Sweeney Todd

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Dynamic characters are characters which go through substantial changes, typically due to a traumatic or powerful experience. In Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street, by Hugh Wheeler, the character known as Sweeney Todd is arguably a dynamic character; Due in part, heavily, to having his tendencies of being entirely self-motivated and caring nothing for anyone but himself ripped away as he discovers he murdered his wife. Sweeney Todd at the beginning of the play obviously seems to care nothing for anyone except revenge for the supposed murder of his wife. Nearing the end of the play, He still has that same primary concern for revenge no matter what the cost. However, at the very end of the play when he discovers his wife dead, he mourns and shows affection for the first time and lets down his guard, which leads inevitably to his demise.

Sweeney Todd was a strong and self-motivated character who cared for no one but himself and his goals, has no respect, has no loyalties, has no concern, and has massive tunnel vision. His traits are particularly evident throughout the play due to a few behaviors in particular: He ignores Mrs. Lovett's advances, he risks throwing his daughter into danger with her ward, his focus is entirely on his revenge, he walks by his wife without noticing it is her numerous times, and he even murders his wife without noticing it's her.

Even though Mrs. Lovett spends large portions of her time trying to capture the love and admiration of Sweeney by sharing all the things she wants to do/share with him; Including, telling him she wants to live near a beach and spend her life with him. He shows no interest in anything she ever said or did. His actions show he cares nothing for her or her desires. The o...

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...of a dynamic character because after obtaining the knowledge that he murdered his own wife, he lost most of what made him Sweeney Todd: he lost his lack of respect for everyone, he no longer had the strong composure that kept him sharp and ready to kill skillfully at a moments notice, he no longer had the level of alertness which had given him the edge to succeed in his oh so extravagant slaughter of evil and innocent alike, and he had become susceptible to his human emotions. Sweeney Todd, the angel of his own imagining, as the reader knows him, and as was depicted throughout the whole play, would never have allowed himself to have been snuck up on by a buffoon seeking revenge for a love which never existed. For Sweeney to have died in such a way proves beyond all shadow of a doubt that he was no longer the Sweeney which had so gracefully ended the lives of so many.

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