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Style
Definition of Tone
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on. For instance... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical... read full definition
Prologue
Explanation and Analysis:
In The Jew of Malta, Marlowe establishes a critical or didactic tone in an attempt to portray the pitfalls of greed. This is established at the beginning of the play, where Marlowe has Machevill—intended to embody Niccolò Machiavelli, an author known for his treatises advocating for deceitful means of achieving desirable ends—characterize Barabas as a follower of his principles:
I come not, I,
To read a lecture here in Britain,
But to present the tragedy of a Jew,
Who smiles to see how full his bags are crammed,
Which money was not got without my means.
By having Machevill state that Barabas's wealth was "not got without [his] means," Marlowe aligns Barabas with Machiavellian morals and philosophy, thereby establishing that Barabas is a cunning man who's willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his ends and secure his wealth. Establishing this bit of characterization at the beginning of the play sets up a dichotomy: Barabas is an immoral character and must be punished for this, while the characters who oppose him are righteous in their pursuits. Unfortunately, this didactic tone associates Judaism with immorality and Christianity with morality. In turn, Marlowe's attempts to educate his readership about the pitfalls of greed ultimately lead to an antisemitic overall tone.
Related Themes:
