Gold
Gold symbolizes wealth and power. Nearly every character in The Jew of Malta desires gold at some point in the play, and as such the plot revolves around the machinations of characters as they attempt to amass wealth for themselves. Barabas, the wealthiest Jew in Malta, starts off the play with a surplus of wealth that is then seized by Ferneze and the city in an attempt to pay tribute to the Turks. Despite the flagrant prejudice that Barabas faces, he is nonetheless respected for the fortune has accrued, showing how money is itself a symbol of power.
Barabas's Nose
Many characters in the play make frequent reference to Barabas's enormous nose. These references symbolize the prejudice that Jews faced both in 16th-century Malta and 16th-century England, Marlowe's own period. Large noses were frequently used to caricature Jewish people at the time, despite the fact that hook noses are common among many groups of Mediterranean descent.
The Slave Market
After Barabas recovers his gold, he travels to the slave market where he purchases Ithamore. Some argue that the slave market is an allegory for the entire play, in that the slave market represents the multicultural identity of Malta and embodies the notion that "everyone's price is written on his back" (2.3). In many ways, the slave market represents the convergence of identities who show up to buy and sell under the notion that everything – even a person – is a commodity.
Machiavellianism
Machiavellianism – or the behaviors and philosophers associated with Machiavelli – frames the entire play. The Prologue is spoken by Machiavel, who asks the audience not to judge Barabas too cruelly because he sides with Machiavelli's principles. That is because Niccolo Machiavelli was (and still is) associated with the notion that politics are necessarily cutthroat, and that politicians can and should act with deceit, manipulation, and dishonesty. Barabas comes to embody these ideas wholeheartedly, but the play also suggests that other characters subscribe to this Machiavellian philosophy without receiving the kind of criticism Barabas receives as a Jew.
The Bible
The play makes frequent reference to the Bible as different characters allude to the Old Testament throughout. Notably, however, these allusions are often ironic or incorrect. Barabas, for example, claims that Abigail's conversion to Christianity will be punished in the same way that Adam punished Cain for killing his brother, Abel. It is not, however, Adam who punishes Cain for his transgression in the Bible but God. These faulty allusions help emphasize the play's focus on religious skepticism – despite its flagrant anti-Semitism, The Jew of Malta presents all religious groups as fundamentally hypocritical.
