Though never seen onstage, the new Queen of England’s upcoming coronation provides the background for the action of the opera. At the end of the play, a message from the Queen arrives at the Old Bailey just seconds before Macheath’s execution—the missive pardons him for his crimes, appoints him a nobleman, and entitles him to a house in the country and a lifelong pension. Brecht includes the Queen as part of the drama in order to show how insulated the rich and powerful are from the ordinary suffering and consequences that are part and parcel of the lives of common men and women.
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The Queen Character Timeline in The Threepenny Opera
The timeline below shows where the character The Queen appears in The Threepenny Opera. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1, Scene 1
...Peachum calls for his wife, then urges Filch to get started right away, before the Queen’s coronation. He pulls back a curtain revealing several shabby outfits designed to induce the “unnatural...
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Act 1, Scene 2
...Matthew tells Polly to rest easy—the police are busy securing the streets ahead of the Queen’s coronation.
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Act 3, Scene 3
...have a look at it. Macheath sings another lament, wishing someone would go to the Queen on his behalf in his hour of need.
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...as part of the laundering scheme, but says she wishes she could go to “the Queen herself” and get it. Polly breaks down in tears, and Smith pulls her away from...
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...Threepenny-Finale” begins. The messenger is none other than Brown, who reads a dictum from the Queen herself that commands Macheath’s release. Everyone cheers. What’s more, the message reads, Macheath is to...
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...been shown on stage today, is “generally bad.” There are not mounted messengers from the Queen herself for everyone, and if one tries to defend oneself, there are often consequences. Therefore,...
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