Sweeney Todd: cultural context

Sweeney Todd: cultural context

Victorian Society

  • ‘Sweeney Todd’ is set in the Victorian era, specifically in lower-class London where poverty and hardship was rife.

  • The social class distinction is a prevalent theme in the plot. Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett, both working classes, struggle to rise whereas Judge Turpin represents the corrupt upper class.

  • Capital punishment and the violent justice system of that era are explored through the character of Sweeney.

Industrial Revolution

  • The Industrial Revolution is embedded in the story. The mechanisation and mass-production paradigms are reflected in Sweeney’s assembly-line style killings and Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop.

  • The Baker’s oven and the barber’s chair also suggest the advances in technology and its misuse for sinister purposes.

Victorian Melodrama and Penny Dreadful

  • The story of ‘Sweeney Todd’ was first circulated as a Victorian penny dreadful, a cheap, sensational literature designed for thrill and horror.

  • The show’s elements of revenge, madness, lust, and the grim depiction of life are classic traits of Victorian melodrama.

Social Commentary

  • ‘Sweeney Todd’ provides a social commentary on the societal conditions of that era. The desperate circumstances that lead Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett to their actions underscore the harsh realities faced by London’s working class.

  • Elements like cannibalism and murder are also a critique of capitalism and indicate the dehumanisation of lower classes.

Understanding the cultural and historical context of ‘Sweeney Todd’ provides a comprehensive insight into the story, the character motivations and the deeper meaning of its themes.