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Act 2, Scene 9
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Beggar’s Opera, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Moral Corruption and Hypocrisy
Gender, Love, and Marriage
Class, Capitalism, and Inequality
Opera, High Art, and Performance
Summary
Analysis
Peachum and Lockit agree to split the bounty for capturing Macheath. As they go through last year’s account book, Peachum complains that the government isn’t paying him his bounties on time. He even threatens to start letting thieves go free. Lockit agrees: the government doesn’t trust men like them. But Peachum notes that they are no more dishonest than politicians—their jobs are also based on betrayal. Lockit tells Peachum to watch his language, then sings about the dangers of offending people (Air 30).
It's little surprise that Peachum, the crime boss and thief-catcher, is working together with Lockit, the corrupt jailer. As they point out, there is no justice even at the highest levels of the government: everyone is just as corrupt and self-interested as they are. While Lockit takes offense when Peachum points this out, Peachum thinks it’s best to look squarely at the truth. This highlights the one major difference between Peachum and all of the play’s other corrupt characters: Peachum understands that everyone around him is greedy and selfish, and he does not hold others to a higher moral standard than himself.
Themes
Peachum comes across the name Ned Clincher in his book. He recalls that Ned paid Lockit to delay his execution, but Lockit didn’t follow through with the agreement. Lockit furiously accuses Peachum of attacking his honor. Peachum notes that Mrs. Coaxer has accused Lockit of stealing her commission for turning someone in. Lockit and Peachum attack one another and threaten to have the other hanged, until Peachum points out that it’s in both of their interests to reach an agreement. Lockit agrees and promises to forgive Peachum, who leaves to go home.
Lockit and Peachum’s argument shows that their partnership is purely opportunistic—it isn’t based on trust, friendship, or anything else of the like. It also demonstrates that, at best, a corrupt society can hold together because of mutually assured destruction: people keep their promises only because they know that breaking them will invite revenge. Unfortunately, like Macheath, Lockit takes self-interest a bit too far, to the point of undermining his whole business—and when confronted, he reacts through lies and denial.
Themes
