Project Gutenberg 2008-04-13 Public domain in the USA. 1328 Gay, John 1685 1732 Fraser, Claud Lovat 1890 1921 Lovat Fraser, Claud Fraser, C. Lovat (Claud Lovat) Fraser, Lovat Claud Fraser, L. C. (Lovat Claud) The Beggar's Opera; to Which is Prefixed the Musick to Each Song Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beggar%27s_Opera Produced by Louise Hope "The Beggar's Opera" by John Gay is a play, specifically a ballad opera, written in the early 18th century. This satirical work revolves around the characters of Macheath, a charming highwayman, and Polly Peachum, the daughter of a notorious thief-taker, Mr. Peachum. The narrative intertwines themes of love, betrayal, and societal mockery, primarily highlighting the hypocrisy and moral corruption within the criminal underworld and the upper classes. The opening of "The Beggar's Opera" sets the stage with the character of Mr. Peachum, who discusses criminal dealings and the management of his gang of thieves, showcasing his shrewd business practices. We are introduced to the dynamic of his relationship with his wife and daughter, as they navigate the complexities of love and loyalty against the backdrop of crime. Polly's romantic entanglement with Macheath becomes a central tension, and Peachum's cold pragmatism hints at a darker side to familial love, as he considers betraying Macheath to secure his own financial interests. This introduction effectively establishes the comedic yet critical tone of the opera, drawing readers into a world where love intersects with crime and opportunism. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 82.5 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Ballad operas -- Librettos ML Text Opera Category: Plays/Films/Dramas Category: British Literature 220296 2025-08-10T10:13:17.547547 text/html 212958 2008-04-13T15:19:22 text/html 1723099 2025-08-10T10:13:26.851487 application/epub+zip 1725509 2025-08-10T10:13:20.769514 application/epub+zip 136950 2025-08-10T10:13:18.768525 application/epub+zip 2865820 2025-08-10T10:13:30.001579 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 2846448 2025-08-10T10:13:24.831508 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 206494 2022-09-11T13:23:26.255139 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 140154 2025-08-10T10:13:15.671570 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 139695 2008-04-13T15:19:20 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 139689 2008-04-13T15:19:20 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 21227 2025-08-10T10:13:30.182474 application/rdf+xml 22306 2025-08-10T10:13:18.865530 image/jpeg 3425 2025-08-10T10:13:18.817541 image/jpeg 55045 2008-04-13T15:21:02 application/octet-stream application/zip 4229093 2008-04-13T15:21:04 application/octet-stream application/zip 54837 2008-04-13T15:21:02 application/octet-stream application/zip 3638425 2025-08-10T10:13:18.119556 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia