Jom
Posted 10-05-2007 at 12:39 AM by drewcif
Updated 10-05-2007 at 03:41 PM by Grendel (Drew is incapable of fixing is own tag errors :()
Updated 10-05-2007 at 03:41 PM by Grendel (Drew is incapable of fixing is own tag errors :()
Shawn A. Stowe
English 283
Mr. Smith
As long as humans have existed they have felt an innate need for camaraderie. Socializing with others that one can relate to is not only enjoyable; it is necessary for the maintenance of a person’s mental health. Man, however, requires very little of this interaction order to survive, indeed much more to thrive. Science has shown examples of humans living as feral animals and surviving though with little trace of what most would call normalcy. Humans alienate themselves in a variety of ways on many different levels. Barbaras and Shylock clearly alienate themselves from society in The Jew of Malta and The Merchant of Venice.
Christopher Marlowe penned The Jew of Malta in 1590; it contains a tail of Barbaras, an extremely wealthy Jew, who has his money taken from him by the governor of Malta. He then systematically gets his money back, but he does a thorough job of alienating him from society in the process. The caste system in Malta around the time that this book was set favored Christians, significantly below them stood the minority of Jews, and farther below were the Moors and the Turks. Barbaras murders an unknown number of people in excess of five. In addition to murder, he lies, sneaks, and is altogether unsavory character. The reader cannot help but sympathize with his situation after his government treats him so unfairly. 1.2 97-98
William Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice in approximately 1590, though it was sometime after The Jew of Malta was originally presented, it is clear reading both stories that Shakespeare read Marlowe’s work. It has been suggested that in writing The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare was trying to show up Marlowe’s efforts in The Jew of Malta.
Regardless of which playwright wrote the superior play is insignificant in the light of the richly developed characters in each play. Each author offers a rich, greedy, and ultimately evil man up for protagonist. Barbaras and Shylock each have been shunned by society. In Barbaras case more because of the governor’s unjust tax. Shylock does more to alienate himself in that he self imposes his alienation in his willingness to be Jewish, for which he perceives that he must kill Antonio. Both men have daughters, whom they ultimately kill.
While both characters do a very thorough job in alienating themselves. One can sympathize more with Barbaras more than Shylock. This is likely due to the fact that Marlowe could be considered of questionable character as well and generally Shakespeare is thought of as cleaner cut. Shylock would kill Antonio in cold blood, and likely suffer no remorse from it. While Barbaras kills many people ultimately he has more motivation in committing his murder in that, he was stripped of his money, his daughter left him, and he was basically left alone in the world.
Shylock proves himself to be ultimately evil in saying
“If a Jew wrongs a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.”(Shakespeare, 3.1 64-69)
These statements illustrate Shylocks view Christians in the world that surrounded him. While the description may be very accurate the way he would actually be treated, it is still wrong of him to do the same. Shylock perceives that he is obligated to avenge his religion no matter what cost.
It is plain that Barbaras is quite evil and unrepentant based on the following remarks he makes to his slave “I walk abroad a-nights And kill sick people groaning under walls; Sometimes I go about and poison wells...” Barbaras is cold and calculated in his killing of other people and he feels no remorse in it, but ultimately he is just seeking to get back that which is his, and not to necessarily avenge his entire religion as is Shylock.
Before Shylock agrees to the loan and the bond for Antonio, he states “I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you.”(Shakespeare, 1.3 30-35) This can be assumed because Shylock is presumed to be a money lender and thereby willing to do business with anyone; as long as he can make a profit. It does speak to his character in that while he has the right to refuse doing business with someone he will. This might be of good intent, or evil; depending on which circumstance becomes apparent. In this book it is used for evil because Shylock perceives a time when he might be able to kill a Christian man, and by making the bond something so unreasonable as a pound of flesh, he as good as states that ultimately he does want to kill Antonio.
