Macheath: Misunderstood or Morally Inept?

In class, we discussed the idea that John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera rails against the Neo-classical form in quite a few ways, but mainly by focusing on members of the lower class. The Neo-classical has many guidelines, and one of them is that no character can change more than what is realistically possible within the 24 hour period of time. As I was reading, I was curious about if MacHeath would count as Neo-classical character or if his character is going against the Neo-classical form. In Scene 13, MacHeath seems like the perfect gentleman. He professes his love to Polly, saying “suspect anything but my love” (13). He appears to be someone she can trust, a man of honor.

However, later in the opera, MacHeath is seen in a less than honorable position. In Scene 4 of Act 2, Macheath visits a large group of prostitutes, all of whom he knows by name. He previously stated “I must have women” (Scene 3). He doesn’t want Polly, he wants every woman. Macheath is not the man he was in previous scenes. His love for Polly seems to have dissipated. He exclaimes, “what a fool is fond wench!” (3). Macheath plays Polly for a fool, showing that he is not a good person worthy of trust. My question is whether the contrasting Macheaths show a change in character or if Macheath is simply being false in one of these scenes. If he is being false in a scene, which one would it be?