My interpretation of Sweeny Todd

SWEENEY TODD Questions

Answer all of the following in one blog posting:

1. Define: Personification.
                                  

a character portrayal or representation in a dramatic or literary work.

2. Briefly explain how personification is used throughout the story. Include as part of your explanation the importance of the objects being personified. Another way to word that might be: how does the personification of said objects advance the story/plot?

 The personification in the characters of Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett added an entertaining  side to the darkness of the plot. They are full of action and a wildly unexpected in their mannerisms.
Having that unexpected twist in the character everything is a surprise.

3. What to you is the major theme of Sweeney Todd? Explain why you feel that theme makes a difference to the story as a whole.
               The revenge of Benjamin Barker to the Judge who took everything from him.

4. In your own words, describe each of the major characters—you should have at least 5. You are welcome to use mostly adjectives, but be sure that whatever words/phrases you use that you are very clear and specific.

Mr.Sweeney  Todd (Benjamin Barker) - will have revenge on Judge Turpin

Lucy Barker - was Benjamin's wife that was stolen

Anthony- the young man who is in love with Johanna

Beadle Bamford - he is a trusted friend refers to him as "My Lord"

Judge Turpin- the judge who had Benjamin Barker put in jail to steal his wife and daughter

Mrs Lovette- the pie maker who spends time helping Sweeney.

Johanna- the daughter of Benjamin Barker adopted by Judge Turpin

Signor Pirelli - the Italian barber

Toby- the young boy who was enslaved to Signor Pirelli

5. The names of the individual characters play a major role in the story, especially for Sweeney Todd and the Beadle. Do a little research and explain, especially for these 2 characters, the importance/significance of their names, especially in regards to the story itself.

Sweeney Todd - the character was a myth from the Victorian serial killer who it is said had a sideline in pie maker.
Beadle - the shape of Beadle resembles a beetle...round and stubby. As found in My Web search,

"A Beadle is a Parish bailiff. A parish is the administrative area around a church. A bailiff is the officer of the parish who deals with the practicalities of the local laws."

6. Sweeney Todd is called a dark comedy.  Define: dark comedy—in your own words.

      I feel it is called a dark comedy because the overall plot is evil but it is directed in an comical way. It adds laughter to the story and helps move the story quickly.

7. Name and briefly explain at least 3 examples of how Sweeney Todd is a dark comedy. The more specific you are, the better your grade will be.

   1)When Mrs Lovett and Sweeney were dancing and singing about killing people and making pies from them: poets, lawyers,  shepard

    2)How they designed the barber chair to lean back and drop the dead person to the basement. As this happens he sings happily almost like it is therapy.

     3)Once they started killing people and putting them in the pies, the business was booming.

      4)Mrs Lovett had flipped the sold out sign over when a man came in for a shave, she exclaimed "fresh supplies"

8. Define: irony.
     The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.

9. Discuss at least 3 examples of irony in the play. Again, the more specific you are, the better your grade will be.

  1)When the young boy ran in right before Sweeney was going to kill the judge.

   2)When a husband came into have a shave with his family, wife and daughter. He did not kill that patron.

    3)Mrs Lovett sings about all of these wonderful things they could do in the future, entertaining by the sea, yet he is always miserable, even at the wedding.

     4)How they had Johnna locked in Fogg's asylum when it was the Judge that was the lunatic.

      5)That Sweeney killed his wife after she walked into the room when he killed the Judge.

10. Consider carefully the direction of the movie. By that, I mean how Tim Burton directed it—what he did with lighting, colors, the actors themselves, etc. Take at least 3 different direction techniques and discuss/explain how they add to or take away from the overall story itself.

   1) the overall setting was dark: this added to the mysteriousness in the roles of the characters
   2) the communication of the characters in most of the movie was done in a rhythmic manner. This added to the wildly unruliness of the actions of the characters.
  3) All of the characters who may have been considered lower class where portrayed as dirty, filthy outcasts.

11. What is your favorite part of Sweeney Todd? Why is that part your favorite?

     I enjoyed the scene when Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett were dancing around the pie shop singing about different flavors of pies. Th thought of having a meat pie that was made of lawyer is extremely disgusting but the way they carried on about it was very humorous to me.

12. What didn’t you like about Sweeney Todd? Why didn’t you like that part?
   The ending by far. When Johanna was found in the trunk and almost killed in the barber chair. After that scene, when he realized the begger in the alley he killed was his wife, just heart breaking. The closing of the movie with Sweeney bleed out over his wife in the pool of blood. This added the needed closing for those two but left Johanna and Anthony's fate.

13. Even though you may not have actually seen a play like Sweeney Todd performed on stage, do you think you’d prefer the movie or the stage version? Explain your answer.

I prefer the movie. I think it would have been difficult for the director of a play to make all the effects as real as it was in the movie.

14. What didn’t I ask about Sweeney Todd that you would like to talk about? (You MUST put something here…..I’m SURE I missed something that caught your attention that I didn’t ask about!!!!)

Anthony said he was a sailor. What ship did he sail on?
Mrs Lovett was married but are we sure how her husband died? How long had he been dead or was he recently add to the supplies? Why was she one of the few main characters that were not referred to by her first name?Was it lack of respect Sweeney showed to her?

Oedipus Questions

1. Who  wrote the play?   
                Sophocles wrote the play "Oedipus the King".

2.Briefly define the Oedipal Complex.   
                 The Oedipal Complex is when a child prefers the parent of the opposite sex and competes for the love of the opposite parent.

3.What is the setting of the story, specifically, the where?
               The setting is in front of the royal palace of Thebes.

