mong criminals and aristocrats alike. Further reading of the text lends credence to the above assertion, especially pertaining to the morality of the characters Macheath and Peachum.

Gay's focus on London's twisted morals, and it

Lockit abuses his position of power to pad his own pockets. The prevalence of Lockit's words pertaining to the register of finance illustrate his lack of ethics, and lead into a discussion of words that have double meanings; specifically, those words that fit into the financial register and concurrently apply to the moral register as well.

One sees the existence of many words from the financial register such as business, profitable, livelihood, and profit, exhibiting Peachum's wealth centered self-interest.

Once again, Macheath uses ruin again in a context that can be interpreted two ways. Here, ruin can mean that Polly would be due half (assuming Lucy got the other half) of Macheath's wealth upon his hanging, or it can mean that Polly wants to show that Macheath truly loves her, not Lucy. There is one more instance where Macheath uses a word, in this case account, that can pertain to both the financial and moral registers. In Act II, Scene 15, Macheath is convincing Lucy to free him from the jail: "You see, Lucy, in the account of love you are in my debt... I rather choose to die than be another's" (Gay 2601). Here, account is used in the moral register, but it can also be taken literally (especially when considering the presence of the word debt), as pertaining to finance and bank accounts. Macheath's use of words with double meanings, coupled with his love for two women, naturally leads into a further examination of Macheath's ethics.

A handsome wench in our way of business is as profitable as at the bar of a Temple coffeehouse, who looks upon it as her livelihood to grant every liberty but one. You see I would indulge the girl as far as prudently we can. In anything but Marriage! After that, my dear, how shall we be safe? Are we not then in her husband's power? For a husband hath the absolute power over all a wife's secrets but her own.... Married! If the wench does not know her own profit, sure she knows her own pleasure better than to make herself a property (Gay 2578)!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gay's depiction of Macheath, and his professed love for two women, creates an interesting reading on ethics in The Beggar's Opera. In Act II, Scene 13, there is a three-sided confrontation between Lucy, Polly and Macheath, and through this it becomes very apparent that Macheath cannot decide between his two loves. In fact, in air 35, Macheath sings: "How happy could I be with either" (Gay 2599). To love two women, and speak of marriage with both of them, is anything but noble. Yet, Macheath is clearly the hero of this mock epic. Furthermore, in Act I, Scene 13, Macheath swears his love to Polly, but as we saw above, Macheath also professes his undying devotion to Lucy. It is important to mention at this point, that Macheath's language in talking to, or about,

Some common words found in the essay are:
II Scene, Act Scene, Matt Robin, Polly Macheath, Macheath Peachum, Opera Words, Act Scenes, Lucy Married, Beggar's Opera, Minister Walpole, act ii, act ii scene, beggar's opera, ii scene, financial moral, financial register, words financial, words financial register, ethics beggar's, register finance, ethics beggar's opera, financial moral registers, words double meanings, close reading, double meanings,
Approximate Word count = 1911
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)