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ReviewsEditorial Review - Cahners Business Information (c) 2001 Czech Republic President Havel's 1975 adaptation of British dramatist John Gay's 1728 political satire, The Beggar's Opera, and other subversive works made him a blacklisted dissenter in the Czech Communist regime. Translated here by Wilson, who has rendered many of Havel's works in English, the play's 14 quick scenes depart from Gay's original ballad in three ways: its style is colloquial, its tone is comic, and its subplots are different. The political overtones remain sharp, as the play satirizes collectivism, lack of individual identity and freedom, and the mistrust and corruption prevalent in Communist Czechoslovakia. The bigamous hero-rogue Captain Macheath saves his neck by joining the wheeling-and-dealing, double-crossing practices of the underworld, while pickpocket Havey Filch remains true to himself until death. In the introduction, Peter Stein (Univ. of Pennsylvania) provides an analysis of the play in its literary and political context. He also details the play's November 1, 1975 premier, which was secretly staged near Prague, and the consequent political persecution. Also included are 11 black-and-white photographs of the premier. Highly recommended for both academic and public libraries. Ming-ming Shen Kuo, Ball State Univ. Lib., Muncie, ID Related books
Common terms and phrasesAffair Bagshot BEGGAR Bob Booty Brother Business Cambric Captain Macheath charming cheat COAXER Courtiers Customer Daughter dear Lucy Death Dram drink Enter Filch Enter Lucy Enter Peachum Enter Polly ev'ry Exeunt Exit Eyes Father Fellow Fill every Glass fond Fool Friends Gamesters Gang Gentlemen Girl give Guinea hadst Hand handsom hang hang'd happy hast hate hath hear Heart Hockley Honour hope Husband Hussy Jade Jemmy Jemmy Twitcher Jenny Diver Jointure keep Kiss Ladies live LOCKIT Look ye Love Love or Money Madam Marriage married MATT Miss Polly Molly Brazen Money never Newgate now−a−days Opera Paddington Passion PLAYER Pleasure Polly's Account poor Polly's pretty Prey Prisoners promis'd Rascal Ruin ruin'd SCENE Session shew SLAMMEKIN Slut Snuff−Boxes steal Strong−Waters Suky Tawdry sure tear thing thou thy Polly to−day To−morrow TRAPES TRULL Twas Tyburn Tree Villain VIXEN Wench Whore Wife Wine Wives Woman Women References from web pagesThe Beggar's Opera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia JSTOR: Ninth Music Book. Containing John Gay and the Ballad Opera ... The Beggar's Opera: Links and Bibliography The Beggar's Opera by John Gay The Beggar's Opera by John Gay - Full Text Free Book The Beggar's Opera by John Gay, John Loftis, John Christopher ... Gay, John. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07 Poets' Corner - John Gay - Selected Works The Contemplator's Short History John Gay and The Beggar's Opera The Beggar's Opera - Benjamin Britten References to this bookFrom other books
From Google ScholarCriminal Receiving: The" Fence" as MarketerRonald Paul Hill - 1992 - Journal of Public Policy & Marketing John Gay's Polly: Unmasking Pirates and Fortune Hunters in the ...Robert G Dryden - 2001 - Eighteenth-Century Studies The Art of Decision MakingHelga Drummond The Crying of Lost ThingsJonathan Lamb Other editions
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