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Within the Oxford English Dictionary, the term ‘satire’ is defined as ‘the use of ridicule, irony, or sarcasm, to show up apparent weaknesses of pe
simple definition, it is not problematic to see its relevance when considering John Gay’s 1728 sensation, The Beggar’s Opera. Satire was not a n
for the theatre-going populace; instead of Antiquity, here was a hard and coarse work, which directly satirised not only society, but the political
continuously likened to Whig politician and Prime-minister of the era, Robert Walpole. This is particularly conveyed within the comparison of th

Robert Walpole, also known as ‘Bob Booty’, governed in an age of tremendous corruption. Gay himself had been affected by the corruption of t
Bubble’. According to John Brewer within The Pleasures of the Imagination: English Culture in the Eighteenth Century, the Whig politicians and
through manipulating the stock market [3] . ‘The South Sea Bubble’ is referred to directly within Air XLIII, within the ‘The South Sea Ballad’. With
him personally is extremely apparent ‘Of that Jilt, that inveigling Harlot! This, this my Resentment alarms.’ [4] Therefore, the fact that critics and
Walpole was not a mistake on their part, but rather Gay was actively seeking to satirise these politicians.

Gay’s direct satire of Walpole is especially seen when Peachum says ‘Robin of Bagshot, alias Gorgon, alias Bob Bluff, alias Carbuncle, alias Bob
criminal, but Gay is also portraying to the audience that, in his own opinion, Walpole and other such politicians like him, can not be trusted. This
therefore being capable of changing both for when it suits him; Gay is revealing that the real-life Bob Booty is just as capable of changing his fa
affairs.

Throughout the course of the play, there are many references to Walpole, the Whigs and their apparent want for financial gain. The characters o
whom continuously employ methods of financial gain, and are both extremely hypocritical in the way they do so. Peachum, who makes a living
metaphorically to depict the prosperous and seemingly respectable middle-classes. There are direct links between the character of Peachum a
within the Eighteenth Century, as he appeared to be the nation’s leading policeman, but behind this cover, he was the brains behind a scheme w
most successful criminal gangs of the era- he lead a double life of both criminality and respectability, just like Peachum. After his death, Wild b
prominent middle-class characters to so closely depict this celebrity criminal, Gay successfully underscores the hypocrisy of the middle to high

Lockit is similar to the character of Peachum in that he disguises his criminality with a facade of courtesy and respectability; he holds a respec
as Peachum. Like most characters within the play, it is evident that Lockit is a character who isn’t intrinsically evil or fraudulent, but rather his h
environment of Eighteenth century society. Lockit seems to hold the view that any selfless feeling towards others, be it loyalty or love, is just an
prevalent within society, that it would be foolish not to exploit a situation personally. This sentiment is illustrated within Act :

Lions, Wolves, and Vultures don’t live together in Herds, Droves or Flocks. Of all Animals of Prey, Man is the only sociable one. Every one of us p

This ironic observation from Lockit appropriately fits the altogether anti-social mood that seems to pervade Gay’s play, as our playwright likens
hypocrisies of human nature as a whole. This is because on the one hand, according to Lockit, Man is similar to lions and vultures, because his
beasts, Man is a social being- a complete paradox.

This paradox is seen again further within Air XLII, in Act III. Man is again shown to have the same killer instincts, but is also shown as a social b
Companions, and prey on their Friends’ [7] . The purpose of presenting Man in this way, it seems, is to ridicule them, especially seen within the
pikes in a pond.

When looking at The Beggar’s Opera in this way then, it is not so straightforward to categorise it as a satire of either high-life or of low-life, but
Mankind and the society he has created as a whole. Although Gay unquestionably ridicules the high social classes of the time in many instanc
Opera is patently satirised throughout; Gay is consistent throughout in maintaining also his derision toward society overall.

The Beggar’s Opera seems to be an anti-feminist text, as the women within it are the catalyst for all the happenings in the play. Gay again highl
Peachum displays her disdain for Polly’s choice of partner, Macheath, ‘I thought the Girl had been better bred’ [8] it is not because of the fact he
Peachum’s reaction to be a satire of the higher class’ marriages. Within Gay’s era marriage was a contractual agreement, especially for the high
their own husbands, it was their parents who had this task. Love was not supposed to come in to the equation until after the marriage had beg
the monetary value a husband could bring. Therefore, Gay underpins that his century’s drive for money, was apparent within every aspect of so

Throughout the entirety of the play, the audience are aware that everything has been upturned; The Beggar’s Opera is a meeting of opposites. N
the audience are also shown a society in which behaviour and ethics have been rearranged. From this viewpoint, Gay’s created society can be s
subverts tradition. It is a mode of logic that, according to Mikhail Bakhtin, is characterised by the ‘turnabout of a continual to top to bottom, pro
Wheelock, carnivalesque literature demands the ‘co-mingling of all society’ [10] , it demolishes social hierarches and boundaries, allowing free
through breaking down these bounndaries and allowing the mingling of the ‘profane, the lofty with the low, the great with the insignificant, the w

Gay presents the topsy-turvy nature of the society within the text, through the comparison of characters that comprise of the criminal underwo
their aristocratic ‘betters’. For example, Macheath is a criminal of low-class, but instead of being punished for his crimes, the character is pardo
Seventeen, Act III when the Beggar says:
Through the whole Piece you may observe such a Similitude of Manners in high and low Life, that it is difficult to determine whether (in the fas
Gentlemen of the Road, the fine Gentlemen.—-Had the Play remain’d, as I at first intended, it would have carried a most excellent Moral. ‘Twould
as the Rich: And that they are punish’d for them. [12] 

Therefore, through Macheath’s non-punishment for his crimes, Gay is highlighting the duplicity of the fact that people within high society are m
is because, by allowing a lower-class character to be given the same treatment as a person of high social standing, Gay allows the audience to

The most obvious form of satire towards the upper-classes within the text, is the form of the text itself. The Beggar’s Opera is a ballad opera, it
Instead of the grand music and themes that were usually apparent within opera, Gay used well-known tunes of the time, and transformed them
representative of the operatic form of the time as opposed to the dramatic form of five acts. Gay’s adaptation of a popular form of the time ser
which had become extremely popular within high standing circles in London. According to Allan Kozinn, The Beggar’s Opera is more of an ‘anti
the lampooning of the Italian opera style.’ [13] Gay’s metatheatrical satire of the Italian opera is evident throughout, but is highlighted especially
must end happily…All we must do, to comply with the Taste of the Town’ [14] 

The Beggar’s Opera is a text which satirises all sections of society; high life, middle life and low life. Throughout the text however, more empha
form of the play itself is a satire on Gay’s contemporary high society’s fascination with the Italian opera. This ridicule is further underscored thr
time, namely Robert Walpole the Whig politician and Prime-minister. However, Gay does not only satirise the nature of the higher classes; he po
completely ridiculing this section of society, Gay invokes the audience to contemplate the one difference between the high and low life’s behav
are pardoned because of their status and power. The Beggar’s Opera therefore is a comment on the injustices within Eighteenth century societ
people and the loose morals and ethics that come hand in hand with them. Consequently, in my opinion Baddeeley’s assessment of The Begga
whole, including both high and low life.

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