Christopher Marlowe, (1564 –1593)

 
The Jew of Malta
, (1589 or 1590)
An original story of religious conflict, intrigue, and revenge, set against the struggle for supremacy 
between Spain and the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean that takes place on the island of Malta. 
The 
Jew of Malta
is considered to have been a major influence on Shakespeare's 
The Merchant of Venice
. 
The title character, Barabas, is a complex character likely to provoke mixed reactions in an audience. Like 
Marlowe's other protagonists, such as Tamburlaine and Doctor Faustus, he 
dominates the play's action. There has been extensive debate about the play's 
portrayal of Jews and how Elizabethan audiences would have viewed it.