BARABBAS IN PRISON by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
Barabbas, the biblical criminal set free in place of Jesus, addresses his fellow prisoners candidly about his identity, his life as a bandit, and the true reason for his chains — not for theft, but for opposing Rome.
The poem
BARABBAS, to his fellow-prisoners Barabbas is my name, Barabbas, the Son of Shame, Is the meaning, I suppose; I'm no better than the best, And whether worse than the rest Of my fellow-men, who knows? I was once, to say it in brief, A highwayman, a robber-chief, In the open light of day. So much I am free to confess; But all men, more or less, Are robbers in their way. From my cavern in the crags, From my lair of leaves and flags, I could see, like ants, below, The camels with their load Of merchandise, on the road That leadeth to Jericho. And I struck them unaware, As an eagle from the air Drops down upon bird or beast; And I had my heart's desire Of the merchants of Sidon and Tyre, And Damascus and the East. But it is not for that I fear; It is not for that I am here In these iron fetters bound; Sedition! that is the word That Pontius Pilate heard, And he liketh not the sound. What think ye, would he care For a Jew slain here or there, Or a plundered caravan? But Caesar!--ah, that is a crime, To the uttermost end of time Shall not be forgiven to man. Therefore was Herod wroth With Matthias Margaloth, And burned him for a show! Therefore his wrath did smite Judas the Gaulonite, And his followers, as ye know. For that cause and no more, Am I here, as I said before; For one unlucky night, Jucundus, the captain of horse, Was upon us with all his force, And I was caught in the flight, I might have fled with the rest, But my dagger was in the breast Of a Roman equerry, As we rolled there in the street, They bound me, hands and feet And this is the end of me. Who cares for death? Not I! A thousand times I would die, Rather than suffer wrong! Already those women of mine Are mixing the myrrh and the wine; I shall not be with you long.
Barabbas, the biblical criminal set free in place of Jesus, addresses his fellow prisoners candidly about his identity, his life as a bandit, and the true reason for his chains — not for theft, but for opposing Rome. He remains unyielding, declaring he would rather die a thousand deaths than bow to injustice. This powerful monologue sheds light on one of the Bible's most forgotten characters and encourages us to reflect on power, crime, and what constitutes a real wrongdoing.
Line-by-line
Barabbas is my name, / Barabbas, the Son of Shame,
I was once, to say it in brief, / A highwayman, a robber-chief,
From my cavern in the crags, / From my lair of leaves and flags,
And I struck them unaware, / As an eagle from the air
But it is not for that I fear; / It is not for that I am here
What think ye, would he care / For a Jew slain here or there,
Therefore was Herod wroth / With Matthias Margaloth,
For that cause and no more, / Am I here, as I said before;
I might have fled with the rest, / But my dagger was in the breast
Who cares for death? Not I! / A thousand times I would die,
Tone & mood
The tone is defiantly sardonic throughout. Barabbas talks with the confidence of someone who has nothing to lose and no need for pretense. There's a dark humor in his logic — he seems almost amused by the difference between his real crimes and the one that led to his execution. Beneath the bravado, however, there's genuine anger at Roman authority and the randomness of imperial justice. Longfellow maintains a grounded, colloquial voice, which makes the political critique hit harder.
Symbols & metaphors
- The eagle — Barabbas likens himself to an eagle diving for its prey, presenting his banditry as something instinctive and even admirable instead of merely illegal. This imagery distinguishes him from the merchants below—he is the predator, they are the prey, creating a hierarchy that feels almost like a natural ecosystem.
- Iron fetters — The chains symbolize the tangible power of Rome. They signify more than just imprisonment; they illustrate the state's authority to determine who qualifies as a criminal. Barabbas highlights that the true criminals, the Roman occupiers, are free of any chains.
- Myrrh and wine — The women mixing myrrh and wine refers to the drink traditionally given to condemned men before crucifixion in Jewish custom. This detail indicates that Barabbas's execution is near and ties his fate to the larger Passion narrative unfolding nearby.
