The reorganized Admiral's Men begin performances on…
May 1594 CE
The reorganized Admiral's Men begin performances on May 14, 1594, with The Jew of Malta by the late Christopher Marlowe's, probably written in 1589 or 1590; the first recorded performance is in 1592.
Its plot is an original story of religious conflict, intrigue, and revenge, set against a backdrop of the struggle for supremacy between Spain and the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean that takes place on the island of Malta.
The Jew of Malta is considered to have been a major influence on William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
The title character, the comically wicked Jewish villain called Barabas, is a complex character likely to provoke mixed reactions in an audience, particularly in an ere where public opinion is strongly against the growing commercial alliance with Jewish merchants.
Jews are often presented on the Elizabethan stage in hideous caricature, with hooked noses and bright red wigs, and are usually depicted as avaricious usurers; they are usually characterized as evil, deceptive, and greedy.
Like Marlowe's other protagonists, such as Tamburlaine and Doctor Faustus, Barabas dominates the play's action.
As with Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, the unremitting evil of The Jew of Malta's anti-hero leaves the play open to accusations of anti-Jewish sentiments.
However, like Shakespeare's Shylock, Barabas also shows evidence of humanity (albeit rarely), particularly when he protests against the blatant unfairness of the governor's edict that the Turkish tribute will be paid entirely by Malta's Jewish population.
Locations
People
Subjects
Regions
North Europe
View →Subregions
