Threepenny opera plot

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Plot in ‘The Threepenny Opera’ Bertolt Brecht’s play, ‘The Threepenny Opera’ is set in nineteenth-century Victorian London during a period of great corruption and poverty. The play is based upon central character Mac the Knife along with different characters of diverse status in society. The play is often referred to as a great example of ‘epic theatre’; ‘The Threepenny Opera’ was created with the intention to educate the audience rather than serve as pure entertainment for the audience to feed upon (also known at the alienation effect). The audience is left with an unexpected ending and are forced to think about the raised issues for themselves; Brecht’s style causes constant questioning of situation and character at any possible moment.         The play is introduced to the audience with a prologue, a song sung about central character, ‘The ballad of Mac the knife’ is heard whilst the stage is filled with the different characters one would find in lower-class Victorian London; beggars, thieves and prostitutes are displayed ‘working’ whilst the song commences. The lyrics of the song reveal things about the character of Mac the Knife, swaying our judgement of this character before we are even introduced. Words in the song convict Macheath with acts of murder and rape; the prologue ends with a man stepping out of a crowd whilst one of the whore’s tells the audience that the man was, indeed Mac the knife. It can be seen that the song sets the tone of the play with a menacing feeling, which is contrasted by the crude jokes made about Macheath’s crimes that are entwined within the lyrics. Instantaneously the audience are thrown into the world of the play just by listening to the song and are left to question what is right and wrong almost immediately. Brecht wastes no time in introducing the alienation effect, in the opening he sends the audience into an unfamiliar setting, unfamiliar to a modern audience but unrecognisable to the intended German audience of 1928. The setting he creates allows the audience to make comparisons of the events against modern day, or the audiences own time period.         Act one begins properly when the song finishes and the scene is switched to Mr. Peachum’s business, an outfit shop designed for beggars. He delivers a monologue to the audience which describes how difficult his business is; he explains that humans no longer have any sympathy and his business is suffering because of this. Peachum’s speech breaks the fourth wall between actor and audience and challenges them to think of status in society, for example Peachum and the beggars which work for him. The theme of mankind and morality is arisen somewhat biblically; this is typical of Brecht as it again gives the audience the opportunity to think
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about these ideas.  Peachum’s beliefs are disclosed further with the arrival of Filch, a character who wishes to work for Peachum and his wife. At the end of this scene we learn that Peachum’s daughter, Polly, has gone missing, Peachum deplorably expresses that he is not concerned for his missing daughter but is instead more concerned that he will no longer be able to make money from Polly; upon hearing this, the audience begins to form a mixed opinion of the character.  Scene two is set at a stable, it is here that we are properly introduced to Macheath and ...

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