Barabas: A Character in Marlowe's The Jew of Malta

Hareshwar Roy,
Barabas: A Character in Marlowe's The Jew of Malta

The Jew of Malta is a very powerful tragedy by Christopher Marlowe. The main character of this play is Barabas. He is a very complex and controversial anti-hero. He is the villain of the play. He has been depicted as a man driven by a deep sense of betrayal and a desire for revenge against a hypocritical society.

At the start of the play Barabas has been depicted as a wealthy merchant and a man of skill in international trade. He believes that money is the real source of power and security. He is a Jew. In a Christian society he is treated as an outsider. He feels that wealth is the only thing that protects him. He is highly educated and intelligent. He speaks multiple languages and understands global politics. He has a vast knowledge of world affairs and economics.

Barabas is the victim of injustice in the play. Ferneze, the governor of Malta, unfairly seizes his property to pay a tribute to the Turks. When Barabas protests this illegal act, the Christians cite religious reasons to justify their illegal deed. No doubt, it was a wrong step of the state. It increased his intense hatred for Christian hypocrisy. Due to this injustice he transformed himself into a devil.

Barabas is a classic Machiavellian character. He uses tools like poison and political manipulation to achieve his goals. He uses deceit and cunning to gain power. He is proud of his ability to outsmart his enemies. He takes great delight in his own cleverness and often speaks directly to the audience about his plots. He uses disguises and lies to manipulate everyone around him. He feels no guilt for his crimes. He poisons an entire nunnery and conspires against his own daughter’s suitors. He plays both sides (the Christians and the Turks) against each other to ensure his own survival.

Barabas has a daughter named Abigail. His relationship with her is very complex. She is the only person he seemingly loves. It seems that this love is conditional. When Abigail converts to Christianity out of guilt for her father’s crimes, Barabas views it as the ultimate betrayal. From a protective father he becomes a murderer. He poisons Abigail. It shows how his obsession with revenge eventually destroys his humanity.

His policy of survival appears as political cunning. He feels that the world is a place where people think of themselves. According to him the Christians are hypocrites. They break their own laws. He argues that he is free to use any means necessary to fight back. This makes him a devil. He appears as a contradictory character that exposes the corruption of the society around him even as he himself commits evil acts.

In short, Barabas is more than a simple villain. He is a product of a corrupt environment. While his actions are horrific and bloodthirsty, Marlowe presents him as a mirror to the leaders of Malta. He dies in the very trap he set for others. The play shows that a life built on hate eventually consumes itself.
Location: B-37, City Homes Colony, Jawahar Nagar Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India
Currently Dr. Roy is working as Professor of English at Govt. P.G. College Satna, Madhya Pradesh. He is the author of the following books: (1) Diasporic Articulation in the Novels of M.G. Vassanji (2) A Study of M.G. Vassanji 's Novels (3) Varieties of Indianity in the Works of M.G. Vassanji & Rohinton Mistry (4)Diaspora & Indian Diaspora: A Brief Study (5) Short Notes of English Literature - I (6) Short Notes of English Literature - II (7) हमार पहचान ह भोजपुरी - भोजपुरी कविता संकलन (8) हमरा प्यार हो गइल - भोजपुरी गज़ल संकलन (9) भोजपुरी कविताएँ

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