Sweeney Todd

1. Sweeney Todd Demon Barber of Fleet Street

2. The story is about the character of Sweeney Todd who returns to London from Australia where he has exhausted fifteen years of his life behind bars on false charges. He hears from Mrs. Lovett, who has the worst meat pies in London, that his wife, Lucy Barker poisoned herself after being raped by Judge Turpin (the man who wrongly incarcerated him), and his daughter, Johanna Barker, is now living like a prisoner with Turpin. After hearing this, he starts to seek out his vengeance by killing Judge Turpin and many others. Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett become conspirators in a wicked scheme that results in mass murder, a flourishing business for Mrs. Lovett's pie shop, and in the end, tragedy.

3. Sweeney Todd He is also known as Benjamin Barker. He used to be an excellent barber, and after he arrives back at London, becomes one once again. He is a dark and miserable character who swears to obtain revenge for the tarnishing of his family. Sweeney’s first goal was to only kill Judge Turpin, but he eventually came to the realization that everybody deserved to die. Instead of murdering just the one person he most sought after, Sweeney killed anybody who stepped into his barber shop and wanted a shave. He then throws them down a shoot that leads to the pie shop down below. He eventually is killed in the end by the same way he murdered and by the same weapon.

4. Judge Turpin He is a dishonest official who twists things to serve his needs. He first learns of Sweeney Todd by his assistant Beadle Bamford, and goes to his shop for a shave. He is able to get away the first time, but not the next time. He goes back to the shop for another shave, and Sweeney slices his throat as soon as he could. When he is thrown down the chute, Mrs. Lovett is down there eagerly waiting for him to come. The judge was still alive, and Mrs. Lovett had to struggle with him before he finally gave in.

5. Adolfo Pirelli His surname is Danny O’Higgins, and used to work for Sweeney when he was younger. He learned from watching him, and grew up to become a famous Italian barber. He goes around selling his miracle elixir claiming that it can grow back hair. Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett discover that it is a fraud, and Pirelli challenges him to shaving competition in which Beadle judges. Sweeney wins with ease, and Pirelli goes to his shop for a shave. When he reveals to him that he is really Danny and that he knows who he really is, Sweeney slashes his throat. Adolfo Pirelli officially becomes Sweeney Todd’s first victim.

6. Beadle Bamford He is Turpin’s assistant and accomplice in his crimes. Beadle meets Sweeney in a shaving competition in which he judged, and Sweeney winning it. He sees Sweeney’s excellent shaving abilities, and tells the Judge about him. He also goes to get a shave, but is killed by Sweeney.

7. Mrs. Nellie Lovett She first meets Sweeney when he steps into her failing pie shop. After they converse for a little while, she finds out that Sweeney is actually Benjamin Barker. She then gives him his old, but still sharp barber razors. Mrs. Lovett did this on the chance that he would once again become the barber he once used to be. Soon after Sweeney kills his first victim, she and Todd devise this plan. Mrs. Lovett will make meat pies out of the victims. Her pie shop eventually becomes a booming business because of the pies. In the end, she is thrown into the furnace by Sweeney, and is his last victim.

8. Beggar Woman Her name is Lucy Barker. She survived her self-poisoning, but went mad afterwards. She reappears periodically in the movie, always accusing Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett of killing. She and Tobias are the only people who had a hint of what they were up to. She breaks into Sweeney’s shop, and is killed by him not knowing that she is actually his wife. Down in the bakery, the light hits her face, and Sweeney notices that she is Lucy. He cries out in agony and holds her lifeless body in his arms while Tobias goes up and kills him.

9. Anthony Hope He is a young sailor who helped Sweeney get to London. He spots Johanna Barker through a window in Judge Turpin’s residence. Anthony quickly falls in love and vows to help her escape and get married. He succeeds and breaks into Sweeney’s barber shop to tell him, but he is not there. Johanna is told by him to remain there because he went to get a coach. He and Johanna eventually go back to the pie shop where they see a bloody Sweeney on the floor.

10. Johanna Barker She was Sweeney’s daughter, and later claimed by Judge Turpin as his own. Johanna meets Anthony and they fall in love. When she escapes, he leaves her in Sweeney’s barber, but unbeknownst to her is that Sweeney is her father. After Anthony leaves, the beggar woman comes in, and Johanna hinds in a trunk. From there, she sees Sweeney butcher the beggar woman and finally Judge Turpin. Sweeney catches her and is about to die just like the others when Mrs. Lovett screams and distracts Sweeney for a brief moment. From the scream, Johanna is able to escape, and meet Anthony.

11. Tobias Ragg Tobias Ragg He originally worked for the fraudulent barber Adolfo Pirelli, but after Sweeney murdered him, he came to work for Mrs. Lovett. He assists in running the shop, and uncovers Sweeney’s plan. Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney figures out that he knows, and they set out to kill him. Things go awfully wrong when Sweeney throws Mrs. Lovett into the fire, and realizes who the beggar woman really is. Sweeney knows that Tobias is behind him with one if his razors and accepts his fate by allowing Tobias slicing his throat which kills him. After he sees Johanna and Anthony, Tobias starts to grind the meat once again, and that is the closing scene. He originally worked for the fraudulent barber Adolfo Pirelli, but after Sweeney murdered him, he came to work for Mrs. Lovett. He assists in running the shop, and uncovers Sweeney’s plan. Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney figures out that he knows, and they set out to kill him. Things go awfully wrong when Sweeney throws Mrs. Lovett into the fire, and realizes who the beggar woman really is. Sweeney knows that Tobias is behind him with one if his razors and accepts his fate by allowing Tobias slicing his throat which kills him. After he sees Johanna and Anthony, Tobias starts to grind the meat once again, and that is the closing scene.

12. Works Cited http://www.iesb.net/images/stories/popoculture/sweeneybook.jpg http://www.lasplash.com/uploads/2/Sweeney_Todd-2.jpg http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-12/34235343.jpg http://gothamist.com/attachments/food_chris/2006_7_GothamMeatPie.jpg http://www.princetonfestival.org/2005%20Sweeney%20Todd/SweeneyChair.jpg http://www.peterboroughopera.co.uk/assets/gallery/sweeneytodd/Image4b.jpg http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/73028366.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9 FDB9CF193CC300C081D9F47006DABE6C0DB81A31B047ED6F7764F68A8A55A1E4F32AD3138 http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2007/07/11/sween460.jpg http://www.indianaghostbusters.com/wp-content/uploads/wppa/284.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweeney_Todd_(musical)