The Jew of Malta, Second Edition (New Mermaids) [Paperback]

Christopher Marlowe (Author), James R. Siemon (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0393900703 | ISBN-13: 978-0393900705 | Publication Date: January 1995 | Edition: 2

New Mermaids are modernized and fully-annotated editions of classic English plays. Each volume includes:

• The playtext, in modern spelling, edited to the highest bibliographical and textual standards
• Textual notes recording significant changes to the copytext and variant readings
• Glossing notes explaining obscure words and word-play
• Critical, contextual and staging notes
• Photographs of productions where applicable
• A full introduction which provides a critical account of the play, the staging conventions of the time and recent stage history; discusses authorship, date, sources and the text; and gives guidance for further reading.

Edited and updated by leading scholars and printed in a clear, easy-to-use format, New Mermaids offer invaluable guidance for actor, student, and theatre-goer alike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

(in full The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Jew of Malta) Five-act tragedy in blank verse by Christopher Marlowe, produced about 1590 and published in 1633. In order to raise tribute demanded by the Turks, Ferneze, the Christian governor of Malta, seizes half the property of all Jews living on Malta. When Barabas, a wealthy Jewish merchant, protests, his entire estate is confiscated. Seeking revenge on his enemies, Barabas plots their destruction, but in the end he is betrayed and dies the death he had planned for his enemies. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

About the Author

Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) was an English dramatist, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 118 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 2 edition (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393900703
• ISBN-13: 978-0393900705
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,153,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Infinite riches in a little play, October 12, 2006

By 

Buffy "The English Teacher" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Jew of Malta (Revels Student Editions) (Paperback)

Ok, so perhaps not infinite, but lots. Marlowe's plays are all a bit strange in their own way. The Jew of Malta is sort of like a really raw take on the issues in the Merchant of Venice (i.e. no sweet love story here). But Marlowe's Barabas gets to enjoy being bad a lot more than Shylock does, and the character is amazingly capable of perhaps not earning the reader's sympathy but extracting her complicity instead. There's some great language in this play and some spectacular misanthropy. The revels editions are always a good bet; they have enough scholarly apparatus to be of significant help and are well-edited and well laid-out on the page. This one is very thin and portable, and so it can feel like a rip-off for 9 bucks. However, the quality of the critical help here is far greater than in the Everyman collected edition of Marlowe.

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Marlowe's Best, But Still Interesting., March 25, 2000

By 

Sean Ares Hirsch - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Jew of Malta, Second Edition (New Mermaids) (Paperback)

I do not feel this matches Marlowe's "Faustus," "Massacre At Paris," "Dido Queen of Carthage," or "Edward II." But it does have some memorable features. At first, Barabas is a sympathetic character, but like many of Marlowe's characters, he goes too far and becomes detestable. Barabas' daughter Abigail is a striking figure. She initially feels sorry for her father but later sees what he has become and falls victim to her father's wickedness. Her death as a Christain in 3.6 is memorable. Ithamore is convincing as a villain who knows no honor. Ferneze is fine as the hero who eventually restores order. It's not Marlowe's best play, but it is still worth some interest.