Money and Greed Theme Analysis

Most of the characters in Christopher Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta are motivated in some way by money and greed. The play’s protagonist, Barabas, is described as a man “who smiles to see how full his bags are crammed,” and Marlowe implies that Barabas obtained his money through Machiavellianism (a reference to the corrupt practices of Niccolò Machiavelli, an Italian diplomat from the 16th century) to satisfy his unchecked greed. Money is also central in the Maltese governor, Ferneze’s, trouble with the Turks and the excessive tribute payment Malta owes the Ottoman Empire. Ferneze exploits Malta’s Jewish population to pay the debt—but when his own Machiavellian scheming allows him to refuse the Turks the tribute, he doesn’t return the money to the Jews and instead keeps his ill-gotten gains. Money and greed also drive the actions of Barabas’s Turkish slave, Ithamore, as well as Bellamira, the prostitute whom Ithamore falls in love with, and Pilia-Borza, a thief in cahoots with Bellamira. Together with Pilia-Borza, Ithamore and Bellamira attempt to extort money from Barabas, and their covetousness ultimately leads to their demise. Through the widespread greed in The Jew of Malta, Marlowe implies that greed is an inherent human trait, but he ultimately argues that greed and covetousness is a selfish and misguided mindset that does not pay off and often leads to suffering.

Most of Marlowe’s characters are covetous, which underscores his implication that greed is an innate and widespread human quality. When Barabas is first introduced, he sits in his counting-house among his piles of gold and jewels. Barabas describes “heaps of pearl[s] like pebble-stones” and “bags of fiery opals, sapphires, amethysts, / Jacinths, hard topaz, grass-green emeralds, / Beauteous rubies, [and] sparkling diamonds.” Barabas’s laundry list of riches suggests he isn’t satisfied with just a little wealth—his stash reflects his excessive greed. At one point, Barabas lies to Jacomo and Bernardine, two Catholic friars, telling them that he plans to convert to Christianity and give all his wealth “to some religious house / So [he] may be baptized and live therein.” Upon hearing this false claim, Bernardine and Jacomo begin to bicker over taking Barabas into their respective parishes, a reflection of their own greed and desire for Barabas’s wealth, which overshadows their religious vows and duties. When Ithamore attempts to coerce money out of Barabas with the help of Pilia-Borza and Bellamira, Pilia-Borza initially tries to get 300 crowns out of Barabas, and then he demands 500 more. “Jew, I must ha’ more gold,” Pilia-Borza says, exposing Pilia-Borza’s greed, as well as Ithamore and Bellamira’s, and further suggesting that all people are selfish and easily overcome by greed.

Despite the widespread greed present in The Jew of Malta, Marlowe suggests that greed is a dangerous—and often deadly—human trait that only leads to increased pain and suffering. When Malta’s Jewish community first hears rumors that Ferneze plans to tax them to pay the Turkish tribute, they immediately seek Barabas’s guidance, a man whose “policy” and Machiavellian deceitfulness is widely known. Barabas promises to help his fellow Jews, but in an aside he claims: “Nay, let ‘em combat, conquer, and kill all, / So they spare me, my daughter, and my wealth.” Barabas doesn’t really care about the other Jews, and he will gladly sacrifice their lives to protect his own wealth. However, in Barabas’s pursuit to help himself, he loses his entire estate, which suggests that such selfishness and greed does more harm than good. After Friars Jacomo and Bernardine compete to convert Barabas and take him into their respective parishes, their greed and desire for Barabas’s wealth leads directly to their deaths. “What, will you have my life?” Bernardine says when he wakes to Barabas and Ithamore strangling him. “Pull, hard, I say,” Barabas replies, “you would have had my goods.” Barabas frames Jacomo for Bernardine’s murder, and Jacomo is later hanged for the crime, which again implies that selfishness and greed is a foolish mentality that does not pay off. Once the Turks invade Malta, imprison Ferneze, and make Barabas governor, Barabas still continues scheming to recover his lost wealth. Money is so dear to Barabas, it is even more important than his newfound political power or his loyalty to Malta. Barabas betrays Ferneze, the country of Malta, and his so-called allegiance with the Turks just to secure his wealth and satisfy his greed. But this unchecked greed ultimately leads to Barabas’s death, when Ferneze betrays him and drops Barabas into the trap meant to kill Selim-Calymath, the leader of the invading Turkish fleet. Again, Marlowe suggests that greed is a dangerous human trait that often leads to unnecessary pain, suffering, and even death.  

When the Turkish Bashaw arrives in Malta to collect the delinquent tribute money from Ferneze, he tells Ferneze that “the wind that bloweth all the world besides, / Desire of gold,” and this is certainly the case in The Jew of Malta. Nothing is sacred in Marlowe’s play when it comes to money—not love, politics, or religion—and it is this same unrestrained greed that ultimately leads to the demise of Marlowe’s most covetous characters. While Marlowe certainly condemns the greed that motivates his characters, he nevertheless implies that such selfishness is a common human trait, and that money is often valued above even the things people hold most dear.