Marlowe’s play is a story about a Jewish merchant’s conflict with the Christian rulers of Malta who want to steal his money. Things get pretty ugly, and poor Barabas, the Jewish merchant, gets screwed over in the end. Mo’ money, mo’ problems, as the poet says.
What does the play’s focus on money and wealth suggest about the rise of capitalism during the Elizabethan period? How does the play respond to and comment on this rise?
Stephen Greenblatt suggests that the play both challenges and affirms anti-Semitic ideas that were widespread during the Elizabethan age. Do you agree? Do you think the play leans more towards affirming these ideas, or undermining them?