The Threepenny Opera (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Bertolt Brecht
- First Published: 1929
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Social satire
- Time of Work: 1837, immediately before and during the coronation ceremonies for Queen Victoria
- Setting: London’s Soho district
- Genres: Satire, Drama, Epic
- Subjects: Values, Crime or criminals, Nineteenth century, Middle classes, Prostitution or prostitutes, Class consciousness, Poverty or poor people, England or English people, London
- Locales: Soho, London, England
Characters Discussed
Macheath, called Mac the Knife, the head of a gang of petty criminals in London. He manages his crooked affairs through “understandings” with Sheriff Brown. An incorrigible philanderer, he is involved with Brown’s daughter, Lucy, but also entices Polly, the daughter of “Beggar Boss” Peachum, into matrimony. This act outrages Peachum, who vows to undo Macheath by working a deal with Sheriff Brown. Mac’s enemies are convinced that, even when warned that a plot has been hatched against him, he will not flee far; soon, he is caught while making his...
[The entire page is 854 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
