The Jew Of Malta Themes and Motifs

The Jew of Malta Themes and Motifs

The play the Jew of Malta is a typical Marlovian tragedy. It’s a multi thematic play although it mainly revolves around Religious hypocrisy and Machiavellian strategy it also deals with vengeance and retribution. Moreover it has a few sub-themes also.

Medieval tragedy was a matter of kings and princes and the plot of these tragedies were mainly concerned with the rise and fall of royal personalities. But Marlowe has a different concept of tragic hero and tragedy. Marlowe’s hero belongs from a lower class family but possess great powers. Although the Marlovian tragedy or tragic hero do not follow the rules of classical tragedy or tragic hero yet Marlowe by his techniques proves what he claims. A typical Marlovian tragedy has a strong influence of Machiavelli (a socio-political writer of Italy) and Renaissance spirit. Marlowe’s protagonist usually is an anti-hero like the central character of the Jew of Malta, possess all the qualities of typical Marlovian tragic-hero that’s is why we take the Jew of Malta a typical Marlovian tragedy.

Religious Hypocrisy is one of the main themes of the play. Although the Maltese Christians—particularly Ferneze and the two priests—present themselves as agents of morality, Marlowe makes it clear that these men are frauds and hypocrites. This complicates Barabas's role within the play, for it challenges his status as the obvious villain. There is no clear struggle between good and evil, although the Maltese demonize Barabas. Instead, the major characters are presented as strategists who maneuver themselves into positions of strength or weakness depending on their ability to deceive. Even the Catholic priests turn their backs on religious morals when it suits them, shown in their attempts to outmaneuver each other to win Barabas's money. And Farneze breaks his promise which he makes with Barabas in last parts of the play that if Barabas helps him in freeing the Malta he will pay him with Hundred Thousand pounds but also will let him govern the state and also promises to act upon Barabas’s commands. “Here is my hand; believe me, Barabas. I will be there, and do as thou desirest.” But Farneze betrays Barabas for the governorship of Malta.

Machiavellian Strategy is an overarching theme that ties in with many others within the play, particularly religious hypocrisy. Essentially, the characters display an ability to strategize that is alien to ideals of religious sincerity. As Machevill asserts in the Prologue, "religion [is] but a childish toy." Instead of religion and the power of Divine Providence, many characters place their trust in schemes and strategies. Marlowe treats this subject ambiguously. Although the Prologue satirizes Machiavellian scheming, the rest of the play suggests that statesmen must manipulate to protect their own interests. For example, Ferneze is only able to survive and free Malta by outmaneuvering Barabas. In turn, Barabas avoids capture for a long period of time through anticipating other people's moves and motives. Marlowe ultimately leaves us wondering whether or not he believes in Machiavellian tactics. The play's heavily ironic tone could support the view that man is driven by his own motives. Alternatively, it might suggest that our ability to control events always comes second to God's will—which would make political scheming redundant.

Vengeance and retribution dominates the play as it grows to consume Barabas. Notions of vengeance obsess the protagonist, and what Barabas qualifies as a personal injury becomes increasingly broad as the play progresses. Barabas turns from specific wrongs done him by individuals—such as Ferneze—to focus on wrongs done him by Christian society and the world in general. Even those characters who have been loyal to Barabas, or who have brought him great advantages, come under fire. Calymath is a notable example, for the protagonist repays the Turk's generosity with treachery. Barabas even threatens Ithamore at a point when the slave is most loyal to his master, saying, "I'll pay thee with a vengeance, Ithamore." The protagonist's all-consuming wrath has a momentum unlike anything else within the play, including the motivations of the other characters. As a theme, vengeance contributes to the stagy feel and self- referential theatricality of The Jew of Malta

Most characters in The Jew of Malta deceive and dissemble, mostly for political expediency or criminal purposes. Abigail is the only exception, as she pretends to convert to Christianity in order to help her father recover his gold. In the scene where they plan this false conversion, father and daughter use the word "dissemble" three times in as many lines. In response to Abigail's assurance, "Thus father shall I much dissemble," Barabas replies, "As good dissemble that thou never mean'st / As first mean truth and then dissemble it." As far as the Barabas is concerned, it is no worse to deceive when you know you are lying than it is to do something honestly and later become hypocritical. Marlowe has Barabas—who is never troubled by his false actions— stand by this maxim throughout the play. Other characters, such as Ferneze, also try to conceal their own motives but meet with variable success. The priests Bernardine and Jacomo are prime examples of poor dissimulators. A clear example is Act IV, scene i, where the priests pretend to have Barabas's best interests at heart but really want his gold in their coffers. It is no coincidence that these men of faith have impure motivations—Barabas stands out in comparison as an able strategist, precisely because he does not espouse false moral ideals. The protagonist regards dissembling as a strategic tool to achieve political ends; he remains unconcerned about the immorality of such duplicity.

