The Threepenny Opera Group

Question:

fakuda
fakuda
Student

What is MacHeath’s weakness? Give one example of how this causes problems for him.

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Posted by fakuda on Sunday June 3, 2007 at 5:50 PM and tagged with the beggars opera, the threepenny opera.

Answers:


  1. jamie-wheeler Teacher
    College - Sophomore

    eNotes Editor

    MacHeath's Achilles' heel is his sexual appetite. Juggling his various conquests sometimes is not as successful as he would wish. When his father-in-law Peachum gets sick of his philadering ways and wants him out of his daughter's life, he turns MacHeath in for his long list of crimes. Had he curbed his, ummm, enthusiasm, perhaps he would have gotten away with his womanzing longer.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/threepenny-opera/9228

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    Posted by jamie-wheeler on Tuesday June 5, 2007 at 3:06 AM


  2. bmadnick Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    I believe Macheath's biggest flaw is his lack of emotion or regret for how he's lived his life. He shows no reaction when Polly reads the list of charges against him. He's committed murder, forgery, arson, and burglary in an eighteen-month period. His womanizing is just one more of his immoral crimes against society and humanity. It doesn't matter to Macheath if what he is doing is wrong; that's not even a consideration. He doesn't stop to think about the victims of his crimes. I think today he might be called a sociopath.

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    Posted by bmadnick on Thursday June 7, 2007 at 4:33 PM