Mrs. Lovett’s Characteristics
[To MRS. LOVETT ] Fleet Street? Over your pieshop, ma’am?
MRS. LOVETT. That’s it, sir. Wheeler, 1979:53-54 Lovett hides the
identity of Todd. She does not want anyone knows Todd’s new identity especially the beadle and the judge. The dishonesty done by Lovett is an
attempt to protect Todd since she knows Todd wants to avenge the beadle then she does keep for not telling others about the secret. Although in the beginning of
Beadle’s speech the figure of Todd is seemed familiar for him, Beadle who has a duty as a judge in the contest, eventually believes in what is said by Mrs. Lovett
and promises to Todd and Lovett to come to the barbershop before the week is out.
Lovett often does something unfairly or dishonestly in order to get what she wants. In the song A Little Priest in which it is the third evidence, Lovett
expresses her manipulative way by persuades Todd to accept her plan. It is happened in the end of act 1.
MRS. LOVETT. [Pause. Chord] You know me. Sometimes ideas just pop into me head and I keep thinking . . .
[Sings] Seems a downright shame . . . TODD. Shame?
MRS. LOVETT. Seems an awful waste . . . Such a nice plump frame
Wot’s – his – name Has . . .
Had . . . Has . . .
Nor it can’t be traced. Business needs a lift
– Debts to be erased
– Think of it as thrift,
As a gift . . . If you get my drift . . .
[TODD stares into space] No? [She sighs]
Seems an awful waste.
I mean, With the price of meat what it is
When you get it, If you get it
– TODD. [Becoming aware] Ah
MRS. LOVETT. Good, you got it. Wheeler, 1979:97-98
This song contains the bad idea of Mrs. Lovett. She sings when Todd already kills Pirelli in his barbershop. They both are confused to hide the body of him. Pirelli
becomes a threat to Sweeney Todd because he knows the real identity of Todd and he wants to blackmail him and because of this reason Todd eventually kills
Pirelli. This condition finally makes Mrs. Lovett feels that the body of Pirelli can be used to increase her business. She wants to use the body as the filling of the
pie. Mrs. Lovett does not run this idea alone, but she also persuades Todd to take part of this shortcut and Todd agrees to join with her.
The fourth sign to prove she is a manipulative is in the small conversation between Mrs. Lovett and Todd after she sings By the Sea song.
TODD. [Back with his obsession ] I’ll make them pay for what they did
to Lucy. MRS. LOVETT. [Almost scolding
] Now, dear, you listen to me. It’s high time you forgot all them morbid fancies. Your Lucy’s gone, poor
thing. It’s your Nellie now. Here. Wheeler, 1979:141
As stated previously, a manipulator manipulates others by making them believe in what is being said
or in other words they manipulate other’s mind and belief. And this happened in this case. In the short quotation above, it obviously shows that
Lovett manipulates Todd by saying that his wife is gone. Mrs. Lovett knows that Todd really wants to meet his wife, Lucy, and therefore she attempts not to reunite
Lucy with himself by not telling the existence of Lucy.
The fifth evidence showing that she is a manipulative woman is when both Lovett and Tobias have some conversation in the song entitled Not While I’m
Around. This song describes how Tobias is really care of Lovett. He does not want anything bad befalls to Lovett. He also emphasize that if someone hurts her,
then he will rip it apart with his bare fists. On the other hand, unfortunately Lovett does not have the same feeling with him.
TOBIAS. . . . Nothing can harm you,
Not while I’m around. [Music continues]
MRS. LOVETT. What is this foolishness? What’re you talking about? TOBIAS. Little things wot I’ve been thinking and wondering about. . . .
It’s him, you see – Mr. Todd. Oh, I know you fancy him, but men ain’t like women, they ain’t wot you can trust, as I’ve lived and
learned. [She looks at him uneasily]
. . . MRS. LOVETT. Now Toby dear, haven’t we had enough foolish chatter?
Let’s just sit nice and quiet for a bit. Here. [She pulls out the chatelaine purse, which is now immediately
recognizable to the audience as PIRELLI’s money purse, and starts to fumble in it for a bon-bon] Wheeler, 1979:150-151
Still in the same song, Lovett shows her tactics to manipulate Tobias. MRS. LOVETT. [Concealing what is now almost panic]
Silly boy It’s just a silly little something Mr. T. gave me for my birthday.
TOBIAS. Mr. Todd gave it to you And how did he get it? How did he get it?
MRS. LOVETT. Bought it, dear. In the pawnshop, dear. [To distract him, she lifts the unfinished muffler on its needles]
Come on now. [Sings]
Nothing’s gonna harm you, Not while I’m around
. . .
