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    The Beggar's Opera
    The Beggar's Opera
    The Beggar's Opera
    Ebook132 pages1 hour

    The Beggar's Opera

    By John Gay

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    The great lords and powerful public officials of early 18th century England are represented as highwaymen and thieves in this deliciously satirical ballad opera. In addition to its burlesque of the contemporary vogue for Italian operatic styles, John Gay's 1728 masterpiece ridicules a broad spectrum of political figures and social conventions — marriage, lawyers, trade, and even Walpole, the prime minister. Depicting crime and vice at every level of society, The Beggar's Opera offers a witty and powerful indictment of greed, hypocrisy, and corruption in all social classes. When Peachum, a receiver of stolen goods, discovers that a notorious highwayman has eloped with his daughter, the wily old villain turns informer and collects the reward money as his prospective son-in-law is hauled off to prison. Events take an increasingly absurd turn as the dashing outlaw romances the jailer's daughter and effects an escape, only to return to the shadow of the gallows for a farcical climax that parodies the sentimental tragedy of the day.
    The Beggar's Opera is in the satirical tradition of Swift and Pope. Its enduring relevance was recognized two centuries later by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, who used it as the basis for their landmark musical, The Threepenny Opera. This attractive, inexpensive edition of an influential comic gem will be applauded by theater lovers, students of literature and history, and other readers.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDover Publications
    Release dateNov 16, 2012
    ISBN9780486153650
    The Beggar's Opera
    Author

    John Gay

    John Gay was an English playwright and poet who is most famous for his satirical masterpiece The Beggar’s Opera. Originally employed in the government, Gay turned to writing after losing his position following the death of Queen Anne in 1714. From then on, Gay relied on his income from writing, building up a long list of patrons over the course of his career, and making contact with some of the most famous writers of the time, including Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope (and with whom he was a member of the informal society of authors and thinkers known as the Scriblerus Club). After losing the majority of his fortune to a bad investment, Gay eventually found his greatest success in The Beggar’s Opera, a ballad opera that satirized society and government, and which ran for sixty-two nights upon its initial release. Gay died on December 4, 1732, at the age of forty-seven, and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

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    Reviews for The Beggar's Opera