- The road to Jericho — This road has biblical significance—it's the same path from the parable of the Good Samaritan, linked to themes of robbery and vulnerability. Longfellow uses it to ground Barabbas in a familiar moral setting, subtly questioning who the true thieves are.
- Sedition — The word itself symbolizes the divide between Roman law and true justice. Barabbas uses it with a hint of mockery — for Pilate, it’s the charge that holds weight, not murder or theft. It highlights how political power turns resistance into a crime while overlooking the pain of everyday people.
Historical context
Longfellow wrote this poem for his collection *Christus: A Mystery* (1872), which is a trilogy of dramatic works that delve into the history of Christianity. Barabbas is the man the crowd chose to release instead of Jesus during Pilate's Passover tradition of freeing a prisoner—a figure that appears briefly in all four Gospels but lacks much inner complexity. Longfellow was attracted to the dramatic monologue style, popular in the Victorian era, as a means to explore lesser-known biblical figures. He referenced the Jewish historian Josephus for historical details, including Matthias Margaloth and Judas the Gaulonite. The poem showcases Longfellow's wider interest in justice, empire, and the human toll of political power—issues that were particularly relevant in post-Civil War America, where debates about law, freedom, and the definition of criminality were very much at the forefront.
FAQ
Barabbas is a prisoner referenced in all four Gospels. During Passover, Pontius Pilate presented the crowd with a choice to release one prisoner, and they opted for Barabbas instead of Jesus. The Gospels depict him in different ways—as a robber, a murderer, and someone involved in an insurrection—which aligns closely with Longfellow's portrayal of him.
Barabbas is a biblical figure, and the poem's historical references — Matthias Margaloth, Judas the Gaulonite, Jucundus — come from Josephus's *Antiquities of the Jews* and *The Jewish War*. While Longfellow created the specific details of Barabbas's speech, he rooted it in actual historical context.
A dramatic monologue is a poem that takes the form of a speech from one character, typically addressing an unseen audience. Through the speaker's words and manner of speaking, the reader gains insight into their personality. Longfellow employs this technique here to allow Barabbas to express his own voice instead of being shaped by the views of others—a method that Robert Browning popularized during the same period.
It's his way of balancing the moral scales. He acknowledges committing highway robbery while pointing out that merchants, rulers, and empires all seize what doesn't belong to them—they just hide behind legal protections. It’s a jaded perspective, but the poem doesn’t fully dismiss it, particularly with the portrayal of Roman imperial power.
Sedition refers to the act of encouraging resistance or rebellion against those in power. Barabbas highlights that Rome is indifferent to common crimes — the death of an ordinary Jew or a robbed caravan hardly matters. However, any action that challenges Caesar's authority is viewed as the most serious crime. This serves as a critique of how those in power prioritize their own protection above everything else.
In Jewish tradition, prisoners who were condemned to death received a mixture of wine and myrrh to numb the pain of their execution. Barabbas notes that the women are already getting it ready, indicating that his crucifixion is just around the corner. This subtle detail adds a sense of immediacy to his impending death and ties his fate to the Passion narrative occurring simultaneously.
*Christus: A Mystery* is a three-part dramatic work that Longfellow published in 1872. It explores the history of Christianity, starting from Jesus' birth and moving through the medieval period to the Puritan era. The first part, *The Divine Tragedy*, includes "Barabbas in Prison," which dramatizes events from the Gospels. Longfellow highlights peripheral figures like Barabbas to enrich the human experience surrounding the central narrative.
Longfellow doesn’t turn him into a saint, but he does help us understand him. Barabbas confesses to robbery and murder without any regret, yet his rage against Roman injustice feels justified. The poem challenges you to embrace both sides: he is a violent man, but the system that judges him is equally violent and hypocritical. Sympathy might not be the best term — it’s more about acknowledgment.