Machiavellianism In The Jew Of Malta

Christopher Marlowe is the greatest dramatist of the Elizabethan era.The representation of Machiavellianism in his The Jew of Malta has long provided domestic and foreign researchers with a lot of inspiration.At the same time,humanistic thoughts were particularly popular during the Renaissance.Therefore,the manifestation of Machiavellianism in the Renaissance drama is of great significance for clarifying the playwright's attitude towards the relationship between Machiavellianism and humanism.This thesis employs Marlowe's The Jews of Malta as an example to analyze the interpretation of Machiavellism in the play,so as to show more clearly Marlowe's attitude towards Machiavellianism.This thesis consists of four chapters in addition to the introduction and conclusion.The first chapter is the literature review on related studies of Marlowe and The Jew of Malta both abroad and at home.The second chapter is the theoretical basis of this thesis,mainly introducing Machiavellianism and explaining why this approach is adopted.The third and the fourth chapters are the main part of the thesis,aiming to explore the connection between Machiavellianism and humanism as presented in The Jew of Malta in three aspects with the focus on the protagonist Barabas from the manifestation of Machiavellianism in both positive and negative aspects.The main part of this thesis is supplemented by the analysis of other people on this island of Malta,and the conclusion is drawn that Machiavellianism embodied in The Jew of Malta is a reproduction of the playwrights' ideas during the Renaissance which has far-reaching impact on the playwrights at the time.Through textual analysis of The Jew of Malta by combining it with Machiavellianism,this thesis is to present a more comprehensive and profound understanding of Marlowe's play and the creative thinking of playwrights represented by him at that time.This thesis believes that the concept of liberty and human power shown in the play is actually a record and reflection of Elizabethan humanism that influenced the thinking of the people at that time.The series of the protagonist's shift,from the victim to the avenger and to the final tragic death,runs through the entire drama.Through this setting,Marlowe highlights his recognition of humanism and his disapproval of excessive freedom and power.This can also provide guidelines for human thinking and development.