The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe was a 16th century English playwright. He was the leading Elizabethan tragedian before Shakespeare. His works are known for their overreaching protagonists and his use of blank verse. Little is known about Marlowe's life, but there is much speculation about his possibly being a spy, homosexual, a heretic, magician and atheist. Written in 1589 The Jew of Malta tells the story of religious conflict, intrigue, and revenge, set against a backdrop of the struggle for supremacy between Spain and the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean on the island of Malta. Barabas is introduced as a man owning more wealth than all of Malta. When Turkish ships arrive to demand tribute, Barabas's wealth is seized and he is left penniless. Barabas uses a slave and his daughter's beauty to attempt revenge and regain his fortune.“The great strength of Mathew Martin’s edition is the ease of access it gives scholars and students to one of Marlowe’s strangest and most disturbing playsHe achieves this not simply by exemplary annotations, but by framing Marlowe’s text within an introduction and richly informative appendices that place the play securely in its contemporary social, cultural, and political contexts, enabling readers to negotiate complexities of tone and racial attitudes with subtle insight. The effect is precisely to highlight the daring originality of Marlowe’s dramatic artistry and his exacting control of both the arts of performance and his audience’s responses.” — Richard Allen Cave, Emeritus Professor of Drama and Theatre Arts, Royal Holloway, University of London
“The Jew of Malta is one of early modern England’s most controversial plays on its most controversial topic—the collision of world religions. Martin’s terrific new edition brilliantly captures the gist of its cut-and-thrust. The introduction offers readers a sophisticated entrée into Anglo-Ottoman relations, European anti-Semitism, theatre history, and Machiavellianism. The edition is elegantly edited, with many resources for readers who want to understand one of Marlowe’s greatest plays in its historical milieu.” — Alan Shepard, President of Concordia University
Mathew R. Martin is Full Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Brock University.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781554810680 |
| ISBN 10 | 155481068X |
| Title | The Jew of Malta |
| Author | Christopher Marlowe |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Broadview Press Ltd |
| Year published | 2011-12-30 |
| Number of pages | 290 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |