作者：陳逸如、王開霽、談玉儀 (為華梵大學外文系3b同學參與 6/6/2007英文短劇比賽節目單而寫)

本事

《乞丐歌劇》（The Beggar’s Opera）由約翰蓋（John Gay, 1685-1732）於1728年所寫，音樂可能是由派普許（Johann Christoph Pepusch, 1667~1752）所編排。本劇是一齣充滿計謀、與機智的浪漫民謠歌劇。這部歌劇藉由二種不同階層的人來諷刺當時不公平的社會制度︰其一是下層社會中的小偷和酒家女，而另一種則是上流社會的貴族與中產階級。本劇是現存唯一的民謠歌劇典範，直到今日仍非常受到歡迎。

     本劇經修改為三幕，第一幕發生在皮瓊夫婦家中，他們正煩惱自己的女兒波莉愛上主角黑色會大哥馬奇斯。他雖然為好色之徒，但聰明伶俐，言談中不時語露機鋒，吸引上流社會的名媛波莉並締結姻緣。波莉深愛馬奇斯，但這樁私定終身的婚姻卻並未受到她那勢利的父母皮瓊夫婦的祝福，反而一心想要拆散他們，並惡毒的唆使女兒謀殺親夫。波莉違抗父命，即使不忍兩人分離的痛苦，還是私下警告馬奇斯有被抓的危險，希望馬奇斯即刻逃亡。

在第二幕中馬奇斯卻無視波莉的警告，仍跑去酒館尋找短暫的歡樂，出乎意料，這些酒家女早已跟皮瓊串通好，以猶大之吻出賣他。馬奇斯終究被抓到市民監獄中。世事難料，獄中獄卒的女兒露西是馬奇斯舊愛，並曾互許終身。露西怪罪馬奇斯居然不顧她已懷有五個月身孕，仍與皮瓊家的波莉結婚。在露西及波莉與馬奇斯的會面時，這兩個女人激烈的爭吵，並要馬奇斯在他們之間做出選擇。馬奇斯這個惡徒知道露西可以幫他逃出監牢，所以否認波莉是他的妻子，甚至佯稱波莉發瘋，這時皮瓊及時到來將女兒帶走。經不住馬奇斯的甜言蜜語，脾氣火爆的露西終究還是軟化，雖心懷恐懼，但她還是說服典獄長的父親取得鑰匙，幫助馬奇斯逃離了監獄。

然而在第三幕中，馬奇斯很快的又被抓回了監牢裡，而且被判了死刑。他能再次的解救自己嗎?亦或是這齣”戲中戲”有著令人意想不到的結局? 在這緊要關頭時，我們看到開場時出現的乞丐和戲子再次來到了舞台上，但為了結局該如何鋪陳而起了爭執。乞丐表示為了要給觀眾們一個符合公義的結局，所以馬奇斯應該要被斬首；而戲子則堅持應該要提供一個快樂圓滿的結局以符合大眾的喜好。最後，馬奇斯被解救了，他正式的宣布他與波莉的婚姻，並且邀請大家跳舞慶祝。

      這齣戲的意涵是要告知所有的觀眾，在這混亂的社會裡，每個人都可能被利益誘惑而偏離正道。作者似乎以這齣戲來嘲笑十八世紀時倫敦的政治特色及社會風氣，卻也讓現代的觀眾感同身受。

Synopsis

The Beggar’s Opera , written by John Gay（1685-1732） in 1728 and the music was probably arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch (1667~1752）, is a ballad opera full with romance, artifice and wit. It deals with social inequity with a satiric tone through two different kinds of people, one from low-class thieves and whores, one from their superior betters, the aristocratic and bourgeoisie. As the only existing sample of ballad opera, it has remained popular to this day.

It describes the social form of the 18^th century underworld in a high satirical voice. The play includes 3 Acts. In Act 1, Mr. and Mrs. Peachum worries about their daughter who falls in love with Macheath who is a lecher and a desperado, but, on the other hand, he is very smart and is the most articulate person with wit in this play. Irnonically Macheath is the chief of the underworld, yet his wife Polly is a lady who comes form the beau monde. Even though Polly loves Macheath deeply, her secret marriage with Macheath is not blessed by her snobbish parents Mr. and Mrs. Peachum who conclude that the match could be rationalized provided Macheath can be killed for his money. Immediately, Polly warns Macheath and informs him of his danger of being caught, and there follows a heartbreaking departure between the couple.