TOBIAS. You don’t understand. . . .
It was in Mr. Todd’s parlor that the guvnor disappeared. MRS. LOVETT. [With a weak laugh] Boys and their fancies What will
we think of next Here, dear. Sit here by your Aunt Nellie like a good boy and look at your lovely muffler. How warm it’s going to
keep you when the days draw in. And it’s so becoming on you. Wheeler, 1979:152-153
The tactic to manipulate Tobias is seen clearly in both conversations above. She uses the same tactic in the song Not While I’m Around. In the first quotation, she
steers the conversation to another topic. She asks Tobias to sit quiet and nice, and from the conversation it also seems that Lovett does not want to talk about that
topic. It can be seen when she wants to distract him by telling that the conversation is a foolish conversation and giving him a bon-
bon from Pirelli’s purse in which in the second quotation Tobias realizes that purse. While in the
second quotation, she manipulates Tobias by refusing to admit that she has done something wrong. Mrs. Lovett lies to Tobias about the purse. In fact, the purse is
taken after Sweeney Todd kills Pirelli in his parlor because Pirelli already recognizes him when they first met in the Dunstans Marketplace. Moreover, in
that quotation she refuses to pay attention to anything beyond her desire and by saying ‘boys and their fancies’ Lovett wants to show that actually she does not
want to hear about what Tobias says. The sixth evidence is when the Beadle informs Lovett about the bad smell
from her chimney. BEADLE. That’s it, ma’am. You see, there’s been complaints –
MRS. LOVETT. Complaints? BEADLE. About the stink from your chimney.
They say at night it’s something foul. Health regulations being my duty, I’m afraid I’ll
have to ask you to let me take a look. MRS. LOVETT. [Hiding extreme anxiety] At the bakehouse?
BEADLE. That’s right, ma’am.
MRS. LOVETT. [Improvising wildly] But, i t’s locked and . . . and I don’t
have the key. It’s Mr. Todd upstairs – he’s got the key and he’s not here right now.
BEADLE. When will he be back? MRS. LOVETT. Couldn’t say, I’m sure. Wheeler, 1979:157-158
Due to her secret job as a pie maker, Lovett lies to the Beadle. She hides her anxiety from the Beadle
by saying the bakehouse’s key is in the Todd just because she is afraid if the Beadle knows the truth. She does not want the Beadle knows
that her meat pies is made of human flesh and the bakehouse is full of it, so that with the trick, she successfully makes Beadle believes that the key of her
bakehouse is in Sweeney Todd. The seventh evidence is proven through the hidden narration when Mrs.
Lovett and the Beadle talk to each other about the arrival of Sweeney Todd. MRS. LOVETT. [Another “inspiration”
] Oh yes, of course Mr. Todd’s gone down to Wapping. Won’t be back for hours. And he’ll be
ever so sorry to miss you. Why, just the other day he was saying, “If only the Beadle would grace my tonsorial parlor I’d give him a
most stylish haircut, the daintiest shave
– all for nothing.” So why don’t you drop in some other time and take advantage of his
offer? BEADLE. Well, that’s real friendly of him.
[Immovable, he starts to sing another verse] Wheeler, 1979:159- 160
Lovett chooses her own path based on her desire. The word ‘inspiration’ which is
in the bracket shows that it is Mrs. Lovett’s negative idea in order to make the
Beadle believes that Todd will give the best stylish haircut for him. In fact, this is her way to keep the Beadle longer in her place so that he cannot leave. Mrs.
Lovett wants to help Todd to avenge on what has happened to his family, but on the other side Mrs. Lovett also takes the advantage from the deed which is using
the dead body as the meat of her pies.
This is the eighth evidence to show her characteristic as a manipulative woman. It is happened in the same location which is in the pieshop. The
conversation between the Beadle, Mrs. Lovett and Todd happens when Todd already back to the pieshop.
MRS. LOVETT. [With a huge smile of relief ] Back already Look who’s
here, Mr. T., on some foolish complaint about the bakehouse or something. He wants the key and I told him you had it. But . . .
[Coquettishly, to the BEADLE] . . . there’s no hurry, is there, sir? Why don’t you run upstairs
with Mr. Todd and let him fix you up nice and pretty
– there’ll be plenty of time for the bakehouse later.
BEADLE. [Considering] Well . . . tell me, Mr. Todd, do you pomade the hair? I dearly love a pomaded head.
