The Jew of Malta

Roles

• Barabas
• Ithimore

About this piece

Barabas and Ithimore plot to poison a nunnery

Summary

Barabas is a wealthy Jewish merchant who lives in Malta. At the beginning of the play he learns that the governor of the island has confiscated all his money and land in order to pay tribute to the Turks. His house is also confiscated and turned into a nunnery. Since he still has a lot of money hidden in the house, he proposes to his daughter to dress up as a nun, pretend to convert to christianity and join the convent in order to retrieve his hidden treasures. Barabas buys a Turkish slave, Ithimore, who seems to despise christians as much as he does. He later masterminds his first revenge plot. Knowing that the governor's son, Lodowick, is attracted to his daughter, he promises him her hand. At the same time he tells Mathias, his daughter's lover, that his daughter has plans for marriage. Mathias and Lodowick, who were good friends, both think that they have betrayed each other and fight in a duel in which are both killed. Abigail later learns from Ithimore that her father is behind their deaths and she vows revenge. She decides to enter a convent and convert to christianity for real. Barabas, enraged, plots to poison some food and send it to the convent in order to kill his daughter. In this scene Barabas instructs his servant Ithimore to deliver poisoned food to the convent in order to perpetrate his revenge plot.

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