Sweeney Todd Plot Question

[mormonsandglindas]

Posted: 3/15/18 at 3:47am

Can someone give their take on this question?

One thing I never understood about Sweeney Todd was why did Sweeney suddenly not care about seeing his daughter again? He knows the judge has her and that she even goes to an insane asylum, and yet he does not want to help her or see her again?

The whole reasoning for his revenge is because the judge took him away from his wife and daughter, and when he sees he has killed his wife he is devasted, yet he doesn’t care about what is happening to his daughter?

Can someone explain?

Updated On: 3/15/18 at 03:47 AM

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 3/15/18 at 5:50am

mormonsandglindas said: "Can someone give their take on this question?

One thing I never understood about Sweeney Todd was why did Sweeney suddenly not care about seeing his daughter again? He knows the judge has herand that she even goes to an insane asylum, and yet he does not want to help her or see her again?

The whole reasoning for hisrevenge is because the judge took him away from his wife and daughter, and when he sees he has killed his wife he is devasted, yet he doesn’t care about what is happening to his daughter?

Can someone explain?"

What are you talking about? He tells Antony how to rescue Johanna from Mr Fogg's asylum so that the sailor can bring her to fleet street. It's very clear in the show that Todd's plan is to kill Antony so that he can keep his daughter.

 

[Fan123]

Posted: 3/15/18 at 7:06am

mormonsandglindas may have been referring to Sweeney escalating things by inviting Judge Turpin back to the pie shop to retrieve Johanna. Sweeney could have cut his losses re: Turpin and focused on reuniting with his daughter, but instead luring her abuser to the place where she's going to be, indicates that he's willing to place her in danger so that he can extract his revenge. I take this to signify Sweeney's tragic loss of humanity; his obsession with revenge has taken him to the point of viewing his daughter as merely a means to / obstacle to his revenge, not unlike the Beggar Woman. This time it will be his own fault if he loses his daughter all over again.
(As for killing Anthony, Mrs Lovett thinks that up, but I don't recall Sweeney particularly latching onto the idea.)