Filch is Peachum’s loyal sidekick. He takes care of many of the day-to-day tasks involved in running Peachum’s business, from sending messages to prisoners at Newgate to receiving stolen goods. However, he also expresses reservations about continuing a life of crime—he worries about getting executed and tells Mrs. Peachum that he wants to be a sailor instead. In Act III, he takes over the unusual, exhausting job of sleeping with women prisoners at Newgate (because they cannot be executed while pregnant).
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Filch Character Timeline in The Beggar’s Opera
The timeline below shows where the character Filch appears in The Beggar’s Opera. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1, Scene 2
The servant Filch arrives and updates Peachum on his band of thieves. Black Moll is on trial, but...
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...the colonies). He loves helping women escape, since there’s no bounty for turning them in. Filch praises Betty, who trained him in thievery. He sings about how women seduce men to...
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Act 1, Scene 6
Mrs. Peachum calls Filch over and remarks that she loves him like a son because he’s such a great...
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Filch explains that he was caught trying to steal a gold watch, so he had to...
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Mrs. Peachum asks Filch if he knows anything about Macheath and Polly. Filch says that he’s promised Polly not...
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Act 3, Scene 2
...in and Lockit asks if anyone from Peachum’s gang is at Newgate. Lucy says that Filch is drinking with Black Moll next door, and Lockit asks her to bring him over.
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Act 3, Scene 3
Lockit and Filch meet. Lockit tells Filch that he looks hungry and exhausted. Filch explains that he has...
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Act 3, Scene 7
...and kill her. She doesn’t even mind if she gets hanged for the crime. Then, Filch comes in and announces that Polly has arrived.
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Act 3, Scene 12
Polly sends Filch to attend Macheath’s trial while she waits back in the jail with Lucy. They hear...
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