Sweeney Todd was a very complex character. He desired bloodshed and pain, and everyday he felt more depressed and lonely than the day before. He can vaguely remember the naïve boy he was once before, with smiles and hugs and happiness. He can remember caring about the world, loving his life, and being with his late wife, Lucy. But, those memories seemed as old as time itself, and though they say that one should not dwindle in one's past, can you really blame him?
He was a good man, an honest man, who earned a decent living and loved with all his heart. He never stole, cheated; he never ever thought about doing those things. One of very few who weren't corrupt in London, he was innocent. And what did he get in return? What did fate see fit that he got for a reward?
Sure, he got Lucy; his love, his life, and his everything. He was also blessed with Johanna, his beautiful, bouncing, blonde baby girl. He was happy, grateful, and took nothing he had for granted. Benjamin Barker was blessed, if only for a short amount of time. Just when thoughts of retiring as a wealthy barber, a good husband and father, leaving the work life and settling into the family life; those thoughts were torn from his mind. Literally.
Sweeney Todd can remember that day perfectly, while sitting in his chair at the shop above Mrs. Lovett's bakery. It was sunny, and the three of them were shopping in the market. They were just spending some time together, when they wondered by the bread cart. Both Benjamin and Lucy exchanged glances at each other, reminiscing over their past. That's where they had first met, next to the bread cart. He had been more nervous than he ever had been over anything else in his entire life, and all he wanted was to know was the name of the sparkling woman he couldn't take his eyes off of.
He had ended up getting much more than just her name. After their dinner date, Benjamin could already feel himself falling in love with Lucy. It scared him a little, thinking that it wasn't natural for someone to fall in love so soon. But he soon found that Lucy had very similar feelings about him as well, and when he leaned over to give her a kiss goodnight she almost pounced him in the process. She was an eager woman, and the morning after they woke up together in complete and utter happiness.
Benjamin picked a loaf and paid the bread man before moving on with Lucy. Johanna, his sweet darling daughter, had begun to cry for the unknown reason that baby's start crying at random. Attempting to sooth her, he picked the doll from their basket and waved it in front of her. "Daddy's right here Johanna, sshh."
Benjamin plucked a yellow flower from a flower cart and held it next to the doll. "See? The yellow matches you and your Mommy's hair. Is it not pretty?" He smiled as both his daughter and his wife giggled softly. Well, Lucy's giggle was soft; Johanna's was louder and filled with eager excitement. Johanna's hands clapped together and she reached out to touch the flower.
Sweeney's memory got blurry right about here. He remembers something hard colliding with the back of his head, and there were some men yelling at him and dragging him away. He remembers seeing Lucy's worried face, and how she was desperately clinging to our wailing daughter. After that there's the droning voice of Judge Turpin sentencing him to exile in Australia. And of course, Todd could never forget the years of hard manual labored that followed after that false sentence.
Picking up a razor, Sweeney held it against his wrist. He pictured, instead of his pale thin skin, the thick, meaty form of the judge's throat under his blade. He could imagine slicing along important veins, the sick gruesome gurgling sound of the judge struggling to breathe. His eyes would roll back into his head as his life slowly and painfully left him, and Sweeney would smile to himself. That was the reward that disgusting bastard earned for taking away everything he ever loved.
"Mr. T! What are you doing!?" Nellie's shrill voice snapped him from his thoughts. He glanced over at her, his expression blank. "What?" Mrs. Lovett dropped the tray of food she was holding. It made a loud clattering noise against the wooden flooring of the barber shop. She picked up one of the napkins on the tray and made her way towards him.
"Have you lost your marbles Mr. T!? What brought this all about?" Nellie placed the napkin on Sweeney's wrist, and the stinging pressure of it through him off slightly. What was he doing? He glanced down to see the entire napkin's white surface soaking up blood. His blood? He looked over at the razor he was still holding and noticed that there was blood on there too.
"Oh." Was the single thing he said, more to himself than anyone else in the room. Nellie huffed at him and moved to get another handkerchief off of the only table in the room. "Oh? That's really all you have to say to me? Just what on earth were you thinking Mr. T?" "The judge, Mrs. Lovett."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Bloody judge. Really Mr. T, what does slicing up yourself have anything to do with that man?" Sweeney fixed a glare at her. "Why, Mrs. Lovett, it has everything to do with that pig. That pig that deserves to be slaughter, to be killed, to be-" His hands balled into fists then, not trusting himself to finish his sentence without slitting Nellie's throat in his anger.
As if sensing this, Nellie backed away from him until her back touched the wall. She hated seeing Sweeney like this, with all his anger and rage on display. Oh, how she wanted to just hug and kiss all of his sadness away. Too bad he would cut her up into little pieces if she even tried.
She looked back at his face and saw his urge to kill slowly dissipating. She debated whether or not she should just leave him be, or stay for a few more minutes. If she left now, there was the chance he would kill her for the sudden movement, and there was also a chance he would kill her if she stayed, just because of her presence. She opted from staying, and remained quiet from her spot against the wall.
Sweeney took a deep breath and tried to forcibly calm himself. 'Soon. Soon I will have the judge's throat beneath my hands. Soon my friends, soon.' His gaze flicker over to Nellie, who stood cowering in her spot against the wall. He slowly shut his razor and stood to put it back in its rightful box. Nellie flinched out of the corner of his eye, and he paused for a moment. Turning his head in her direction, he frowned.
Mrs. Lovett immediately tried to straighten herself up, and adverted her eyes to the floor. She could hear him change his path direction and start walking towards her. Even when he had stopped right in front of her, she couldn't look up to meet his eyes. She was so afraid to see hurt and anger in them. "I'll just, ah, be downstairs if you need me Mr. T…" Nellie quickly moved around him, picked up the forgotten lunch tray and nearly ran out of the barbershop door.
Sweeney stood as still as a stone, hearing Mrs. Lovett's footsteps as she scurried down the stairs and into the relative safety of her bakery. Slowly, he unfroze and went to sit back down in the chair that had, for some unlucky men, been the last seat of comfort for them. He briefly toyed with his bloody wrist, again picturing the judge's throat between his hands. Sighing, Sweeney Todd moved his gaze out towards the window.
Soon, I will have revenge for Lucy and Johanna. Soon, the judge will be nothing but a feint memory baked into one of Mrs. Lovett's meat pies. Soon, my mind will be put at ease and my razors will be put to rest.
Soon.