Ithamore is less a foil for Barabas than a villainous sidekick who tries to emulate his master's cunning. When the two meet, the slave states that he has no "profession." Barabas replies that he will teach him to be ruthless and indeed, many of the play's murders result from the scheming of these two characters. Despite his grisly past spent killing Christians, Ithamore is more naïve than his master. However, both share a delight in killing for its own sake. Ostensibly, the slave murders to win his master's favor and become his heir but, in reality, Ithamore's crimes are without motive. His dalliance with the prostitute Bellamira shows how susceptible Ithamore is to manipulation. He seems particularly credulous when it comes to Bellamira's scheme to bribe Barabas.