me the way Marlowe presents his protagonist on the fallacies of the time, it is not because he does not know any better, but because Marlowe chooses to satire other common representations of the time. Barabas is still presented with the same types of stereo-types as any other Elizabethan dramatist portraying a Jew would, yet there is an additional layer of parody. Marlowe is somehow mocking the way his society presents the Jews. Marlowe makes a caricature, a ludicrous parody of the popular Elizabethan stereo-types of the sly, shrewish Jew. Though it is clear that there are some classically Jewish characteristics in Barabas. His vices are not so much those that can be attributed to a Jew as much as those of a villain. Yet somehow this villainy allows us to almost respect and glorify him. Barabas career is one of unbroken infamy, he cheats, lies, robs betrays and poisons an entire nunnery. Yet within this utterly melodramatic outline, Marlowe has created a compelling at times almost sympathetic character (shylock20) His deceit and other treachery, though normally would repel the reader, yet somehow Barabas fascinates us. Despite all his wrong doing we almost root for him to fulfill his plans. As John Gross, author of Shylock says No one could accuse Marlowe of painting a flattering portrait of a Machiavellan Jew, and yet one grows a good deal fonder of him than any other character.(tydeman62) His position as an outsider allows us to sympathize with his position and the cunning with which he executes his evil makes him our hero.It would be foolish to assume that Barabas distancing from others was not part of his plan to deceive and then triumph over both the Christians and Turks. It then becomes apparent that it was Marlowes intention for the reader to parallel the actions of Barabas to the great philosopher and politic Machiavelli. Barabas cruelty no matter what the costs is a direct extension of the philosophy that Machiavelli preac...
