Eric H. Santana
Professor Chris Alexander
July 6, 2008
The Character Of Macheath
The character of Mack the Knife is that of a powerful, violent, intelligent individual. The
play leads me to believe this because of many instances where Macheath has shown some
of these traits or even all of them together. By calling Macheath powerful I mean to say
he is physically imposing and a one on one confrontation with him would most likely
result in a victory for Mack. In calling Macheath violent I mean to say his personality is
one that allows room for violence to be used for his personal benefit with no remorse.
One instance where the play leads me to believe Macheath is a physically
powerful person is Act one Scene two. Macheath displays his power after his henchman
Matt makes a dirty joke involving Macheath. In Stage directions Macheath brings Matt
down to the floor without much effort: “Macheath suddenly grabs Matthew and gently
jerks him to the floor.”(13) In choosing the word gently the play communicates to me that
this wasn’t an action that required a good deal of Mack’s strength but was done with
ease. This also communicates to me that Macheath underwent his action knowing he
would not be challenged by anyone. I feel this way because the play makes no indication
that Matt was struggling with Mack as he was brought to the floor and also because he
made no effort to express disapproval of mack’s actions. Matt was in a position where he
was threatened by both Mack’s status and by Mack’s physical qualities; seeing as how if
someone is not physically dominating they could quickly be killed in Mack’s line of
work, even by partners simply because it’s easy.
Within this same passage the play communicates to me how Macheath is an individual
who would use violence for self benefit. After Mack has brought Matt to the floor it
becomes evident Matt was about to reveal something that Polly would overhear. By
Mack’s actions it would seem that would go against Macheath’s interests. The scene goes
“MATT: …Lucy has told me some of the ones you’ve told her. Mine are milk and water
in comparison. POLLY: Lucy!” (13). In Polly answer the play leads me to believe she is
unaware who Lucy is. I am also led to believe Mack doesn’t want her to know and he is
going to use violence to make sure the conversation ends abruptly. In stage directions
“Macheath pulls his knife out of his pocket.”(13). This action communicates to me Mack
has a mentality that approves of physical threats as a method of obtaining what he wants,
this time him wanting the conversation involving lucy to end. Macheath didn’t even make
a verbal statement during his course of action implying to me that he was dead-set on
using his knife. I feel this way because I could imagine one who intends to kill another as
if they were a fly on the wall would not have much to say to them beforehand. It is as if
mack viewed him as a discomfort rather than a human because usually one does not have
to communicate verbally to a discomfort to end said discomfort. The play leads me to
believe mack is so desensitized to killing from his time in the army that taking a life
within any scenario can be done without any wasted or extra effort. I feel this way
because of how many times the play compares his war victims to processed meat in
various forms. In doing so, it seems mack takes the mentality of a meat butcher, who can
butcher for employment and would feel indifference on the animals lives lost, and
reshapes it into one who can butcher humans for self benefit while keeping the same
indifference on bloodshed intact.