# Lockit — The Beggar’s Opera character guide

> Lockit in The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Lockit

**First appearance:** 0005-the-beggar-s-opera

## Snapshot

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

## Who they are

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.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_beggar_s_opera_se/characters/lockit
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_beggar_s_opera_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_beggar_s_opera_se/characters