Sweeney Todd vs. The Phantom of the Opera

A very brief comparison of the two men.

 

In the movie Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Johnny Depp sings the lyrics “Not one man, no, not ten men. Not a hundred can assuage me -I will have you! And I will get him back even as he gloats In the meantime I'll practice on dishonorable throats.” In the newest remake of the movie The Phantom of the Opera Gerard Butler sings “My power over you grows stronger yet and though you turn from me to glance behind The Phantom of the Opera is there inside your mind.” Both men, who for the purposes of this paper are considered fictional, display madness, passion, and obsession while differing in circumstance, object of obsession, and method of murder.

            Sweeney Todd, known formerly as Benjamin Barker, was a man who was untruthfully accused of a crime and sent into exile from his native England by a judge, Judge Turpin, who fell in love with Barkers wife. When Barker returns fifteen years later, he finds that his wife has killed herself and the very judge who sent him into exile has adopted Barker’s daughter. Barker changes his name to Sweeney Todd and sets up shop as a barber with the help of Mrs. Lovett, who is in love with Barker. While Todd waits to take his revenge on the Turpin, he kills men who come to his barber shop and Mrs. Lovett uses the corpses in her meat pies.

            Erik, also known as the Phantom of the Opera, was born in France with a severe disfigurement. Early in his life he was sold to a circus, where he was put on display and abused. A young girl, Madame Giry, was studying ballet at the local opera house and took pity on Erik and helped him escape from the circus. She hid him in the underground tunnels of the opera house. Later, when Erik is grown, he falls in love with a ballet girl named Christine. He develops an obsession with her. He teaches her to sing by telling her that he is her angel of music. Christine’s father told her that after he died that he would send her an angel of music. Christine develops a strange relationship with Erik, which he takes for love, when it is more complex than that. Christine falls in love with her childhood sweetheart, Raoul. Erik begins killing people while trying to win Christine’s heart and bring her fame.

            Both of these men were consumed by madness. This is evident through the killing that both men did. They both were driven by the injustices life had made them suffer. Although the men knew that what they were doing was considered wrong, which is obvious through the actions that are taken to conceal the murders, both Sweeney and Erik felt that what they were doing was justifiable and right. Sweeney felt that he was almost doing the men he killed a favor by ending their lives, and thus ending their suffering. Erik felt that because he had been wronged by so many people in his life, that it was only fair that he killed. Erik also felt that because he was helping Christine it was okay.

            Sweeney and Erik were deeply passionate men. Sweeney was still in love with his wife and daughter. He held as deep a hate for Turpin as he held a love for his family. He was driven by deep emotions and passions. Erik hated all of man and society for being so cruel to him as a child. He felt that Christine, who did not fear him or his deformities, was the one true love who could make-up for all the pain he had felt. Erik also was driven by passions of love and hate.

            Obsession, passion, love, and hate all go with each other. Sweeney was obsessed with revenge. He wanted revenge on Turpin and on society in general for allowing this to happen. He was driven by love as well as hate. A lot like Erik. Erik was obsessed with Christine. He felt Christine was his one chance at happiness. She was what he always wanted, and the materialization of his obsession for happiness.

            While Sweeney and Erik were a lot alike, they were also vastly different. One of their most obvious differences was their circumstances. Erik was wronged from childhood and held bitterness and hatred throughout his life while Sweeney was wronged in his young adulthood. Erik slowly went crazy over the years while Sweeney went crazy in a very short time after finding out the fate of his family.

             Sweeney killed men without families. He killed many mercilessly, and to the rational mind, without reason. He killed men who had not hurt him in any way, other than the fact that they were living. Erik did the opposite. The people he killed were people he thought were threatening Christine, he, or their “relationship.”  He killed out of what he considered necessity and defense.

            Two men, two murderers, two human beings; they both had a lot in common, and a lot of differences. They both felt madness, passion, and obsession though they differed in circumstance, objects of obsession, and method of murder. They seem very unique and crazy, yet they were just regular men, wronged by life and driven to extremes.

Reviews

[Vesa Lee]

I really like this piece.
You've taken a "compare and contrast" approach to two great characters from two amazing stories.
Sweeny's murders were committed because something had horrible happened to the women he loved, while Erik killed to -prevent- something from happening.

Sweeny lives to kill.
Erik kills to live.

Great write. I love both plays and this helped me appreciate their stories that much more. ^-^

[Stephanie]

I love both of those movies, and this essay sums it all up! Excellent description as well. Really liked this :]