The Begger's Opera

I enjoyed reading the Beggar's Opera because it was entertaining and humorous, but it also showed true gritty street life. With the two works we've read I have noticed a common theme of the "sweet" girls always falling for the asshole guys. I can't for the life of me understand why Polly would want to be with Macheath when she knows he is with other woman. I also didn't understand why Hellena wanted to be with Willmore in the Rover. These guys are obviously not good people and they treat women like sex objects and property. The women therefor look stupid when they chase these men all the while knowing how terrible the men really are. I find it hard to believe that there wasn't one good man in the 18'th century. All the men we have seen in the readings so far are poor excuses for boyfriends/husbands. I find it ridiculous that the women are actually fighting over these stupid men. Lucy even goes so far as to try to kill Polly all because she wants to marry Macheath. I guess love can drive people to do crazy things.
I found the relationship between Polly and her parents Mr. and Mrs. Peachum to be quite strange and quite unlike a general parent child relationship. Mr. Peachum viewed Polly as a financial asset to the family and discouraged her from marrying because she could make more money single. One of my favorite motherly Mrs. Peachum quotes was, "Can you support the expense of a husband, hussy, in gaming, drinking, and whoring?" Instead of telling her daughter not to marry this man because is likes to drink, gamble, and have sex with whores, Mrs. Peachum simply asks if her daughter can financially support this kind of behavior. I found it absurd that women were expected to not only tolerate this behavior from their husbands but actually support it. It once again made me say, why does Polly actually want to marry this horrible man?
I did not particularly enjoy all the songs in the play. I know it's an opera but I felt like a lot of the songs had nothing to do with the context of the scene. Other than that I enjoyed reading this work even though it made we question the sanity of 18'th century women.

I found the Rover to be entertaining but rather confusing due to the many disguises of the characters. The play highlighted gender norms and roles, and played on role reversal for both sexes. It portrayed both men and women in very particular ways, and it seemed that some characters were there for the sole purpose of intertwining both gender roles.
The play started out with Florinda and Hellena and they discusses love and their roles as lovers in relationships. This immediately reminded me of a general conversation that would go on between two women even in modern times. I found it odd that Hellena who is about to become a nun is still so lovestruck. Not only is she lovestruck but she is bold and even mischievous. In Act I Scene I, she says, "Now hang me, if I don't love thee for that dear Disobedience. I love Mischief strangely, as most of our Sex do, who are come to love nothing else --" I would describe her as "sassy". I felt bad for Florinda and her marriage situation. Both Florinda and Hellena are the 'typical' female characters.
The less typical female characters are Moretta and Angelica. I loved Moretta because she was a jaded bitch. My favorite line in the whole play was when Moretta said to Angelica, " I wonder what has kept you from that general disease of our sex for so long, I mean that thing of being in love." I loved the fact that she referred to love as a disease of women. I feel that referring to love as a disease would typically be something that a man would say. By describing love in this way Moretta is crossing a gender boundary and adopting a man's perspective on love/sex. Also since Moretta is Angelica's main friend... or maid I'm not sure, she obviously looks at love/sex in a very different way than a typical woman (Florinda or Hellena) would look at it. Moretta and Angelica use what I will hence forth refer to as the "whore's perspective". I find it interesting that Moretta has more of a whore's perspective that Angellica because Angelica is the actual whore. Angelica finds herself falling for Willmore and feeling those typical woman feelings. I could not ever see Moretta acting like a typical woman.
My favorite scene was the scene between Willmore and Angelica (Act II, Scene II). In this scene Angelica once again uses the whore's perspective when she says to Willmore, "Pray, tell me, Sir, are not you guilty of the same mercenary Crime? When a Lady is proposed to you for a Wife, you never ask, how fair, discreet, or virtuous she is; but what's her Fortune -- which if but small, you cry -- She will not do my business -- and basely leave her, tho she languish for you. -- Say, is not this as poor?" Angelica is comparing her the high price she sells herself for as well as her general attitude to how a man wants to marry a rich wife who is able to bring something to the table. She is saying that Willmore (or anyone else for that matter) is no different from herself. I feel that she only justifies herself to Willmore because she is falling for him. No one else has ever probably spoken to Angelica in the way Wilmore does and I think it humbles her a little.
Another memorable Willmore moment is in Act III Scene I, where Willmore gets on his knees and swears to Hellena that he will never look at, love, or sleep with another woman. I took this scene as a foreshadowing of all the bad things Willmore will eventually do. I don't know if "Rover can be synonymous for "player" but Willmore is definitely a player, and he's not even good at it.