Christopher MarlowewroteThe Jew of Maltaat the height of his career, and it remained popular until England’s theaters were closed by Parliament in 1642. Many have critiqued it for its portrayal of Elizabethan antisemitism, but others argue that Marlowe criticizes Judaism, Islam, and Christianity equally for their hypocrisy. This antisemitism debate continues on toShakespeare’sThe Merchant of Venice, which was written about ten years later and which some consider to be directly...