Equality: Equality is hinted and mocked at in the Beggar's Opera, it has come up in discussions that the social classes of the time are quite different. A big contrast between the generously rich and the desperately poor.
Marriage: In the world of The Beggar's Opera, marriage doesn't quite have the same kind of meaning as I would have thought it to have. Marriage doesn't hold the romance and loyalty as it probably should have in this play. There's isn't much about the sense of honestly or loyalty in the play and the emotions of the characters seems to be more about themselves than that for others. For example when Polly and Lucy realise that they are playing against each other, Lucy plans ways to get rid of Polly so that she can have the attention of Macheath to herself.
Dishonesty: Macheath marries or commits to several different women, give promises but ultimately know that he doesn't really want them completely. He lies and cheats to get things from them but in the end he is given freedom and chooses one of the women he really loved/lusted, Polly. Another thing that I believe John Gay is trying to say throughout the play is how the people get into high places (jobs and positions in society) not through virtue, but through dishonesty.
Friendship: This is an interesting thing to think about through the play. There seems to be a strong sense of friendship between the main characters. This is however up until the moment that the two families daughters fall and in fact marry the same man. The friendships are connected by crimes, however the friendships are mostly controlled by the characters selfishness and not being considerate to each other's future.
Self Awareness: Throughout the play, each character is constantly blaming others around them for their own faults. Another thing about the characters in the play is that a a few of the characters, specifically Polly and Lucy, they argue about their love and marriage to Macheath, however they soon realise that they have both fallen for the same guy with the same problems. Soon after conversing, they realise that they aren't all that different. I think what might be trying to be passed across to the views/audience is that we need to look closer at ourselves before throwing blame elsewhere.
Law: There doesn't seem to appear to be any sense of an enforced law. The Peachums and Lock's don't take any time at all in thinking twice about killing Macheath. In fact none of the characters in this story seem to care or have and moral sense about anybody, be it friend or family being killed or dying. The lawyers seem to come off as the worst type of people in this society. Repeatedly invoked throughout the play as the prime example of those who profit by the vice of other. Protecting the people in the wrong one day then prosecuting them then next.
