1589

This is the year in which a famous drama by Marlow, entitled The Jew of Malta, was performed.

This play is significant in the history of Elizabethan anti-Semitism because it portrays a horrible Jewish villain as its protagonist. The protagonist, Barabas, is a preposterous villain in the grand style. The plot concerns the refusal of Barabas to pay a tribute to the Crown; as a result, his wealth is seized and his house is turned into a nunnery. This enrages Barabas and he embarks upon an orgy of slaughter in revenge (which includes the poisoning of an entire nunnery).

Obviously, the character of Barabas lacks dramatic subtlety and audiences apparently loved the hyperbole and exaggeration of his characterization. The fact that he is boiled to death in a cauldron of steaming water, screaming horribly all the while, is especially sensational and appeals to the less refined sentiments of the audience.

However, it is important to note The Jew of Malta is not simply an anti-Semitic play. It clearly and explicitly satirizes the Christian society for their hypocrisy and deceit.

But at the same time, the play surely vilifies the Jew.

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