About this title: A story of the criminal demimonde of 18th-century London. Peachum, a receiver of stolen goods, does most of his business with the highwayman Captain Macheath. Peachum's daughter Polly falls in love with Macheath, and when the two run off together, Peachum informs on Macheath to the police to spite his daughter for leaving him. Macheath is captured and sentenced to hang at Newgate prison, but the warder's daughter falls in love with him as well, and they contrive his escape. A classic of the English stage, "The Beggar's Opera" was the inspiration for Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht's ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Mass market pb
Publisher: Barron's Educational Series, Inc, Woodbury, New York
Date Published: 1962
ISBN-13:9780812000320ISBN:0812000323
Description: Keogh. Fair. No dust jacket, as issued. Ex-Library. excellent condition for ex-library. Unknown printing. Illustrated by Keogh. 162 p.; illus.; bibliography; edited by Benjamin W. Griffith, Jr. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Date Published: 1969
ISBN-13:9780803253612ISBN:0803253613
Description: A wonderful copy with some minor edgewear to the cover. Previous owners name inscribed inside front. -, Trade PaperBack, Very Good / read more
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Date Published: 1987-01-06
ISBN-13:9780140432206ISBN:0140432205
Description: Very good. Very minimal damage to the cover (no holes or tears, only minimal scuff marks), in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, minimal to no highlighting/under. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Date Published: 1987-01-06
ISBN-13:9780140432206ISBN:0140432205
Description: Like New. May be shiny, in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, no damage to binding, may have a remainder mark. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Date Published: 1987-01-06
ISBN-13:9780140432206ISBN:0140432205
Description: Very Good. Binding is tight and square. Text is clean and bright. An average used paperback with wear, corner bumps, small creases, light stains, etc. Careful packaging and fast shipping. We recommend EXPEDITED MAIL for even faster delivery! read more
"Good stuff. I prefer Congreve and Pope, but Gay's assessment of the trials of the lower classes is pretty accurate for the time. It's nice to see that no matter how advanced the male thinkers of this period are, one thing always stands as a common theme: debasement of women."
"The play itself isn't nearly as fascinating as the history behind it: rookeries, one out of every four houses a gin distillery, thief-catchers threatening their prey with a hanging for the forty pound reward if they didn't bring them a certain amount of stolen goods every week . . . fascinating stuff. I was amazed at the beggar's commentary who announces a happy ending that is, he admits, completely undeserved. Maybe I would've liked the play itself more if I knew more about eighteenth century Italian Operas that Gay is satirizing. Guess it's time to get busy."
"I give this two stars when it is read but four stars when it is heard. Its just twice as amusing when you hear opera singing about how young deflowered virgins will rot, stink and die and be trod underfoot. Brilliant!"
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