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Scene Study prepares you to perform key scenes for your theater class or audition. We've got all the information you need for a great performance.

Excerpt from Act 1, Scene 2 Dialogue: Ferneze, Barabas, First Knight

 

FIRST KNIGHT

From naught at first thou cam’st to little wealth,
From little unto more, from more to most:
If your first curse fall heavy on thy head,
And make thee poor and scorn’d of all the world,
’Tis not our fault, but thy inherent sin.

BARABAS

What, bring you Scripture to confirm your wrongs?
Preach me not out of my possessions.
Some Jews are wicked, as all Christians are:
But say the tribe that I descended of
Were all in general cast away for sin,
Shall I be tried by their transgression?
The man that dealeth righteously shall live;
And which of you can charge me otherwise?...

Read the full dialogue.
 

 

Understanding the Given Circumstances

  • The scene takes place in Malta, likely in a public or official space under the authority of Governor Ferneze. In this location, Barabas must engage with the governing Christian leaders.
  • The scene unfolds during a period of heightened tension between Christians and Jews in Malta, marked by political and religious conflict. It specifically reflects the prevalent anti-Semitic attitudes of Renaissance England, which often stereotyped Jews as greedy, deceitful, and morally corrupt.
  • Leading up to this scene, Governor Ferneze has imposed a decree requiring the Jews of Malta to surrender half their wealth to finance a defense against the Turks. Barabas refuses to comply, prompting Ferneze to threaten total confiscation.
  • As the governor, Ferneze holds authority over Barabas and the Jewish community. His decree carries the full weight of law, and he can seize property and impose harsh consequences for defiance. If he resists, Barabas risks losing everything—not just half of his wealth, but his entire fortune and status in Malta.
  • Barabas must navigate this interaction carefully. Openly challenging Ferneze could provoke severe retaliation, but submission would mean a significant personal and financial loss.
  • Ferneze’s threats escalate the conflict, putting Barabas in a desperate situation where his options are limited. His reaction in this moment will shape the events that follow.

 

Blocking and Movement

In theater, blocking is the process of planning the actors’ physical movements and positions. Be sure to show respect and establish trust when working with scene partners. As you prepare to block this scene, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What is Barabas’s primary motivation in this scene? Consider his desperation to protect his wealth and his disdain for the hypocrisy of Ferneze and the Christian authorities. How does this shape his tone and interactions?
  • How might Barabas physically express his defiance and desperation as he argues with Ferneze?
  • What is Ferneze’s physical posture as the authoritative figure?
  • How does the First Knight’s presence influence the tension between Barabas and Ferneze? Does he step between them, stand as a silent enforcer, or react subtly to the dialogue?
  • When Barabas accuses the Christians of theft for raising taxes on the Jews, how might he use proximity to Ferneze to heighten the confrontation?
  • How might Barabas react physically when the First Knight suggests turning his house into a nunnery? What does this suggestion signify to Barabas?

 

Character Relationships

Before this scene, Barabas, a wealthy Jewish merchant, has been forced into conflict with Governor Ferneze, who has ordered the seizure of Jewish wealth to fund Malta’s defense. Barabas refuses to comply, viewing the decree as theft, while Ferneze insists it serves the greater good. Their relationship is defined by power imbalance—Ferneze has legal authority, while Barabas is at his mercy. The First Knight reinforces Ferneze’s power, supporting the governor’s stance and reflecting the broader Christian view that frames Barabas as morally corrupt. His presence heightens the stakes for Barabas, who faces both financial ruin and social alienation.

When approaching this scene for performance, ask yourself the following questions:

  • How does Ferneze view Barabas, and how does this influence their dynamic? Think about Ferneze’s role as the governor and his justification for seizing Barabas’ property. Does his authority manifest as cold detachment or righteous indignation?
  • How does Barabas perceive the First Knight? Is the knight merely an extension of Ferneze’s power or a symbol of the broader Christian oppression Barabas faces?
  • What is the First Knight’s function in this scene? Consider whether he serves as a passive enforcer or if his presence adds pressure to Barabas’ predicament.
  • How does Barabas’s Jewish identity influence his interactions with Ferneze and the First Knight? Think about how his experience of religious discrimination and social alienation might affect his behavior.

