How successfully does Gay manage to balance the targeting of identifiable individuals, or of specific fashions or social institutions, with...

In the play, The Beggar’s Opera, Gay used the individuals, specific fashions, and social institutions to mock the vices of humanity in general. Thus, he created a co-dependent and balanced relationship between the specific individuals, fashions, and social institutions with humanity’s vices in general. Without either, the play would lack the applicability and comedy that exists to this day.

During time period of The Beggar’s Opera (1728), England was becoming aware of itself in numerous ways as an Empire. As a result, fashions and commodities were becoming part of everyday life. Gay used this play to indicate that people focused on the commodity of not only items, but also people. For instance, people’s worth was based off their ability to procure items. For example, the character Polly Peachum is discouraged from marrying by her father Mr. Peachum because he wants her to be “a key” and have several men at her disposal. Additionally, Mr. Peachum does not want her married because she would lose her possessions, showing that commodities appear more important than the love that Polly feels. Not only are women subjected to this debasement of value based on commodity, but the character MacHeath is viewed as successful and a good man because he steals many things and much of the play focuses on listing specific commodities that were treasured during that time. Furthermore, Gay includes lists of specific commodities in his play to illustrate the general obsession with commodities at the time. As a result of these specific commodities, people established a general sense of being upper class and used these items to appear superior, showing a sense of what the British Empire believed to be “good” or “bad” commodities.   

Furthermore, by illustrating the specific individuals and comparing their lives, Gay analyzes the differences between social classes. Throughout the play, the specific characters from both classes appear the same (morally corrupt), calling into question if there is really any difference at all. As a result, commodity appears to replace traditional morals or beliefs. 

Thus, Gay uses these specific people, fashions, and social institutions to focus the audience on the more general and larger problems of humanity. Both these specific and general literary devices were required to make the play a success.