If we look more closely into the two plays of Marlowe and Shakespeare, and compare not only Barabas with Shylock, but also Marlowe's Christians with those of Shakespeare, we find a dissimilarity in the portraiture of the Christians so marked that it is impossible to ignore the idea that Shakespeare, perhaps, wished to protest not against Marlowe's "inhuman Jew," but against his pagan Christians. The variance, in fact, is too striking to be accidental, as the following table will show: THE FAMOUS TRAGEDY OF THE THE MOST EXCELLENT RICH JEW OF MALTA. HISTORY OF THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. The play is named after the The play is named after the Jew who owns the argosies. Christian who owns the argosies. The Christians take forcible The Christians ask a loan of possession of all the Jew's the Jew on business terms. wealth. The Jew upbraids the Christians The Christian upbraids the for quoting Scripture to Jew for quoting Scripture to defend their roguery. defend his roguery. The Christians break faith A Christian Court upholds with the Turks, and also with the Jew's claim to his bond. the Jew. The Jew's daughter Abigail Jessica gives away her father's rescues her father's money money to the Christians. from the Christians. The Jew's servant helps his Launcelot leaves his master master to cheat the Christians. to join the Christians. Two Christians try to cajole Lorenzo elopes with Jessica, the Jew of his daughter, and die and finally inherits the Jew's victims to his treachery. wealth. Abigail becomes a Christian Jessica becomes a Christian and is poisoned by her father. and is happy ever after. The Jew is the means of Portia saves the Christian saving the Christians from the from the Jew. Turks. The Christians are accessory The Christians spare the to the Jew's death, which is an Jew's life, which is an act of act of treachery on their part. mercy on their part.