Barabas's (and by extension Marlowe's) use of biblical and classical allusions is heavily ironic. Barabas refers to the story of Cain when he hears of Abigail's conversion to Christianity, exclaiming "perish underneath my bitter curse / Like Cain by Adam, for his brother's death." While Barabas's allusions display the breadth of his knowledge, they are often used mockingly to undermine the seriousness of events. Ithamore uses proverbs in a more overtly jocular way, as shown by his comment, "he that eats with the Devil had need of a long spoon." Also, both allusions and proverbs serve to bridge the world of the stage and the audience. They form part of a cultural dialogue that traverses the gulf between theater and real life. When Pilia-Borza knowingly asserts, "Hodie tibi, cras mihi," (Today you, tomorrow me) Marlowe is speaking to the minds of his contemporaries about the unpredictability of fate. Although the play pertains to be about past events in Malta, such proverbial wit suggests that it dramatizes the tensions and concerns of contemporary Elizabethan England.

Marlowe have also used symbols ironically in the play on various occasions.

Gold symbolizes power and success as well as wealth. Barabas is ecstatic when he recovers his hidden gold in Act II, scene i. As the Turkish bashaw states to Ferneze, the Turkish army are driven by "[t]he wind that bloweth all the world besides, / Desire of gold." In sixteenth century Malta, as in our modern era, money makes the world go round. Gold symbolizes faith in the terrestrial world—its schemes, profits and rewards—as opposed to the spiritual realm's less immediate rewards

Most of the comments about Barabas's nose are made by Ithamore, who makes puns on the idea of smelling and having a nose for things. For example, he says, "Oh brave, master, I worship your nose for this." The slave expresses his admiration for this feature along with Barabas's qualities of character, stating, "I have the bravest, gravest, secret, subtle, bottle-nosed knave to my master, that ever gentleman had." And yet, Ithamore's gentle jibing is not always comic—it can turn nasty. In Act IV he mutters as an aside, "God-a-mercy nose," in response to Barabas's comment that he smelt the priests "ere they came." Marlowe is undoubtedly playing on Jewish stereotypes with this unconventional symbol.

The fact that Ithamore focuses on Barabas' nose symbolizes his need to define the Jew as different, through selecting this feature as a mark of distinction. By saying that Barabas has a nose for crime, Ithamore is somehow connecting what he perceives to be a Jewish identity with a criminal identity. It is unlikely that Marlowe agrees with Ithamore. The slave's comments are so ridiculous—as is Barabas's comment that he could smell the priests before they appeared—that we cannot ignore their sharply ironic tone. While the character of Ithamore might be saying these things in all seriousness, the playwright uses them to deepen the play's darkly comic flavor. Barabas's nose is a symbol of the satire that permeates The Jew of Malta. Just as tragic events in the play are undercut by humor, so its jokes have serious implications about the state of human relationships.

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Barabbas the Jew

Barabbas the Jew

Barabbas the Jew is the main character and protagonist in The “Jew of Malta”. We can take on many aspect of his personality as well as character. Barabbas is surely an anti-hero and like other Marlovian protagonists Tamburlaine and Dr. Faustus he also represent one of the main Renaissance three characteristics. Barabbas here is representative of wealth. As per Renaissance ideology three basic ways to achieve true pleasure are Knowledge, Power and Wealth. Marlow was a true Renaissance representative as he was one of those university wits who changed the course of English Literature. Although Barabbas is a negative character yet he stands unique and powerful by many aspects.

From the very beginning of drama we see Barabbas counting money which he earned from his trades. His lusty nature is very clear from the beginning as he curses those who pay him in silver and refers silver as trash “what a trouble ‘tis to count this trash!” While he praises Arabs because they pay in Gold and it takes lesser time to count it “well fare the Arabians who so richly pay”. He always keeps thinking to gain more and more money. The trades he make, the deals he do, every decision, every action and every act of Barabbas has only sole motive to increase his wealth. Dreams of Indian and Moor merchants shows his lust for wealth. The main turning point of the drama starts from his rivalry with Farneze. Even this starts because of wealth, when Farneze takes Jew’s wealth and occupies his lands and house. And all the latter events become its consequences. All other killing done by him were because of wealth, he kills Ithamore, Bellamira and her assistant Pilia-Borza because of wealth, there were other motives too but wealth was always a major motive and root cause. Like in last part of drama when he is made the governor of Malta he tends to leave governorship only because he can earn more money as a merchant rather as a governor “and neither gets him friends nor fills his bag” more on he gives the example of Aesop’s Ass to himself that being governor would be like ass of Aesop’s story who carried a heavy load of bread and wine but feeds on thorny bushes “Lives like the ass that Aesop speaketh of, That labours with a load of bread and wine, And leaves it off to snap on thistle-tops”