Eventually after his many betrayals in The Jew of Malta Barbaras eventually does the former governor a big favor. Barbaras says “Governor, I enlarge thee. Live with me, Go walk about the city, see thy friends. Tush, send not letters to ‘em, go thyself, And let me see what money thou canst make. Here is my hand that I’ll set Malta free.” (Marlowe, 5.2 91-95) Barbaras says this because he has regained the power, he is now considered the governor. Ultimately Barbaras says that money is his vice and not power. It is with that in mind that he makes Ferneze the governor once more.
When Shylock finds out of his daughters betrayal he states “I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear!” (Shakespeare, 3.1 83-84) Ultimately this speaks of Shylocks greed; he would rather have his jewels than have his daughter live after he feels he is betrayed. All of these things do much to humanize Shylock, but they do not justify his irrationally greedy tendencies.
Barbaras speaks to Ithamore and says “Now shalt though see the death of Abigail, Which though mayst freely live to be my heir.”(Marlowe, 3.4 63-64) Barbaras shows his true evil in that he is quite willing to sacrifice his daughter’s life in order to make Ithamore his heir. Granted, his daughter did fall for a Christian man, which Barbaras feels is a chief blasphemy, it is still not right of him to kill his beloved daughter.
Overall Barbaras commits the most number of murders, though ultimately society shuns him more thoroughly in the beginning than Shylock. After Barbaras has murdered all of the nuns he says
“There is no music to a Christian’s knell. How sweet the bells ring, now the nuns are dead, That sound at other times like tinkers’ pans! I was afraid the poison had not wrought, or, though it wrought, it would have done no good, for every year they swell, and yet they live. Now all are dead; not one remains alive.” (Marlowe, 4.1 1-4)
Barbaras admits in this passage
It is clear from these statements that Barbaras feels no remorse. It is also clear that he see’s no light in the teachings of Christianity. This leads one to wonder what weight he gives to Jewish teachings, which he refers to seldom in this play.
By the end of each play, both men, Barbaras and Shylock have; killed their daughters, sinned against their religion, murdered innocent people, and ultimately alienated themselves from society.
Works Cited
Marlowe, Christopher. Doctor Faustus AND OTHER PLAYS. New York, Oxfords World Classics, 1995
Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. New York, Bantam Books, 1988
English 283
Mr. Smith
The Alienation of Barbaras and Shylock
Christopher Marlowe penned The Jew of Malta in 1590; it contains a tail of Barbaras, an extremely wealthy Jew, who has his money taken from him by the governor of Malta. He then systematically gets his money back, but he does a thorough job of alienating him from society in the process. The caste system in Malta around the time that this book was set favored Christians, significantly below them stood the minority of Jews, and farther below were the Moors and the Turks. Barbaras murders an unknown number of people in excess of five. In addition to murder, he lies, sneaks, and is altogether unsavory character. The reader cannot help but sympathize with his situation after his government treats him so unfairly. 1.2 97-98
William Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice in approximately 1590, though it was sometime after The Jew of Malta was originally presented, it is clear reading both stories that Shakespeare read Marlowe’s work. It has been suggested that in writing The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare was trying to show up Marlowe’s efforts in The Jew of Malta.
Regardless of which playwright wrote the superior play is insignificant in the light of the richly developed characters in each play. Each author offers a rich, greedy, and ultimately evil man up for protagonist. Barbaras and Shylock each have been shunned by society. In Barbaras case more because of the governor’s unjust tax. Shylock does more to alienate himself in that he self imposes his alienation in his willingness to be Jewish, for which he perceives that he must kill Antonio. Both men have daughters, whom they ultimately kill.
While both characters do a very thorough job in alienating themselves. One can sympathize more with Barbaras more than Shylock. This is likely due to the fact that Marlowe could be considered of questionable character as well and generally Shakespeare is thought of as cleaner cut. Shylock would kill Antonio in cold blood, and likely suffer no remorse from it. While Barbaras kills many people ultimately he has more motivation in committing his murder in that, he was stripped of his money, his daughter left him, and he was basically left alone in the world.
