Plot Structure in The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe:

 Plot Structure in The Jew of Malta by

Christopher Marlowe:

         

          Plot structure seems rather loose in the Jew of Malta to some extent. Plot is considered loose and the incident superfluous if by removing it doesn’t exploit story in plot. As far as concerned the Jew of Malta sometimes it seems condensed with various themes, incidents and events which make the main theme vague.

           Barabas, Abigale and governor are significant characters of the main plot. Barabas worships wealth and in tussle with governor Abigale, his daughter, helps him in collecting wealth from underground. Her character seems strong enough through all this process of planning, acting and getting back the treasure. Later on she is toyed by her father so easily even Ithamore laughs at her on being trapped by her father.

          Barabas announces that he would donate the money to the church while in fact he is not going to give money to anyone, nor to governor, nor to church, not to prostitute, not to Turkish ministry. He doesn’t care of any one and play tricks for the sake of wealth. Even he doesn’t hesitate to play game against his daughter who is his well wisher.

          Some aspects don’t connect with main theme of the play. Ithamore’s interest in prostitute, distort money and deceive Barabas. To remove such things could make the main theme clearer in this respect. Such details cause divert attention of audience and readers in this regard.

          There are many themes in the play which divert audience and readers attention as a whole.  Main theme as Barabas’s love of wealth, love to himself, deceive to others, make criminal plans and his tragic end could justified the play plot.  But some other themes may be boring and entangle story as a whole in the play.

          Another theme also is related with Abigale’s loyalty with her father, her unsuccessful love, entrance in convent first to pretend and then in grief and in last her tragic end. Innocent Abigale blindly believes in her father but is poisoned by him and he seems not worried about it. 

          Besides there are some other themes as religion, political matters, prostitute, servant’s treachery and is tyrannized by Barabas eventually.

The action moves quickly in final act and takes various turns differently. He plays fake his own death, political game for large money, disguise as a lute player leave negative effects on fluency in story as whole.