And hold there is no sin but ignorance.” No one individual or community’s stupidity or vices are spared Marlowe’s ridicule and criticism in what might be the earliest film noir script.īecause this injustice is the trigger for Barabas to embark on a road to hell paved with anything but good intentions. We know where Marlowe stands when the Prologue, in the person of Machievel(li) says, “I, Machievel, count religion but a childish toy. But Marlowe’s play goes beyond revenge, satirising religious hypocrisy, statesmanship and the human condition.
This is evidently a revenge tragedy – the dominant motive is revenge, here for a series of very real injuries. He is understandably indignant: “What, bring you Scripture to confirm your wrongs? Preach me not out of my possessions.” The Christian Knights justify taking his money – as a Jew, Barabas is cursed and sinful. Barabas is the richest merchant in the region but Ferneze plunders his fortune to pay off the threatening Ottomans. Here Malta is ruled by the Knights of St John (Knights Hospitaller) under Governor Ferneze, ostensibly as an outpost against the Ottoman Turks, although Ferneze is happy to pay the Turks protection money not to be invaded by them. Not the Middle East today but Malta circa 1565 in Marlowe’s play, The Jew of Malta.
The different faiths are rubbing along together until politics and money get in the way and then all sides justify their actions as religious duty and malicious antisemitism provides a rationale for action.
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