The Jew of Malta

Being one of Christopher Marlowe's most celebrated plays, The Jew of Malta tells the story of the eponymous Barabas, a wealthy merchant who, as explained in the prologue, has amassed a great fortune through following Machiavellian teachings. His troubles start when he is informed that the fleet containing almost all of his wealth has docked in Malta and that, like all other Jewish merchants, he must offer half of his estate to the governor who must, in turn, pay tribute to the Ottoman Empire.