Another aspect of his character is selfishness. He is mean and selfish. He can use anyone for his own benefits. He even uses his daughter to accomplish his goals and fulfil his plans. He uses her well to take revenge from Farneze by killing Lodowick. Before this he takes his money out of his old house which turns into nunnery by sending Abigail in the guise of Nun. He uses Ithamore in his plans by false-promising of making him his heir. He is ready to use anyone at any time for his own good. He thinks only for himself, his only love and priority is his self.

We can also take Barabbas as stage depiction of Machiavellian ideology. In the very beginning of the drama we see the Machiavel which is the spirit of Machiavelli. Machiavel introduces Barabbas as his follower “And let him not be entertain’d the worse, because he favors me”. All the actions done by Barabbas show the very Machiavellian ideology. While guiding Ithamore he suggest him not to love anyone, not to have any affections, not to feels mercy, not to feel sympathy, never fear and never have any useless hope. For Barabbas everything is materialistic, he sees everything in aspect of profit or loss. Emotions and relation do not have any values for him. Only thing he cares for is himself or his wealth. As he uses his daughter for his own benefits, when Barabbas sends Abigail in nunnery to take him out his money. Barabbas does not fear for Abigail’s life the only thing he remains concerned about is money, like when he gets his money back he says “My gold, my fortune, my felicity, strength to my soul, death to mine enemy” and hugs the bags full of money.

Barabbas is also shown as a type character he is shown as a typical Jew a calculated and cunning person, always thinking upon a plot, always deceiving someone and always trying to add more to his wealth. he hates Christians like a true Jew and refers them as “no Hebrew born”. Barabbas teaches his daughter that to deceive Christians is no sin as they are not from us, on another occasion he advices Ithamore also to smile when see any Christian suffering. He hates Christians and on many occasions he shows his hatred

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The Religious Group of the Prologue

The Religious Group of the Prologue

According to the well-accepted and well-acknowledged definitions of Poet, a poet should be impartial and disinterested like a guide in the presentation of truth. Chaucer is such a poet who come up perfectly to the standard of a poet. He keenly observed the social, moral and religious atmosphere and brought out the incongruities and the foibles in social, moral and religious sector. Being a humanist he did not love any personal prejudice or enmity against anyone. He always targeted the corruption. In this concern ecclesiastical authorities and religious people become the target of his satire and humor. He was not against the religion, he was not against even the sinner but he was against the sin itself. He was greatly tolerant towards religion, Church and ecclesiastical figures.

In the age of Chaucer the Church had become a hotbed of profligacy, corruption and materialism. Even the overlord of the Church, the Pope himself had got worldly ambitions. In the words of W. H. Hudson; “the greater prelates heaped up the wealth and lived in godless way. There was no modesty in their words, no temperance in their food nor even charity in their deeds. If this was the condition of priests we can well-imagine that of laity.” Well does Chaucer say while describing the Poor Parson of the Town “If gold rusts what shall iron do?”

Though Chaucer was not a satirist nor a reformer yet he could not help describing sympathetically and tolerantly the wide-spread corruption which had clept into the religious order and ecclesiastical rail and life. The Monk, The Friar, The Summoner, The Prioress and The Pardoner all were corrupt, materialist and pleasure loving. All these characters signify the all prevailing decadence that had made inroads into the Christian Church in the 14^th century.

Chaucer has drawn the picture of Clergy which though tinged with tolerance and good humor is far from flattering. His description smacks off healthy and kind human attitude rather than better or prejudiced one on the contrary. Chaucer amused by the character and the behavior of those religious figures. This is so because he was a catholic having tolerant and accepting attitude towards humanity with all its imperfections, weaknesses and limitations. He only laughs at their lapses mostly realistically but sometimes indulging into a little kindly exaggeration.

Thus all the portraits are steeped in all pervasive genuine humor and delicate irony. Consequently the Clergymen were enjoined upon to live a simple life of religious purity. They were required to a simple life of study, meditation and prayer. There was a time when religious order maintained strict religion, Christian purity and spirituality. But over the centuries things landed to become slack. The Monasteries came to have materialistic and mundane attitude and atmosphere. But all was not lost there were some priest who still exercised religious restraints and acted upon the Christianity in latter and spirit. The Poor Parson of the Town represents this small minority exercising Christianity in all its pristine beauty.

