Selim Calymath

Selim (1531-1574) was one of the five sons of Suleiman I and succeeded him on the throne in 1566. Under his rule, the Ottomans won Cyprus but lost the naval battle of Lepanto. Selim II received the nickname "the drunkard", which he fully lived up to when he slipped in the bath, drunk as a skunk, and fractured his skull. He was not present at the siege of Malta.

The Jew of Malta

Calymath comes to Malta from the outside, which is already evident from the fact that he keeps all contracts and agreements. Despite defaulting on payment, he accommodates Ferneze, only to be cheated by him. To thank him for his help, he makes Barabas governor, only to be betrayed by him as well. It is remarkable that Calymath not only stands for a world long gone, where honesty, chivalry and loyalty to contract were still taken for granted, he also represents a faction of faith. On the whole, Marlowe has not dealt with any religion as benevolently as he has with the Muslims.


Aktualisiert am 10.05.2024

Comments are closed.