    3.5/5

    8 ratings5 reviews

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    • 2/5
      Meh.
      I wanted to like it more than I actually did, perhaps I didn't because generally plays and books that are from that time period I rarely find easy reads. I did however love everything by Moliere and I also loved ' She stoops to conquer ' but that might not be as old as this, I've forgotten when that was written.
      2-2.5
    • 3/5
      I also watched the 60's BBC production of this play, which helped flesh out the story a bit. This is an operatic play, so reading it without hearing the songs is a bit dull. This play is supposed to be light entertainment with a bit of social commentary thrown in, and it seems fairly successful, even for a modern audience, but it's not one of my favorite classic plays.
    • 4/5
      Ain't nuthin' but a gangsta party.
    • 3/5
      Very strange to read this in the 21st century. These days everyone treats the poor/disadvantaged etc very nicely (well, everyone except Martin Amis). For his time, you might say the same of Gay, but every character in this book full of poor people is a criminal or scumbag of some other kind. So not so sympathetic. On the other hand, that's a good thing: there's no way you can depict the evils of poverty without making the impoverished at least a little offputting. If they're all nice and happy, what's the problem with impoverishment? But the opening and closing dialogues are very cutting parodies of Italian Opera, and the plot contrivances of both those operas and fictions in general, as well as the disproportion between the punishments the vicious poor and the vicious rich suffer. It's pretty funny, but I suspect it would be better on stage than on the page, and certainly some of the humor must be lost to history.
    • 5/5
      I want to give this play a high score simply because of it's context and content, and as it is one of the only satirical operas that has survived from the early 18th Century should also give this play, or more properly opera, some credit. Now, when we hear the word opera we usually thing of 'it's not over until the fat lady sings' (and then Bart Simpson going 'is she fat enough for you?') and you would actually be quite correct, because that is the type of opera that we would be thinking of in this context. In the early 18th century we see the rise in the popularity of the Italian Opera, which was mostly fat ladies singing, and dealt with heroes, villains, and mythical stories. They were basically the Hollywood blockbusters of the era.So, along comes John Gay with an idea (which he apparently stole off of Jonathon Swift, of Gulliver's Travels fame) of making a satire of the ever popular opera. So instead of having heroes and mythical scenes, and stories dominated by the rich and powerful he instead delved into the dark and dirty streets of inner London to take us for a satirical journey through the criminal underworld. The problem is that on the page much of the satire does not actually come out, and further, since we are not familiar with the songs (though I am sure we will be familiar with the tunes) the parodying of the operatic style does not evidently come about (and while I have seen a couple of musicals – five to be exact – I have never seen an opera).The other interesting thing that came out with this play, or at least the commentary, is how much London has changed since those days. Take Piccadilly Circus or Marlyebone for instance, which for those of us who know London know that these days is a very fashionable area, and also a very expensive place to set up residency. However, back in the days of the Beggar's Opera, this could not be farther from the truth. In fact the area around central London was a crime ridden cesspool that would result in you risking your life if you even considered wondering about after dark (or even not so much after dark). This, however, was almost three hundred years ago, so it is not surprising that London has cleaned up its act a lot, with the rise of the middle-class (as well as the establishment of John Wesley's church, whose mission was targeting the lower class residents of this area at the time).Another thing that comes about, which I knew about anyway, but this play emphasised it so much more, is the popularity of Gin. Now, I'm a beer drinker, and as such I am generally not that well disposed to spirits, however back in those days spirits were exceedingly cheap. In fact, to some, Gin was the 18th century version of methamphetamine (though it was not illegal). The upper classes simply did not touch it (it was too cheap) and the lower classes would get excessively drunk drinking it. Also, like meth, it would be distilled in basements and apartments, and some of the product that came about was virtually poison.The other aspect we hear about is the life of the criminal underworld. A bulk of the play takes place in Newgate Prison, and the version that I read had copious amounts of notes explaining a lot of the slang that was used. For instance, unlike today, it actually cost the criminal money to stay at Newgate, and in fact Newgate was one of the most expensive prisons in England in which to be locked up. Obviously nobody had listened to Thomas More when he wrote Utopia because the death penalty was still being imposed at the drop of a hat (though if you could quote a verse from Psalm 21 you could get off because it would suggest that you were literate). They also introduced a system of rewards for various criminals, however this led to the rise of a class known as the thief-catchers who would purposely go out and set people up so they could get the rewards (which would be paid once the thief was hung, in much the same way that rewards are offered by the police on a successful conviction).It is interesting how there is still this belief that penal penalties (including the death penalty) deter crime, and all we have to do is to look back at this period of English history to know that this does not work. If theft brings about the death penalty, then technically nobody would steal, however a lot of people still stole, and even though it was clear that you would be hung if you were caught stealing, people would still keep on doing it (probably because they either believed that they were too smart to get caught, or they had nothing left to lose). Anyway, this is a whole field of criminology, which I don't really want to go into here because I have written enough already and want to get on and do something else now.

    Book preview

    The Beggar's Opera - John Gay

    INTRODUCTION

    BEGGAR, PLAYER.

    BEGGAR. If poverty be a title to poetry, I am sure nobody can dispute mine. I own myself of the company of beggars; and I make one at their weekly festivals at St. Giles’s. I have a small yearly salary for my catches, and am welcome to a dinner there whenever I please, which is more than most poets can say.

    PLAYER. As we live by the muses, ’tis but gratitude in us to encourage poetical merit wherever we find it. The muses, contrary to all other ladies, pay no distinction to dress, and never partially mistake the pertness of embroidery for wit, nor the modesty of want for dulness. Be the author who he will, we push his play as far as it will go. So (though you are in want) I wish you success heartily.