MRS. LOVETT. Pomade? Of course And a nice facial rub with bay rum too. All for free
BEADLE. [To TODD] Well, sir, I take that very kindly. TODD. [Bowing to the BEADLE] I am, sir, entirely at your
– disposal. Wheeler, 1979:160-161
The evidence above is still related with the seventh evidence that has been outlined which is giving the offer to the Beadle in this context is shaving. Beadle
who originally wants to complain the foul smell coming from the chimney eventually forgotten by the offer given by Mrs. Lovett. Here, she uses her skillful
way for her own purpose. Beadle finally agrees to take the offer and from this moment, Mrs. Lovett fells that her effort is successful.
Next evidence is set in the pieshop. The speech comes from beggar woman when Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd are in the bakehouse looking for Tobias.
BEGGAR WOMAN. Beadle . . . Beadle . . . No good hiding, I saw you
Are you in there still, Beadle? . . . Beadle? . . .
Get her, but watch it She’s a wicked one, she’ll deceive you
With her fancy gowns
And her fancy airs And her
– [Suddenly shrieking] Mischief Mischief
Devil’s work Wheeler, 1979:170-171
The speech above shows the beggar woman knows the evil deed done by Lovett. She knows that Mrs. Lovett does something wrong, in this case to the beadle. In
her speech, it seems she knows that Lovett deceives the beadle in order to run her bad work. The way the beggar woman says that Lovett is a wicked one and with
her fancy gown will deceive the beadle, it can be concluded that actually beggar woman wants to tell the beadle that Lovett is a manipulative woman who uses her
trick to get her need. 2.
Heartless This is the second characteristics possessed by Lovett. The depiction of
Mrs. Lovett as a heartless woman can be proven through her language to Beggar Woman.
BEGGAR WOMAN. [Sing] Alms . . . alms . . . MRS. LOVETT. [Imitating her nastily, singing] Alms . . . alms . . .
[Music continues ] How many times have I told you? I’ll not have
trash from the gutter hanging around my establishment BEGGAR WOMAN. Not just a penny, dear? Or a pie? One of them pies
that give the stomach cramps to half the neighborhood? [A cackling laugh] Come on, dear. Have a heart, dear.
MRS. LOVETT. Off. Off with you or you’ll get a kick on the rump that’ll make your teeth chatter Wheeler, 1979:55
The harsh words uttered by Mrs. Lovett replies that she does not have a heart to the people especially to beggar woman. Not only through Lovett
’s speech, but by saying ‘have a heart’, Lucy also gives the depiction regarding Lovett’s
characteristic that she does not have a heart or in the other words she is heartless. Obviously, Lovett shows that she does not care about the beggar woman
’s pain.
Then, the second evidence to prove she is a heartless woman can be identified by analyzing the dialogue between herself, Anthony and Todd.
MRS. LOVETT. Johanna? ANTHONY. That’s her name ma’am, and Turpin that of the abominable
parent. A judge, it seems. But, as I said, a monstrous tyrant. Oh Mr. Todd, once the Judge has gone to court, I’ll slip into the house
and plead with her to fly with me tonight. Yet when I have her –
where can I bring her till I have hired a coach to speed us home to Plymouth? Oh, Mr. Todd, if I could lodge her here just for an hour
or two [He gazes at the inscrutable TODD]
MRS. LOVETT. [After a beat] Bring her, dear. . . .
MRS. LOVETT. Johanna Who’d have thought it It’s like Fate, isn’t it? You’ll have her back before the day is out.
TODD. For a few hours? Before he carries her off to the other end of England?
MRS. LOVETT. Oh, that sailor Let him bring her here and then, since you’re so hot for a little . . .
[Makes a throat – cutting gesture ] . . . that’s the throat to slit, dear.
Oh Mr. T., we’ll make a lovely home for her. You and me. The poor thing All those years and not a scrap of motherly affection
I’ll soon change that, I will, for if ever there was a maternal heart, it’s mine. Wheeler, 1979:59-61
Mrs. Lovett is a dangerous type of female character in the play. Seeing the hidden narration in which she makes a throat
– cutting gesture, it can be concluded that she wants Todd kills Anthony after he brings Johanna. She wants only Todd and
Johanna who live with her. She does not worry about other people. She also said that she will make a lovely home for her if the three of them live together. She
does not want anybody to live with her except Todd and her daughter because she wants to b
e a mother for Todd’s daughter since she spent fifteen years with no motherly affection.
The third indicator is when Mrs. Lovett has an idea to increase her business and invites Todd to join with her.
TODD. Mrs. Lovett, What a charming notion,
MRS. LOVETT. Eminently practical and yet
Well, it does seem a Appropriate, as always.
Waste . . . Mrs. Lovett
How I’ve lived without you It’s an idea . . . All these years I’ll never know
Think about it . . . How delectable
Lots of other gentleman’ll Also undetectable.
Soon be coming for a shave Won’t they?
