Custom term paper on In What Way Does the City Figure In “Sweeney Todd” And “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”

What kind of city could we find at the story about Sweeney Todd? It is just London of the Middle Age. The author was interested only in the main characters.
The first person who described the legend about Sweeney Todd was Thomas Peckett Prest. He wrote about Todd and his lover Margery Lovett. This man worked on the Fleet Street also; he had a two-story pie-shop.
We may find the description of the historical background at the any historical reference book. London did not play the role of the special stage scenery here. The legend was awful by itself. There was no need to make readers feel fear and consternation.
What was London at the times of Sweeney Todd? Englishmen love their history. They take care of the ancient buildings and historical places. It is a reason why there is no problem to find some ancient houses, shops, theatres… you even can find small baker’s, bookstore, a shop where three hundred years ago English lady used to buy costumes. The Sweeney Todd’s barber is still on the Fleet Street.
If you appeared at the Fleet Street in the 1785 “…heading westwards towards the Temple bar, a large gateway in the centre of the road, and heading for the fresh air of Covent Gardens, you would have crossed over Fetter Lane on your right and then immediately afterwards you would have noticed Hen and Chicken court, a dark narrow passageway…” (according to the official cite Knowledgeoflondon.com)
There is a description of the barber. Certainly at the time of Sweeney Todd his shop was not unique.
The official cite Knowledgeoflondon.com gives some pictures of the Fleet Street and also Sweeney Todd’s wooden barber shop. It has no window hear the entrance. The windows inside the shop are dirty and you cannot see throw them. There is the pole with red and white stripes in front of the shop. It means that the barber could be also a surgeon. What kind of operations could the barber do? If you come inside you can see the bottle with rotten teeth. Yes, the “surgeon” from the barber shop could extract a tooth for you! You are right! The ancient barber was also a doctor!custom term paper
Above the barber shop you can see yellow sign proclamation which is writing by hand: “Sweeney Todd, barbers’”. The old rusty bell is ringing if you decide to open the door. It helps the barber know about the new customer, or it would be true to say that the bell lets the barber know that the new victim came. The bar floor inside the shop is creaking. The walls are made from the dark wood. The barber shop of Sweeney Todd is dark even if the sun is shining out of the awful establishment. Todd lit flickering oil lamps right after the victim-customer crossed the threshold. Now when the light is on you can see an old wooden bench and all barber’s tools: brushes, combs, razors, shaving bowls… And finally you can see the chair from the oak wood with ornate legs and small open fireplace with some pieces of coal and burning hair that Sweeney Todd throw on from time to time…
What was the environment outside the barber shop?
We can steel see the ancient fountain into the wall of St. Dunstans. The Sweeney Todd’s barber shop was situated near the fountain, at the place where a fence taught the red building
Also it was St Dunstans Clock on the Fleet Street near the barber of Sweeney Todd. We can find this place in the modern London. In the year of 1980 Louis Rothman rented the room number 55a Fleet Street.
Also on the Fleet Street number 37 we can see Hoares Bank; the Room number 17 on The Fleet Street named Prince Henry’s room. This building was at the opposite side from Sweeney Todd’s shop.
We see a lot of different places around the barber which are still in the modern London. The Decoration of the legend about Sweeney Todd is very simple. They are just the London’s streets.
The story was happened a hundred and seventy five years ago. Sweeney Todd rented the room for his shop right opposite the Great Fire of London. So, Sweeney Todd was the citizen of London. He visited some famous establishments like “Madam Tussauds’ Wax Works”. Actually in the year of 1795 it was the well-known exhibition of the famous Mrs Salmon’s wax works. If you decide to visit London, you can find this building. It is possible that Sweeney Todd was a frequent visitor at this establishment. However, it is known that “…below the stairs of his barbers shop, was a more lifelike chamber of horrors than the wax works opposite could ever reveal. The Wax works remained for another fourteen years after Sweeney was hung and displaying a wax effigy of Mr. Todd and his famous original chair, until closing its doors for the last time in 1816” (Knowledgeoflondon.com)
In conclusion, we can see that at “The Mystery of Sweeney Todd” city is the element of mystery and the very important background. It is one of the gothic elements of the story. It is one of the characters equally with people.
The story about Sweeney Todd was happened in ancient London. We still may find The Fleet Street and other places – the witnesses of the story. The city at this situation is the just the historical background.