    BEGGAR. This piece I own was originally writ for the celebrating the marriage of James Chanter and Moll Lay, two most excellent ballad-singers. I have introduced the similes that are in your celebrated Operas: the Swallow, the Moth, the Bee, the Ship, the Flower, etc. Besides, I have a prison-scene which the ladies always reckon charmingly pathetic. As to the parts, I have observed such a nice impartiality to our two ladies, that it is impossible for either of them to take offence. I hope I may be forgiven, that I have not made my Opera throughout unnatural, like those in vogue; for I have no recitative: excepting this, as I have consented to have neither prologue nor epilogue, it must be allowed an Opera in all its forms. The piece indeed hath been heretofore frequently presented by ourselves in our great room at St. Giles’s, so that I cannot too often acknowledge your charity in bringing it now on the stage.

    PLAYER. But I see it is time for us to withdraw; the actors are preparing to begin. Play away the overture.

    [Exeunt.

    ACT I

    Scene I

    PEACHUM’S HOUSE.

    PEACHUM sitting at a table with a large book of accounts before him.

    AIR I — An old woman clothed in gray, etc.

    Through all the employments of life,

    Each neighbor abuses his brother;

    Whore and rogue they call husband and wife:

    All professions be-rogue one another.

    The priest calls the lawyer a cheat,

    The lawyer be-knaves the divine;

    And the statesman, because he’s so great,

    Thinks his trade as honest as mine.

    A lawyer is an honest employment, so is mine. Like me, too, he acts in a double capacity, both against rogues and for ’em; for ’tis but fitting that we should protect and encourage cheats, since we live by them.

    Scene II

    PEACHUM, FILCH.

    FILCH. Sir, Black Moll hath sent word her trial comes on in the afternoon, and she hopes you will order matters so as to bring her off.

    PEACH. Why, she may plead her belly at worst; to my knowledge she hath taken care of that security. But as the wench is very active and industrious, you may satisfy her that I’ll soften the evidence.

    FILCH. Tom Gagg, Sir, is found guilty.

    PEACH. A lazy dog! When I took him the time before, I told him what he would come to if he did not mend his hand. This is death without reprieve. I may venture to book him. [writes.] For Tom Gagg, forty pounds. Let Betty Sly know that I’ll save her from transportation, for I can get more by her staying in England.

    FILCH. Betty hath brought more goods into our lock to-year, than any five of the gang; and in truth, ’tis a pity to lose so good a customer.

    PEACH. If none of the gang take her off, she may, in the common course of business, live a twelve-month longer. I love to let women scape. A good sportsman always lets the hen partridges fly, because the breed of the game depends upon them. Besides, here the law allows us no reward; there is nothing to be got by the death of women — except our wives.

    FILCH. Without dispute, she is a fine woman! ’Twas to her I was obliged for my education, and (to say a bold word) she had trained up more young fellows to the business than the gaming-table.

    PEACH. Truly, Filch, thy observation is right. We and the surgeons are more beholden to women than all the professions besides.

    AIR II — The bonny gray-eyed morn, etc.

    FILCH.

    ’Tis woman that seduces all mankind,

    By her we first were taught the wheedling arts;

    Her very eyes can cheat; when most she’s kind,

    She tricks us of our money with our hearts.

    For her, like wolves by night we roam for prey,

    And practise ev’ry fraud to bribe her charms;

    For suits of love, like law, are won by pay,

    And beauty must be fee’d into our arms.

    PEACH. But make haste to Newgate, boy, and let my friends know what I intend; for I love to make them easy one way or other.

    FILCH. When a gentleman is long kept in suspense, penitence may break his spirit ever after. Besides, certainty gives a man a good air upon his trial, and makes him risk another without fear or scruple. But I’ll away, for ’tis a pleasure to be the messenger of comfort to friends in affliction.

    Scene III

    PEACHUM.

    PEACH. But ’tis now high time to look about me for a decent execution against next sessions. I hate a lazy rogue, by whom one can get nothing till he is hanged. A register of the gang, [reading] Crook-fingered Jack. A year and a half in the service. Let me see how much the stock owes to

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