The Beggar's Opera

The Beggar's Opera Can be considered a political play. Gay wanted to make a strong statement against Wallpole. Lawyers practised their profession in Lincoln inn: there’s a binding between theatre an law. It’s a ballad opera; a new genre. With this genre he wanted to bled the native English tradition of popular ballads with the new, more and more fashionable genre of the italian opera. Gay had a double attitude towards the opera; he loved it but he is also against the pomp of clothing ecc. (remember: Addison thought the opera is unuseful) Pope, Gay, Swift: the scribblers club formed, under this whig government a political group called The patriots and used theatre as a political weapon: 1) it can change people’s opinion; 2) it entertains but also Teaches. They think that despite the constitutional government things go wrong, and they have to take steps from this. The play shows the underworld of London, made of criminals....