The Jew of Malta

Christopher Marlowe's play The Jew of Malta is centered around Barabas, a wealthy Jewish merchant in Malta. Persecuted because of his religion and betrayed by those closest to him, Barabas embarks on a calculated scheme of revenge, turning one rival against another and destroying numerous innocents in the process. Washburn at Thisdarkqualm thinks it makes good reading. Elisabeth Riba's wrote in her blog that she enjoyed reading The Jew of Malta and here she discusses the character of Barabas:

A few days ago at the library, I was flipping through some of Harold Bloom's essays on Shakespeare & Marlowe. Normally, I can't stand Bloom -- I think he's a pompous stuffed-shirt who does more harm for appreciation of Shakespeare than good -- but I noticed he edited a book of essays on Marlowe and I skimmed his introduction. I've mentioned before that despite its period antisemitism, I actually enjoy The Jew of Malta, and would love to see a modern revival/reworking. Much to my surprise, Bloom speaks highly of Barabas, particularly compared to Shylock, and writes: "I cannot envision the late Groucho Marx playing Shylock, but I sometimes read through The Jew of Malta, mentally casting Groucho as Barabas".

And, though I never would've thought of that before, I can see it. Barabas is a villain, it's true, but he's so over-the-top and cynical and unrepentant (and his desire for revenge is justifiable, even if his actions aren't)... he's just fun! And, as many people have pointed out, his fellow Christians and Muslims aren't portrayed in that much better a light... Everybody's scum; Barabas is just that much more enjoyable about it.

Marlowe site
The Jew of Malta - the text ;
The Jew of Malta - study paper

The Jewish community in Malta by Laurence Attard Bezzina