The Beggar’s Opera, by John Gay, uses a story of crime, love, and money to criticize then-contemporary Britain in several aspects. One way in which he made his critique involved characters, such as Lockit, the father of Lucy, jail keeper, and business partner of Peachum, a well-known criminal. Gay uses Lockit to show the corruption capitalism has on every aspect of London, including the little law enforcement that exists. Lockit’s desire for profit above all else, above lives, love, or decency, serves as Gay’s critique of emerging capitalism and the way it corrupts everyone, even those in the lower classes or expected to be incorruptible. Lockit, as the jail keeper, would, in modern times, be expected to have good moral character and a value
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In a capital-driven society, people no longer are seen as individuals with inherent worth beyond monetary values, as is spoken by Lockit in a moment alone onstage, “every one of us preys upon his Neighbor” (3.2.50). He values a profit over all other things, including his daughter and her happiness. When his daughter is mourning the impending death of her love, he tells her “you can’t have the Man and the Money too—so make yourself as easy as you can, by getting all you can from him,” making it clear that Macheath’s life should not matter to her because she has more to gain financially from his looming death (2.6.41). That is not to say, however, that Lockit only views death as a way to gain from people. He is willing to sell prisoners their lives for a handsome fee, something that appears to be common enough knowledge because Macheath asks Lucy about her father, “would not twenty guineas, you think, move him?” when Macheath is trying to figure out a way out of the cell (2.7.42). Lockit then proves that this is a tactic he partakes in when, after finding out that Macheath is gone, he questions Lucy about her part in the release and, upon strong suspicion, quickly asks “did he tip handsomely” and warns Lucy not to “cheat [her] father” (3.1.48). Lockit is willing to grant Lucy some reprieve so long as she has a profit for her father, placing a monetary value on the life of a …show more content…
First, he works with Peachum in the business of stealing and selling, as well as selling out individuals who no longer produce enough. He then arrests those who have been sold out to the government and sells necessaries to them in the prison. Occasionally, he allows a person to exit the jail for another fee. Lockit has manipulated the system in his favor so that he profits from every step. Morals do not matter to Lockit if he is making the money he desires, causing him to represent everything bad with capitalism: profit over personhood and lacking enjoyment to seek a
In a capital-driven society, people no longer are seen as individuals with inherent worth beyond monetary values, as is spoken by Lockit in a moment alone onstage, “every one of us preys upon his Neighbor” (3.2.50). He values a profit over all other things, including his daughter and her happiness. When his daughter is mourning the impending death of her love, he tells her “you can’t have the Man and the Money too—so make yourself as easy as you can, by getting all you can from him,” making it clear that Macheath’s life should not matter to her because she has more to gain financially from his looming death (2.6.41). That is not to say, however, that Lockit only views death as a way to gain from people. He is willing to sell prisoners their lives for a handsome fee, something that appears to be common enough knowledge because Macheath asks Lucy about her father, “would not twenty guineas, you think, move him?” when Macheath is trying to figure out a way out of the cell (2.7.42). Lockit then proves that this is a tactic he partakes in when, after finding out that Macheath is gone, he questions Lucy about her part in the release and, upon strong suspicion, quickly asks “did he tip handsomely” and warns Lucy not to “cheat [her] father” (3.1.48). Lockit is willing to grant Lucy some reprieve so long as she has a profit for her father, placing a monetary value on the life of a …show more content…
First, he works with Peachum in the business of stealing and selling, as well as selling out individuals who no longer produce enough. He then arrests those who have been sold out to the government and sells necessaries to them in the prison. Occasionally, he allows a person to exit the jail for another fee. Lockit has manipulated the system in his favor so that he profits from every step. Morals do not matter to Lockit if he is making the money he desires, causing him to represent everything bad with capitalism: profit over personhood and lacking enjoyment to seek a