1st Friar (Jacomo)

Jacomo is one of the two friars from The Jew of Malta. He is a Dominican, since Abigail asks for a brother of St. Jacques in [III,3]. The first Dominicans in Paris moved into the Hospice Saint-Jacques, which was located in an important street on the French Way of St…

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2nd Friar (Bernardine)

Bernardine is one of the two monks from The Jew of Malta. While it is clear from the text that Jacomo, the other devout friar, is a Dominican, his monastic order is not revealed. Based on the name, he could be a Cistercian. Saint Bernard de Clairvaux ensured that this…

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Abigail

Abigail, Barabas' daughter in Christopher Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta, carries a name that sardonically signifies "joy of the father." Her biblical origins trace back to mentions in 2 Samuel 17:25 and 1 Chronicles 2:16-17, where she is depicted as either the sister or half-sister of David. Amidst the ambiguity…

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Barabas

Barabas means "son of Abbas". In all four evangelists it is the name of the Zealot whom Pilate released instead of Jesus. Apart from that, there is no connection between the biblical figure and the title figure in The Jew of Malta. With Barabas, Marlowe shows a jew who absolutely…

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Bellamira

The courtesan in The Jew of Malta has a speaking name, which is composed of the Italian "bella" (beautiful) and "(am)mirare" (to admire). Her business suffers from the siege of Malta by the Ottomans. She seduces Ithimore, who blackmails with Pillia-Borza Barabas for her, who ultimately poisons all three. Ithimore…

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Ferneze

Since Charles V had given Malta to the Knights of St John, the island had been ruled by the respective Grand Master of the order. At the time of the Turkish siege, it was Jean Parisot de la Valette, the founder of the later capital Valetta. The name Ferneze is…

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Ithimore

In [Act II, Scene 3] of The Jew of Malta, Barabas buys the slave Ithimore. The name could go back to the biblical Itamar, the fourth son of Aaron and progenitor of the House of Eli.1 Against this speaks the fact that Ithimore himself states that he came from Thrace…

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Katharine

Katharine is the mother of Mathias, Abigail’s admirer. She only appears twice. In [II,3] she is displeased because her son is talking to Barabas. In [III,2] she laments her dead son and in [V,1] she briefly asks whether Barabas is indeed responsible for his death. From a conversation between Barabas…

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Lodowick

Lodowick is the son of Ferneze, the Governor of Malta. His friend Mathias tells him how beautiful Abigail, Baraba’s daughter, is. Although she loves Mathias, Lodowick finally wants to marry her. Barabas uses this for his revenge against Ferneze. He promises Abigail both Mathias and Lodowick and then provokes a…

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