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At a Glance:
Full Title The Threepenny Opera
AuthorBertolt Brecht
In-depth Facts:
Type of WorkPlay
GenreDrama
LanguageGerman
Time and Place WrittenBerlin, 1928
Date of First PerformanceAugust 31, 1928
ToneDark humor
Setting (Time)Mid-nineteenth century
Setting (Place)England
ProtagonistMacheath
Major ConflictThe middle class members of society are more crooked than the low-class crooks and criminals.
Rising ActionPolly Peachum angers her father when she marries Macheath, the biggest crook in England. The marriage negatively impacts the biggest foundation for panhandlers in the country, and Peachum vows to get revenge.
ClimaxBetrayed by his close friend, Tiger Brown, Macheath is caught for the first time, although he eventually escapes.
Falling ActionBetrayed by his former lover Jenny, Macheath is caught for the second time and sentenced to be hanged.
ThemesThe arbitrariness of values; the conflict between self-interest and love; the competitiveness of the capitalist system; the brutality of humans
MotifsThe alienation of the audience; irony; the thin line between criminals and honest people
SymbolsKid gloves; the moon; sex
ForeshadowingRepeated assertions about the friendship between Macheath and Brown; mention of Lucy at Macheath’s wedding; Jenny’s reading of Macheath’s palm
