force; and nothing violent, Oft have I heard tell, can be permanent."

  • "We come not to be kings" → Jews, as a minority, cannot seize political power (unlike Christians).
  • "Crowns come... by succession or force" → Machiavellian observation—power is gained through inheritance or violence, not merit.
  • "Nothing violent... can be permanent" → Foreshadowing—Barabas’ own violent schemes (later in the play) will lead to his downfall.
  • Themes: Power & instability—Barabas acknowledges that wealth is fleeting, hinting at his future ruin.

"Give us a peaceful rule; make Christians kings, That thirst so much for principality."

  • Irony—Barabas pretends to be content with Christian rule, but his tone is mocking ("thirst so much for principality" = Christians are power-hungry).
  • Themes: Political manipulation—Barabas will later exploit Christian greed to exact revenge.

"I have no charge, nor many children, But one sole daughter, whom I hold as dear As Agamemnon did his Iphigen;"

  • "No charge" = no burdens (financial or familial).
  • Allusion to Agamemnon & Iphigenia → In Greek myth, Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to the gods for favorable winds to Troy. This foreshadows Barabas’ later betrayal of his daughter, Abigail, when she converts to Christianity.
  • Themes: Father-daughter relationship—Barabas loves his daughter deeply, but his greed and vengeance will destroy her.

Key Themes in the Excerpt ​

  1. Wealth as Power & Divine Favor – Barabas sees prosperity as proof of God’s blessing, rejecting spiritual values.
  2. Religious Hypocrisy – He mockingly contrasts Jewish financial success with Christian moral failure.
  3. Anti-Semitic Stereotypes & Jewish Resilience – Marlowe both reinforces and critiques the idea of Jews as greedy outsiders, while showing their survival despite persecution.
  4. Machiavellian Cunning – Barabas operates by self-interest, seeing the world as a competitive, amoral place.
  5. Foreshadowing of Downfall – His pride in wealth and disdain for morality set up his later tragic fall.

Literary Devices Used ​

DeviceExampleEffect
Hyperbole"pour out plenty in their laps"Emphasizes extreme wealth.
Personification"Making the seas their servants"Shows nature as subservient to man.
Rhetorical Questions"Who hateth me but for my happiness?"Challenges societal values.
Allusion"Agamemnon did his Iphigen"Foreshadows Abigail’s fate.
Irony"Give us a peaceful rule; make Christians kings"Mocks Christian hypocrisy.
CatalogueListing wealthy Jews (Kirriah Jairim, etc.)Reinforces Jewish financial dominance.

Significance of the Passage ​

  1. Characterization of Barabas – Establishes him as proud, greedy, and defiant, but also shrewd and observant of Christian hypocrisy.
  2. Social & Religious Critique – Marlowe exposes the corruption of Christian society, where wealth, not faith, determines status.
  3. Tragic Foreshadowing – Barabas’ overconfidence in his wealth hints at his future downfall (his fortune will be seized, and his schemes will backfire).
  4. Ambiguity in Anti-Semitism – While the play uses Jewish stereotypes, it also critiques Christian persecution, making Barabas a complex, sympathetic villain.

Conclusion: Barabas as a Tragic Machiavellian Figure ​

This speech captures Barabas at his peak of arrogance, believing his wealth makes him untouchable. Yet, his cynicism about morality and reliance on fortune foreshadow his inevitable ruin. Marlowe presents him as both a villain and a victim—a brilliant but doomed figure in a world where greed and power corrupt all.

The excerpt is not just about Jewish wealth, but about human nature itself—the danger of unchecked ambition, the hypocrisy of religious institutions, and the fragility of worldly success. In this way, The Jew of Malta remains a powerful, disturbing exploration of money, power, and revenge.