4.As the play opens , what horrible thing is going on?
               There is a plague that is effecting the land in result of the injustice act of the death of King Laius.

5.Whose death must be avenged in order for the horrible thing from number 4 to end?
               The death of King Laius must be avenged to end the plague.

6.Who was Oedipus wife?
               Jocasta is both his wife and his unknown mother.

7.Who is Oedipus mother?
               Jocasta is both his mother and his wife.

8. Who is Oedipus father?
              Laius is Oedipus birth father and Polybus raised Oedipus as his son.

9.Who killed the King of Thebes?
             Oedipus killed the King of Thebes.

10. What is Oedipus' tragic flaw?
            Oedipus' tragic flaw was his pride and intelligence. Oedipus' pride and arrogance untilmately leads to his destruction.

11.As you read through Oedipus, you'll note that sight/vision/seeing (including "second sight") is very important to the overall story--in the literal as well as the metaphorical/symbolical aspect. You don't have to do this in complete sentences if you don't want--
         The symbolic thought of vision is to see all things clear, there were no way for Oedipus to have seen this clear. Although most people know your mother and father everything has been obscured in Oedipus' life. Then after all the events Oedipus' attempts to correct he in fact will be the one to continue his life in blindness.

12.Describe/discuss/explain/list how sight/vision/seeing/"second sight" is/are used in the play to advance the plot--to advance the story as a whole. Include an explanation of why it's important as well as how it helps you ( the real audience) understand (get) what others on the stage and in the play don't understand.
             The ability to see the forth coming in the play allows the viewer to same on track and keep interest in the play. Ones imagination will help feel in the blanks when the unknown presents itself. If the participation in the play has full seeing /understanding it detracts from the expression ad drama of the play.

13.As a play, there's a lot that can and can not be done on stage. Explain why you think some things within this play in particular are done off stage.
             I feel there was a lot of conversation within the play of "Oedipus the King", an entire stage would not add nor detract from the play. There are also many of the scenes(ie. death of Jocasta) that would have offended many viewers. The use of ones imagination is the strongest setting for most views of this play.

14. Do you believe in fate? Explain fully your answer.
            I do believe in fate. Every step or choice one makes in life results in an outcome. I have known many of whom always seem to end up on top, just to find that the chosen road had a superb twist that they can not control nor avoid. I want to believe that if your soul is pure and you make choices for the best of all the road maybe bumpy but the outcome in your life will be smooth.

15. Explain how fate plays a role in Oedipus.
            The destiny had been prophesied, it was meant to be, and with all of the incomplete tasks it still came to be reality. Opedipus' life to end that was spared. Oedipus taken to another land, thought no way to meet Jocasta, and it still happened. The plight for Oedipus to find the murder of King Laius, to only find it to be himself. Fate was destined for Oedipus.

16. Have you ever thought how ironic this play is? It's weird how the events come together and make everything happen the way it does. If things wre to happen just a bit different the story would completely changed.

           All it would have needed to be was that as Oedipus grew up he met and loved someone close to him in his land. The next could have been was if he took Jocasta's  advice and drop the search for the killer of Laius, it would have not been pursued.

Extra : Name either one of the other two plays in Oedipus Trilogy-punctuation counts

 "Oedipus at Colonus"   and " Antigone" are the two other plays in the Oedipus Trilogy.

My view of "Oedipus the King"

"Oedipus the King" was a perfect example of if it could happen it would. I personally had a difficult time following the play. It seemed to move very slow to me. The pace of the play too on a whole new meaning after the retrieval of the old herdsman by the messengers. The play took lighting speed at that point. It was tragic to say the least. To have been sent to be killed by your mother, then left abandoned with a chance to have a wonderful life. A couple takes you in, you grow up and for what to meet your wife/mother. Then as a leader you attempt to right a wrong just to find you are the cause of the treacherous fate. It just seems such a twist of fate. Impossible to know that he could possibly be the guilty one, as prophesied. This play justifies the phrase " if it was meant to be, it will be".

"The Road Not Taken"

By: Robert Frost  Page 1067

I can relate so much to Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken". I myself find the interest of the road not commonly taken. Have you started down a road, where you could make one choice, but decided on the other? Did you have a a struggle or did it prove to be the best choice? I feel this is part of living. Some feel that life is predetermined. To each their own understanding, the choices we make will have an outcome. It is up to your path, your decisons, your ..road not taken.

"The Tyger"

By: William Blake  Page 769

Ok, honestly I was a little confused. I am not sure if I have it even now after I read it twice. I go from the tyger being and animal to the tyger being the power of the world. It talks a lot about power and the effects on the world. The last of the poem,

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

it is almost as if it is a literal fire, taking out everything in its path. If referring to power of God. It could be speaking of the awesome power in the world.
This is up to the readers interpretation. It will be interesting to see what everyone else will see.

"The Fish" (1946)

By: Elizabeth Bishop   Page 730

"The Fish" has a lot of imagery. As I read the poem and I saw the image of the fish. A warrior of his time. A survior of many "almost the catch". Looking into the writers eye, the fish with many lines and hooks all as ribbions of war and survial the achievment. The pattern of the poem made it easy to understand. Simple terms, simple items to relate in the enviroment. I would encourage everyone to enjoy the simpilcity of this poem. Give your mind a beautiful rest on a imaginative journey.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (1923)

By: Robert Frost  Page 637

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" has a nice tone of relaxation. As I read this poem I can see myself on the horse, looking through the woods at the falling snow. I would take a deep breath and release it along with all the stresses I store from this world. Do you have your own escape? When life gets just a little too heavy, a little much to bare. It is good to have this place to regain your sanity.