Brecht Depiction of the World as a Capitalist Society

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Brecht Depiction of the World as a Capitalist Society
Introduction
The Threepenny Opera play by Bertolt Brecht is no doubt a mirror of society. In the play, Brecht depicts the world as a capitalist system where people are ready to do anything for financial gain. The play also goes more in-depth to unearth the rot in the world today, where unscrupulous behavior has become the order of the day. Like in the contemporary world, the play depicts the corruption in the system where those bestowed to enforce law and order are using the same powers for personal gains. In the play, Brecht argues that it is no difference between police who are law enforcers and criminals. The only difference is that the police, through their authority, are in an advantageous position as they can choose to interpret the law in ways that favor them. This paper highlights how Brecht analyses how capitalism has had a direct impact on corruption and human brutality.
Brecht Exploration of Corruption
Brecht manages to illustrate the theme of corruption in the whole process effectively. It is usually a fallacy that the government aims to stand for righteousness and justice since, according to Brecht, most of these institutions are a direct product of the opposite. Most of the social institutions are a feed-off of not only inequality but also injustice. The security personnel, such as the police, are just reflections of the criminals they are mandated to round up. There is a very thin line that separates the two parties. Macheath has relationships with the daughters of both policemen, Brown and Peacham. This, in turn, results in an intricate connection between the parties involved and portrays the level of corruption therein.
Throughout the play, Brecht uses different characters to highlight several aspects of corruption and brutality to humanity. From the first scene, the mood and everything are clear: the system is designed to reward those who are ruthless and brutal. Virtually every character in the play is portrayed as dishonest, greedy, or corrupt. Peachum, the notorious corrupt cop, for fear of losing his illegal business, decides to use unscrupulous ways to execute Macheath with a false allegation. This example is a clear indication of how the legal system in society is corrupt. Instead of arresting and reprimanding Macheath for the crimes he has committed, he is unjustly tried and executed for crimes he has not committed. Peachum's immoral means of getting extra cost by allowing dishonest beggars to roam around the town illegally soliciting money from innocent people.
The corporation between Macheath gang members and the two dirty cops, Sherriff Tiger, is another way Brecht explores corruption issues in society. The two cops, together with the gangs, have formed a bond whereby the cops allow the gangs to get away with crime and even tips them off when there is a raid on them. In return, the crew has to remit a percentage of their earnings from crime to the cops. The relationship indicates the rot within the society that permits anyone to offer the right price to get away with the crime. The worst is that the cops who are bestowed with the mandate to enforce law and order are ironically the first people to br...