John Gay's The Beggar's Opera: Satire, Metaphor, and Society

Introduction: A Satirical Ballad Opera

The Beggar's Opera, by John Gay, is the first ballad opera in the English language. It was also the most popular work of English theater during the eighteenth century — a distinction made all the more remarkable by the fact that Gay used his opera to satirize the society of his time. This satirization, however, is not derogatory or moralistic enough to cause serious offense. Rather, the opera was written with enjoyment as its primary aim, in keeping with Gay's general view of the world. His art was created for enjoyment, even as it struck a deeper chord. Through metaphor and simile, John Gay gives his audience an experience not easily forgotten.

Metaphor and the Criminal Underworld

In terms of metaphor, Gay's entire cast of characters plays a metaphorical role, depicting the social ills of the time. The subtitle of Gay's opera was "A Newgate Pastoral" — a label that is deliberately misleading for satiric effect. Instead of the nymphs and shepherds expected of a pastoral, the characters comprise the criminal underworld of London: pickpockets, cutthroats, receivers of stolen property, corrupt jailers, and women of easy virtue. In this way, the satire becomes both an anti-romance and an anti-opera. The conventions of beauty are thus used to depict what is wrong in society.

In satirizing the conventions of opera and romance, The Beggar's Opera arranges a meeting of opposites. Macheath the criminal refers to himself as a "man of honor." Instead of the expected nobleman, this man of honor is a mere criminal — but he is more than that. Gay turns him into a metaphor for the hypocrisy of those who like to believe in their own heroics. Specifically, Macheath represents the aristocrat and the army officer. His affectations and efforts at romance later in the opera reflect this.

Characters as Social Types

Lockit is the chief jailer and represents the civil servant and the bureaucrat. He presents himself as superficially polite while hardly bothering to disguise his true nature. Macheath draws the connection between Lockit's dishonesty and the practices of other civil servants. Lockit's view is that exploitation is so prevalent in society that it would be foolish to act from any motive other than self-interest. This is reflected in his words:

"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 preys upon his Neighbor, and yet we herd together." (III.iii, p. 49)

The simile at the end of Aria XLIII emphasizes this theme in its depiction of the deceits connected to friendship: "Like Pikes, lank with Hunger, who miss of their Ends, / They bite their Companions, and prey on their Friends." (p. 49) The idea depicted here is that human society is ethically no better than a pike pond.

Another less-than-savory character is Peachum, who metaphorically depicts the prosperous and apparently respectable middle class. This respectability is, however, deceptive — as illustrated by Jonathan Wild, the real-life model for the character. Wild lived a double life of both criminality and respectability, and so does Peachum.

Conclusion: Satire Through Laughter

The Beggar's Opera presents reality in dramatic metaphor. It takes an ironic and even occasionally friendly approach to a society with which much is amiss. Gay follows his artistic aim — to delight and instruct. Life, he suggests, should not be taken too seriously. He makes fun of society's ills by inviting his audience to enjoy and even love characters of low social standing, such as Macheath. He offers a fresh perspective without suggesting much in the way of remedy. His aim appears to be to give his audience a realistic view of society that is nonetheless not depressing. There is no moralistic preaching in the work. Perhaps Macheath's words echo this sentiment best:

"Let's be gay / While we may, / Beauty's a flower despised in decay." (p. 52)

Though these words are spoken about romantic love, they can be applied to life more broadly. Gay appears to foster a kind of carpe diem mentality in his audience. Gay, as his name suggests, was also a promoter of joy and laughter in the face of harsh realities. Laughter almost invariably improves things, and this may also account for his work's enduring popularity. The opera was not inflammatory — rather, it invites its audience to look, listen, and laugh, requiring no more responsibility than simple observation. Thus the work remains a notable artistic achievement to this day, still capable of revealing to a modern audience the hypocrisy engaged in every day through human interaction.