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Act 3, Scene 1
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
Now alone, Lockit plans his revenge on Peachum (whom he thinks helped Macheath escape). He comments that this is only fair, because everyone cheats their friends and neighbors, Peachum included. He sings about how gamblers can become friends, even though they’re all trying to profit at each other’s expense (Air 43).
Lockit’s comments about morality and corruption closely resemble Peachum’s in the play’s very first scene. Peachum has long made money by heartlessly sending his friends and colleagues to their deaths; now, he will get a taste of his own medicine, as Lockit plans to do the same to him. In fact, both Lockit and Peachum know that the men they kill are morally no different from themselves.
Themes
Lucy comes in and Lockit asks if anyone from Peachum’s gang is at Newgate. Lucy says that Filch is drinking with Black Moll next door, and Lockit asks her to bring him over.
Lockit wants to talk to Filch so that he can get the information he needs to take revenge on Peachum. Fortunately for Lockit, doing so should be easy—all the criminals in this play are selfish and opportunistic, which means that they’re always willing to betray their friends and even bosses for the right price.
Themes
