The Beggar’s Opera · Character

Lockit

The corrupt keeper of Newgate, Lucy's father, who runs the prison as a private business and trusts no one — especially not Peachum.

supporting

Also known as Lockit

First appearance: the beggar s opera

As a supporting figure in The Beggar’s Opera, Lockit is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

See Lockit in the beggar s opera Book page

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Lockit governs Newgate with the same double capacity Peachum brings to thief-taking: he sells escapes, softens evidence, and keeps his own accounts, all while suspecting his partner of skimming. His relationship with Lucy is a mixture of paternal concern and professional contempt — he warns her against love as bad business, then uses her feelings to extract information. When Macheath's escape threatens his reputation and his profits, Lockit's alliance with Peachum frays into mutual accusation, exposing how thin the line is between the men who break the law and the men who sell it.

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The fuller portrait of Lockit sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Lockit in the beggar s opera