The Jew of Malta, written around 1590, can present a challenge for
modern audiences. Hugely popular in its day, the play swings wildly and
rapidly in genre, from pointed satire, to bloody revenge tragedy, to
melodrmatic intrigue, to dark farce and grotesque comedy. Although set
in the Mediterranean island of Malta, the play evokes contemporary
Elizabethan social tensions, especially the highly charged issue of
London's much-resented community of resident merchant foreigners.
Barabas, the enormously wealthy Jew of the play's title, appears
initially victimized by Malta's Christian Governor, who quotes scripture
to support the demand that Jews cede their wealth to pay Malta's tribute
to the Turks. When he protests, Barabas is deprived of his wealth, his
means of livelihood, and his house, which is converted to a nunnery. In
response to this hypocritical extortion, Barabas launches a horrific
(and sometimes hilarious) course of violence that goes well beyond
revenge, using murderous tactics that include everything from deadly
soup to poisoned flowers. The play's sometimes complex treatment of
anti-Semitism and its relationship to Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice
remain matters of continuing scholarly reflection.