Think of How choice
All them How rare
Pies Wheeler, 1979:98 Todd and Lovett sing simultaneously in the end of scene 1. It can be seen that the
idea of Mrs. Lovett is very cruel. She thinks that all men who come to shave in the Todd’s barbershop will be her pies. From the quotation, it can be concluded that
she does not really care about people even those who have never committed crime against her. She does not have the sense of humanity. Therefore, her speech is
characterized as a speech from a heartless woman. The fourth sign to show Lovett is a heartless woman is based on beggar
woman’s speech. It happens when Todd meets beggar woman in his parlor. TODD. [Looking anxiously out the window for the JUDGE]
Out of here, woman. BEGGAR WOMAN. [Still clutching his arm]
She’s the Devil’s wife Oh, beware her, sir. Beware of her. She with no pity . . . in her heart. Wheeler, 1979:174-175
The conversation occurs when Todd wants the beggar woman out from her parlor because the judge will come, and from that moment, the audience realizes from
what beggar woman says that Lovett is a heartless woman. By saying Lovett has
no pity in her heart, it obviously shows that Lovett has the characteristic of a heartless woman.
3. Greedy
From the beginning of the play, the author has described the characteristics of Mrs. Lovett as a greedy woman implicitly. In the first scene, the sign indicating
that she is a greedy can be identified by seeing her speech to Todd. It happens when she just realized that Sweeney Todd is Benjamin Barker.
TODD. No money. MRS. LOVETT. Then how you going to live even?
TODD. I’ll live. If I have to sweat in the sewers or in the plague hospital,
I’ll live – and I’ll have them. MRS. LOVETT. Oh, you poor thing You poor thing
[A sudden thought] Wait [She disappears behind a curtained entrance leading to her
parlor. For a beat TODD stands alone, almost exalted. MRS. LOVETT returns with a razor case. She holds it out to him]
See It don’t have to be the sewers or the plague hospital. When they come for the little girl, I hid ‘em. I thought, who knows?
Maybe the poor silly blighter’ll be back again someday and need ‘em. Cracked in the head, wasn’t I? Times as bad as they are, I
could have got five, maybe ten quid for ‘em, any day. See? You can be a barber again. Wheeler, 1979:20
The conversation is happened in the Sweeney Todd’s parlor. What in her mind is all about money. Mrs. Lovett seems does not believe if Sweeney Todd can live
without the money, but then she gives the razor case to him in order to make Todd becomes a barber again. In the last sentence of her, for the second time she talks
about how to get the money. This is clearly illustrates that from the very beginning of the story the characteristics of greed can be identified. Then, there is
also another evidences which prove that she is a greedy woman. TODD. I do. [He holds up the bottle of elixir]
I am Mr. Sweeney Todd and I have opened a bottle of Pirelli’s Elixir, and I say to you it is nothing but an arrant fraud, concocted
from piss and ink. [MRS. LOVETT takes the bottle from TODD, sniffs it]
MRS. LOVETT. He’s right. Phew Better to throw your money down the sewer.
[She tosses the bottle to the ground. The onlookers “ooh and aah” with shocked excitement] Wheeler, 1979:42
The conversation is occurred in the St. Dunstan’s Marketplace. Both Todd and
Mrs. Lovett are in that place at that time in order to see where the Beadle is. Again, Mrs. Lovett talks about the money. She says in the end of her speech that
Tobias should throw the money in the sewer. From this evidence, it proves that in her mind, only money she thinks about.
The third evidence is set in Todd’s parlor shortly after Todd kills Pirelli.
Mrs. Lovett who always thinks about the money then takes Pirelli’s purse from his pocket.
MRS. LOVETT. Oh well, that’s a different matter What a relief, dear For a moment I thought you’d lost your marbles.
[Turns to peer down again into the chest] Ooh All that blood Enough to make you come all over gooseflesh, ain’t it. Poor
bugger. Oh, well [She starts to close the lid, sees something, bends to pick it up. It
is PIRELLI’s purse. She looks in it] Three quid Well, waste not, want not, as I always say.
[She takes out the money and puts it down her bosom. She is about to throw the purse away when something about it attracts her. She
slips it too down her dress. She shuts the chest lid and, quite composed again, sits down on it] Now, dear, we got to use the old
noggin. Wheeler, 1979:82-83
It is easy to see that Mrs. Lovett really wants money. It can be identified by her action which is she takes the money and puts it to her bosom. She has a wish to
get more and more money in order to finance her life even she has to take from a person who is already die. Her condition which only gets the money from the
worst-pie business makes Mrs. Lovett lives in a poor condition in very long time and makes her has a trouble in getting the money. Therefore, she uses various
ways to get the money even doing thing she should not to do.