 

Meaning in Heightened Language

In The Jew of Malta, Christopher Marlowe employs blank verse—unrhymed iambic pentameter—throughout the play, including in the Prologue and Act I, Scene i. This structured but unrhymed form adds a blunt force to the characters’ speech, making their words feel direct and emphatic. Machevill’s lines in the Prologue set the tone through a style that is forceful and unembellished. Throughout the play, characters use sharp, confrontational language. Ferneze speaks in measured, authoritative lines, while Barabas’s speech is often laced with sarcasm, exclamations, and rhetorical questions. The First Knight’s brief but moralizing contributions add another layer to the power dynamics in the scene.

Consider the following:

  • Barabas’s line, “O earth-mettled villains, and no Hebrews born!” begins with an exclamation and accusatory phrasing. What does his way of speaking at the beginning of the scene reveal about his outrage and defiance?
  • Ferneze’s declaration, “Either pay that, or we will seize on all,” is a short, declarative sentence. What does this statement emphasize about Ferneze’s power position?
  • Barabas’s use of rhetorical questions—“Is theft the ground of your religion?” and “What, bring you Scripture to confirm your wrongs?”—challenges his oppressors. What feelings can you convey by adjusting your inflection and tone when asking these questions?
  • The First Knight’s remark, “From naught at first thou cam’st to little wealth, / From little unto more, from more to most,” has a rhythmic, almost poetic structure. How can you pace this line to underscore the judgmental nature of his speech?
  • Ferneze’s final line, “It shall be so,” is abrupt and absolute. How would you deliver this decision to end the scene?

 

Full Act 1, Scene 2 Dialogue: Ferneze, Barabas, First Knight

 

BARABAS

O earth-mettled villains, and no Hebrews born!
And will you basely thus submit yourselves
To leave your goods to their arbitrement?

FERNEZE

Why, Barabas, wilt thou be christened?

BARABAS

No, governor, I will be no convertite.

FERNEZE

Then pay thy half.

BARABAS

Why, know you what you did by this device?
Half of my substance is a city’s wealth.
Governor, it was not got so easily;
Nor will I part so slightly therewithal.

FERNEZE

Sir, half is the penalty of our decree;
Either pay that, or we will seize on all.

BARABAS

Corpo di Dio! stay: you shall have half;
Let me be us’d but as my brethren are.

FERNEZE

No, Jew, thou hast denied the articles,
And now it cannot be recall’d.

[Exeunt OFFICERS, on a sign from FERNEZE]

BARABAS

Will you, then, steal my goods?

Is theft the ground of your religion?

FERNEZE

No, Jew; we take particularly thine,
To save the ruin of a multitude:
And better one want for a common good,
Than many perish for a private man:
Yet, Barabas, we will not banish thee,
But here in Malta, where thou gott’st thy wealth,
Live still; and, if thou canst, get more.

BARABAS

Christians, what or how can I multiply?
Of naught is nothing made.

FIRST KNIGHT

From naught at first thou cam’st to little wealth,
From little unto more, from more to most:
If your first curse fall heavy on thy head,
And make thee poor and scorn’d of all the world,
’Tis not our fault, but thy inherent sin.

BARABAS

What, bring you Scripture to confirm your wrongs?
Preach me not out of my possessions.
Some Jews are wicked, as all Christians are:
But say the tribe that I descended of
Were all in general cast away for sin,
Shall I be tried by their transgression?
The man that dealeth righteously shall live;
And which of you can charge me otherwise?

FERNEZE

Out, wretched Barabas!
Sham’st thou not thus to justify thyself,
As if we knew not thy profession?
If thou rely upon thy righteousness,
Be patient, and thy riches will increase.
Excess of wealth is cause of covetousness;
And covetousness, O, ’tis a monstrous sin!

BARABAS

Ay, but theft is worse: tush! take not from me, then,
For that is theft; and, if you rob me thus,
I must be forc’d to steal, and compass more.

FIRST KNIGHT

Grave governor, list not to his exclaims:
Convert his mansion to a nunnery;
His house will harbour many holy nuns.

FERNEZE

It shall be so.

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