 However, In Act 2, ignoring Polly’s counsel, Macheath goes to a tavern to look for the temporary pleasure from the company of women of dubious reputation. Beyond Macheath’s expectation, the prostitutes in the tavern have contracted with Peachum to capture Macheath by the kiss of Judas. Unfortunately, Macheath finds himself in Newgate, the City Prison where the jailor’s daughter, Lucy Lockit, discovers that her 5-month pregnancy does not prevent Macheath from marrying with Polly. In Macheath’s presence, these two women have intense fight and force him to make a choice. Our desperado knows that Lucy could help him to escape from jail, so he denies that Polly is his wife and cheats Lucy. Submitting to Lucy’s violent temper, on the one hand, Macheath persuades her that Polly is crazy, on the other hand, he forces Polly to retreat. In spite of fear, Lucy helps Macheath to escape from the jail.

In Act 3, Macheath is captured right away. This time he is committed to capital punishment. Can Macheath rescue himself again? Or this “double show” has another surprised ending? Now, in the last scene, we find the Beggar and the Player who appear in the prologue come to the stage again to debate on the ending of the play. The Beggar explains that he would have provided a poetic justice by giving the audience a moral ending with the beheading of Macheath; yet the Player insists on having a happy ending to “comply with the Taste of the Town.” Thus, Macheath is saved from beheading and brought back to the stage to invite all to a dance of celebration, declaring his marriage with Polly.

     The essence of the play is to remind the audience of a highly moral lesson that

everyone is motivated by self-interest in a chaotic society. In this play, John Gay seems to ridicule a broad spectrum of political figures and social conventions in the 1700 London whose enviroment is quite familiar to the contemporary audiences.

Macheath:

He is the chief of underworld. On the one hand, he is a lecher and a desperado; on the other hand, he is a very smart person with wit. He is married to Polly who comes from beau monde.

Mr. and Mrs. Peachum:

They are Polly’s snobbish parents who want Polly to betray her lover Macheath for money.

Polly Peachum:

She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peachum. She loves Macheath very much and she warns Macheath and informs him of his danger of being caught.

Lucy Lockit:

As the daughter of jailor Lockit, she has violent temper. She also loves Macheath and is in her 5-month pregnancy. On hearing Macheath’s being caught, she immediately comes to the jail to storm at him. Finally he persuaded her by his blandishments in order to escape out of the jail.

Player:

The theater owner narrates the play in the view of spectator who wishes to give the play a happy ending to please the audience.

Beggar:

The person reminds of the Player that the play should be justified and ended with a poetic justice.

Jenny:

She is a whore who betrays Macheath by the kiss of Judas because of Peachum’s order.

Mr. Lockit:

He is the father of Lucy who helps Lucy to set Macheath free.

Filch:

He is Lucy’s servant.

馬奇斯: 他是個黑社會老大，也是個亡命之徒和好色之徒，為人聰明，言談充滿機智，與上流社會的波莉締結姻緣。

皮瓊夫婦: 是一對勢利的夫婦，為了錢竟然要自己的親生女兒出賣她的愛人。

波莉: 皮瓊夫婦之女，是個單純的女孩，她深愛著馬奇斯，不忍他被抓走而去警告他。

露西: 典獄長之女，脾氣火爆，也愛著馬奇斯，並懷有五個月的身孕。在馬奇斯第一次入獄之時，前來怒罵他，但最後被馬奇斯的甜言蜜語哄騙，協助他逃出監獄。

戲子: 說故事的人，想要一個圓滿快樂的結局。

乞丐: 說故事的人，想要有一個符合公義的結局。

珍妮: 一個妓女，以猶大之吻出賣馬奇斯。

典獄長: 露西之父，幫助露西放走馬奇斯。

費爾齊: 皮瓊家的僕人。