Gay's inversion of ethics

             The Beggar's Opera, by John Gay, is an excellent example of the satire prevalent in the Tory writers (namely: Gay, Pope, and Swift) of the time. Receiving the brunt of this mock-heroic play is First Minister Walpole, and the upper class Whigs in general. It is key to include a discussion of ethics when considering this play in historical context, for Gay uses the whores and thieves of Newgate to represent the ruling class. The meaning of virtue and vice become more clear when Peachum, defined by self-interest while straddling both sides of the law, is contrasted and compared with the heroic Macheath, who also is motivated by self-interest at times. Narrowing Gay's focus on ethics in the language register of finance, makes the contrast between self-interest and the law more clear. By portraying Peachum, Macheath, Polly, and the rest of the characters as he does, Gay makes a statement pertaining to England as a whole: Gay points to the commonality of a twisted ethical system, a!
             mong criminals and aristocrats alike. Further reading of the text lends credence to the above assertion, especially pertaining to the morality of the characters Macheath and Peachum.
             Gay's focus on London's twisted morals, and its capitalist nature, is evidenced through a close reading of the text, and relates to the fundamental conflict between virtue and vice. Furthermore, Gay's contrast in the meanings of virtue and vice is presented in the consistent language of finance within The Beggar's Opera. Words from the financial register, like business and money, appear throughout the pages of the play, and play into Gay's interpretation of London's ethics (or lack thereof). For instance, the word "business" appears more than a dozen times in the play, and "money" is present nearly twenty times! Not to mention the abundance of other words from the financial register, such as account, credit, rich, weal...

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Gay's inversion of ethics . (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 17:02, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/68334.html