Shylock proves himself to be ultimately evil in saying
“If a Jew wrongs a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.”(Shakespeare, 3.1 64-69)
These statements illustrate Shylocks view Christians in the world that surrounded him. While the description may be very accurate the way he would actually be treated, it is still wrong of him to do the same. Shylock perceives that he is obligated to avenge his religion no matter what cost.
It is plain that Barbaras is quite evil and unrepentant based on the following remarks he makes to his slave “I walk abroad a-nights And kill sick people groaning under walls; Sometimes I go about and poison wells...” Barbaras is cold and calculated in his killing of other people and he feels no remorse in it, but ultimately he is just seeking to get back that which is his, and not to necessarily avenge his entire religion as is Shylock.
Before Shylock agrees to the loan and the bond for Antonio, he states “I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you.”(Shakespeare, 1.3 30-35) This can be assumed because Shylock is presumed to be a money lender and thereby willing to do business with anyone; as long as he can make a profit. It does speak to his character in that while he has the right to refuse doing business with someone he will. This might be of good intent, or evil; depending on which circumstance becomes apparent. In this book it is used for evil because Shylock perceives a time when he might be able to kill a Christian man, and by making the bond something so unreasonable as a pound of flesh, he as good as states that ultimately he does want to kill Antonio.
Eventually after his many betrayals in The Jew of Malta Barbaras eventually does the former governor a big favor. Barbaras says “Governor, I enlarge thee. Live with me, Go walk about the city, see thy friends. Tush, send not letters to ‘em, go thyself, And let me see what money thou canst make. Here is my hand that I’ll set Malta free.” (Marlowe, 5.2 91-95) Barbaras says this because he has regained the power, he is now considered the governor. Ultimately Barbaras says that money is his vice and not power. It is with that in mind that he makes Ferneze the governor once more.
When Shylock finds out of his daughters betrayal he states “I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear!” (Shakespeare, 3.1 83-84) Ultimately this speaks of Shylocks greed; he would rather have his jewels than have his daughter live after he feels he is betrayed. All of these things do much to humanize Shylock, but they do not justify his irrationally greedy tendencies.
Barbaras speaks to Ithamore and says “Now shalt though see the death of Abigail, Which though mayst freely live to be my heir.”(Marlowe, 3.4 63-64) Barbaras shows his true evil in that he is quite willing to sacrifice his daughter’s life in order to make Ithamore his heir. Granted, his daughter did fall for a Christian man, which Barbaras feels is a chief blasphemy, it is still not right of him to kill his beloved daughter.
Overall Barbaras commits the most number of murders, though ultimately society shuns him more thoroughly in the beginning than Shylock. After Barbaras has murdered all of the nuns he says
“There is no music to a Christian’s knell. How sweet the bells ring, now the nuns are dead, That sound at other times like tinkers’ pans! I was afraid the poison had not wrought, or, though it wrought, it would have done no good, for every year they swell, and yet they live. Now all are dead; not one remains alive.” (Marlowe, 4.1 1-4)
Barbaras admits in this passage
It is clear from these statements that Barbaras feels no remorse. It is also clear that he see’s no light in the teachings of Christianity. This leads one to wonder what weight he gives to Jewish teachings, which he refers to seldom in this play.
By the end of each play, both men, Barbaras and Shylock have; killed their daughters, sinned against their religion, murdered innocent people, and ultimately alienated themselves from society.
Works Cited
Marlowe, Christopher. Doctor Faustus AND OTHER PLAYS. New York, Oxfords World Classics, 1995
Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. New York, Bantam Books, 1988
Total Comments 1
Comments
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Drew you might need to do some more editing. If fixed your font tags but there are some other format issues but I can read it now
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Posted 10-05-2007 at 03:43 PM by Grendel
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