The Jew of Malta

by

Christopher Marlowe

The Jew of Malta: Act 3, Scene 4 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Barabas enters, reading a letter from Abigail. He is shocked that his daughter has joined the convent, and now she expects him to atone, too. Barabas worries that Abigail knows about his involvement in Mathias and Lodowick’s deaths, for it certainly appears as if she does not love Barabas anymore. Ithamore suddenly enters and interrupts Barabas. “Come near my love,” Barabas says to Ithamore, “my second life.” He asks Ithamore when he last saw Abigail, and Ithamore claims he saw her earlier in the day with Friar Jacomo.
Clearly, Barabas views Abigail joining the nunnery as a betrayal of him and, presumably, their Jewish faith, even though Barabas doesn’t actually observe his faith in any real way. Now that Barabas considers Abigail lost to the Christians, he speaks to Ithamore as his “love” and “second life.” Ithamore quickly moves into Abigail’s place in Barabas’s heart, which reflects how shallow Barabas really is and again suggests he never really loved his daughter like he claimed to.
Themes
Religious Hypocrisy Theme Icon
Betrayal and Revenge  Theme Icon
Literary Devices
Barabas is certain that Jacomo is to blame for Abigail’s conversion. Abigail has definitely joined the convent, Ithamore confirms, but she sent for the friar herself. “False, credulous, inconstant Abigail!” Barabas cries. He claims his daughter is a “disgrace,” and he swears that she will never inherit a trace of his wealth. Barabas vows that she will die by his “bitter curse,” just “like Cain by Adam, for his brother’s death.” 
Barabas’s love for Abigail is conditional, as evidenced by his claim that she is “inconstant” and a “disgrace” for joining the convent. Still, Barabas’s thoughts go immediately to his money, which again reflects his greed and overwhelming love for his gold. Notably, Cain was cursed by God, not Adam. Barabas’s mistake here again reveals his religious hypocrisy, as he doesn’t appear to know the Bible well.
Themes
Religious Hypocrisy Theme Icon
Money and Greed Theme Icon
Betrayal and Revenge  Theme Icon
Ithamore tries to interrupt Barabas’s rant, but Barabas doesn’t listen and tells Ithamore not to defend Abigail. Barabas further says that he could not stand it if Ithamore hated him like Abigail clearly does, but Ithamore promises complete devotion to Barabas and says he would do anything for his master. Barabas says that Ithamore is his only friend, and he promises that Ithamore will inherit all his wealth upon his death. Until then, Barabas says that Ithamore is welcome to half of all that he has, offering him new clothes and the keys to his house. But first, Ithamore must fetch Barabas a pot of rice. Ithamore agrees and exits. 
While Barabas swears his love to Ithamore and claims that Ithamore can have all that he has, Barabas doesn’t actually give him anything. Likely, Barabas’s love for Ithamore is just another Machiavellian scheme to recover his lost wealth and exact his revenge. Barabas complains that Abigail hates him, but he refuses to take responsibility for why she likely hates him (he essentially murdered her love), which again reveals Barabas’s deceitfulness and despicable nature.
Themes
God and Machiavellianism Theme Icon
Money and Greed Theme Icon
Betrayal and Revenge  Theme Icon
Ithamore soon returns with a pot of rice, and Barabas tells him that he will soon witness Abigail’s death and become Barabas’s only heir. Ithamore is excited to hear it and asks if Barabas plans to poison the rice. Yes, Barabas says, with a special powder he bought from an Italian port. The poison is strong, but it takes 40 hours to take effect. Barabas says that Ithamore is to take the pot of rice to the nunnery and drop it off as alms. Ithamore must be careful not to be seen, Barabas says, dropping in the poison. Ithamore immediately agrees, but Barabas tells him to slow down and let him stir. The rice will be fatal, Barabas says, like that “which great Alexander drunk,” or “like Borgia’s wine.”
Barabas’s likens his poison to that which killed Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE) and Cesare Borgia (1475-1507), who were both reportedly poisoned to death. Barabas tells Ithamore to slow down, as if Barabas wants to relish the process of killing his daughter and an entire convent of nuns. This kind of cruelty and hate makes it difficult for the reader to sympathize with Barabas. As Marlowe’s play is a tragedy, the reader can assume that Barabas will likely meet some tragic end, but it is impossible to feel sorry for Barabas after proving himself such a despicable human being.
Themes
God and Machiavellianism Theme Icon
Betrayal and Revenge  Theme Icon
Quotes
Get the entire The Jew of Malta LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Jew of Malta PDF
Barabas hands the poisoned rice to Ithamore and tells him to hurry back after he has dropped it at the convent; Barabas has more work for Ithamore to do. Ithamore agrees and hurries off. As Ithamore exits, he says that Barabas may pay him later. Once Ithamore is gone, Barabas says that he plans to pay Ithamore “with a vengeance.”
At this point, Barabas has no reason to seek vengeance against Ithamore, since Ithamore is yet to betray him. Still, Barabas appears completely obsessed with thoughts of revenge, which suggests that vengeance is a slippery slope. Barabas begins only seeking revenge against Ferneze, but now he is seeking revenge against Abigail, the Christian convent, and Ithamore.
Themes
God and Machiavellianism Theme Icon
Betrayal and Revenge  Theme Icon
Literary Devices