To begin with the picture of the Prioress is ironical and a delicate satire runs underneath her portrayal. She is well bred but was over-sophisticated. Although she should not swear yet she does so by St. Loy (The very saint who prohibited swearing). Thus she is individualized as Madam Eglantine. Her life is same tinged with affection. She takes pains to imitate the manners of the Court and aristocrats. She speaks French though not fresh and natural. Paris is yet aristocratic according to the fashion of the French of Stratford-le-Bow. Although she shows fake shyness by keeping herself all covered yet her over-formality and over-delicacy is more than evident. Nuns were prohibited to keep pets but Madam Eglantine keeps hounds, cares them in a luxurious way and feeds them with roasted meat, milk and bread of fine sour. Moreover Nuns are required to live life of simplicity but Chaucer’s Prioress shows love for jewelry by wearing the brooch of gold. Even her singing is artificial and formal. She sings her services in the Church “entuned in hir noseful semely”. Moreover she was very tender hearted and wept of when she saw a mouse caught in a trap in the word of Bandon “She is the nun who remembers life beyond the convent walls and who longs for some of the more innocent yet forbidden pleasures of the life. Yet she typifies the traits of contemporary prioress”

The character of The Monk is also ironical and elaborates and shows a strong tilt towards secular, liberal and materialistic side. According to the monastic established by St. Maurus and St. Benedict, The Monk was required to live a life of obedience, poverty, celibacy and labor. Moreover he is supposed to confine himself to his cloister for spiritual studies. However those monks forget their religious duties because they enjoined great riches and powers on account of huge grants from crown given to the monasteries and convents. Thus they left their cloisters and went out hunting. Again the Monk violating the principles by wearing costly clothes, eating dishes and indulging in worldly pleasures. In fact he looks more like a gentle man than a monk. The Monk is not what he should, he is what he should not.

The Friar presents the direct contrast to the Monk. Although the Monk had some serious mawkish voices yet he commanded respect. But the time seems to have no respect anywhere. He is condemned as licentious and dishonest. According to Chaucer the friars were hypocrite. They had license for begging in a particular area but due to cleverness they grabbed a lot of money from people. The general public began to give silver to the poor friars. They also got other opportunities to make money by unfair means. They would even fetch a penny from a widows who even not had shoes to wear. They could be employed as tax-gathers and hear confessions. On love days they acted like a Master or a Pope Chaucer’s Friar has all these opportunities. He is a limiter and makes much more money than his expenses. He has a fine figure and attracts both married and unmarried women specially the rich women of the area.

Another important ecclesiastical character of the Middle Ages was the Pardoner. According to the Bandon; Pardoner in Chaucer’s days were employed in selling pardons, relics and preaching. Chaucer’s Pardoner is expert in selling pardons. He made a lot of money in one day. Chaucer says that the Pardoner’s income of one day was more than that of a Poor Parson’s in two months.

The Summoner is another important character in Chaucer’s Prologue among officials connected with religious courts. His duty was to call offenders to ecclesiastical courts. Summoner were notorious in harassing the poor and ignorant and thus they made great amount of money. They were also sexually immoral and morally corrupted. Chaucer’s Summoner and the Pardoner are the corrupt ecclesiastics but that is not the whole thing. There is a good ecclesiastical character who presents an antithesis to the corrupt clergy. He is the Poor Parson of the Town. Though materially poor, he is “rich in his hooly thoughts and werk”. He is kind to his parishioners. He does not ex-communicate those poor people who cannot pay the tithe. He rather pays out of his own pocket. Moreover like a true priest he is loyal in his religious duties. He visits even during his sickness those Parishioners who live in the farthest parts of the Parish. He always cares about his sheep like a good pastor. He is living model of poverty, austerity and chastity. He lives a simple life and practices what he preaches. Chaucer has idealized Poor Parson as a scholar, a man of true virtue and of true humanitarianism. In fact he is a symbol of hope telling mankind that although vice leans large in the world yet the world has not wholly become bankrupt of true virtue and such ideal character. Although they are one in ten thousand yet they do exist, here and there to remind mankind that all is not lost

Another significant aspect of Chaucer is that he has painted without any line or color. As pointed out by Prof. Dereck Brenner in his book “An introduction to Chaucer” there were three Medieval estates which has been idealized by Chaucer, The Knight, The Parson and The Ploughman and they have not been satirized. The Parson and the Ploughman are the most idealized of all and the least individualized. In fact they are theories rather that persons. The second significant thing is that the trilogy represents secular personalities (secular characters – figures out of monastery or cloister)

Composed By; Malik Muhammad Asad Hussain

www.AsadSays.blogspot.com www.SolutionsEasy.tk www.Facebook.com/Asad.mkhel

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