1. What is the religious and political background of Elizabethan England? Christopher Marlowe was writing in the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603), the period when England became an important world power. The English had won an important battle against the Spanish Armada in 1588 with its superior naval fleet and was proud of its …
Christopher Marlowe was born in Canterbury c. February 26, 1564, the same year as Shakespeare’s birth, to John and Catherine Marlowe. John Marlowe was only a shoemaker, but Christopher was educated at King’s School in Canterbury and won a scholarship to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he studied history, philosophy, and theology. He earned a …
“Weigh not men, and therefore, not men’s words,” (Prologue, l.8).This is spoken by Machiavel who is a symbol of Barabas’s philosophy. It is a cynical attitude about not trusting others or what they say. Human worth and words are not important.”Who hateth me but for my happiness” (I,1, l.110)Barabas feels he is not so much …
Power and Riches Barabas is the stereotype of the greedy Jew who cannot get enough money. In Act I he is in his counting house enjoying his “infinite riches in a little room”(I,1,l.37). He believes the Jews have been promised wealth as God’s chosen people: “What more may heaven do for earthly man/ Than …
The Counting House, Money Bags, Hidden Wealth When the play opens, Barabas is in his counting house, complaining about having to count all his money by hand. He has been laboring over his hoard: “Wearying his finger’s ends with telling it” (I, 1, l.16). The very image gives weight to the money, making it …
Abigail Abigail is Barabas’s only child, his virtuous daughter. She is loyal to her father, doing all he wishes though it is distasteful to her. He makes her pretend to join the nunnery so she can retrieve his money hidden there. He forces her to become engaged to Lodowick, the governor’s son, though she loves …
Summary of Act Five, scene one Ferneze, the Knights, Del Bosco, and officers discuss the fortifications of the town. Ferneze warns that everyone must be resolute because Calymath will either win or die. The Knights swear they will never yield. Pilia-Borza and Bellamira enter and tell Ferneze how his son died through the …
Summary of Act Four, scene one Bells are ringing to toll the death of the nuns, and Barabas utters one of his famous villainous lines about the bells sounding sweet, now the nuns are dead. Ithamore asks Barabas if he is afraid the deed will be known? He of course will not tell. Barabas …
Summary of Act Three, scene one Bellamira, the courtesan, enters and complains that since the town has been besieged, she has lost customers. She used to have lots of clients, and she knows her beauty has not changed, so now she has to be chaste against her will. Her only follower is Pilia-Borza, who …
Summary of Act Two, scene one It is night, and Barabas enters with a light uttering a soliloquy about his mental torment. He curses the Christians again and prays to the God of Abraham to let Abigail find his hidden fortune. He remembers the tales about ghosts hovering around hidden treasure and feels he …
