How we cite our quotes: (Act.Scene.Line)
Quote #1
And Schmul Meier, reported missing
Like so many wealthy men:
Mac the Knife acquired his cash box.
God alone knows how or when. (P.21-24)
This verse reveals some anti-Semitism, a topic that will become very important as the Nazi party gains power in Germany. A common Jewish name, Schmul, is used for the greedy moneylender (see that cash box), a common stereotype for Jewish people. Mac's violence against Schmul Meier reflects the aggressive political atmosphere the play premiered in.
Quote #2
Betray your own brother, you rogue
And sell your old woman, you rat.
You think the Lord God's just a joke?
He'll give you His Judgement on that. (1.1.12-15)
No one in The Threepenny Opera is really a shining example of humanity. All of them are greedy sons of guns, so these lines are a little bit ironic. The idea that someone would sell out their brother or sell their mother or wife (is that what "old woman" refers to?) is just the epitome of greed, and supposedly there will be justice. However, the reference to "a joke" does introduce some doubt that the greedy will get theirs in the end.
Quote #3
PEACHUM to the audience. Something new is needed. My business is too hard, for my business is arousing human sympathy. There are few things that stir men's souls, just a few, but the trouble is that after repeated use they lose their effect. (1.1.16-20)
It's greed versus greed. Peachum's business is competing with the greed of the rich people, trying to get them to feel just enough sympathy to throw a few coins a beggar's way. But he himself is greedy too, always looking for another way to tug on their heartstrings and pull another penny out of them.