The Threepenny Opera Hypocrisy Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Act.Scene.Line)

Quote #1

PEACHUM. Licenses are delivered to professionals only. Points in a businesslike way to a map of the city. London is divided into fourteen districts. Any man who intends to practice the craft of begging in any one of them needs a licence from Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum & Co. Why, anybody could come along—a pretty to his baser instincts. (1.1.83-88)

What does this have to do with hypocrisy? Well, first of all, the professionalization of begging would be a hilarious joke if it weren't a real thing. But the idea is that Mr. Peachum is behaving as though he were a legit businessman, when really he's a con artist. And the idea that he is protecting beggars from their "baser instincts" is completely hypocritical—he's giving into his own baser instincts by taking their money.

Quote #2

JAKE. The plover's eggs are from Selfridge's. There was supposed to be a bucket of foie gras. But Jimmy ate it on the way, he was mad because it had a hole in it.

WALTER. We don't talk about holes in polite society. (1.2.192-195)

In case you're wondering, a plover is a type of wading bird, and its eggs are such an exquisite delicacy that they're now illegal to gather. And foie gras, too, is an expensive dish (liver pâté). After their talking about all this fancy food and making claims about being in polite society, we can't help but point out that these hypocrites stole the fancy food.

Quote #3

MAC. Polly, this is Tiger Brown, what do you say old man? Slaps him on the back. 

And these are my friends, Jackie, I imagine you've seen them all before.

BROWN. pained I'm here unofficially, Mac. (1.2.390-393)

Tiger, a.k.a. Jackie Brown is the chief of police, so his great familiarity with Mac and the gang is problematic. His claim to be at the wedding "unofficially" means that he knows he shouldn't be there, and this lame attempt to appear law-abiding is just an example of the hypocrisy of the gangster-cop.