Skip to main content
Taylor & Francis Group Logo
Advanced Search

Click here to search books using title name,author name and keywords.

  • Login
  • Hi, User  
    • Your Account
    • Logout
Advanced Search

Click here to search books using title name,author name and keywords.

Breadcrumbs Section. Click here to navigate to respective pages.

Chapter

The Ethical Exculpation of Moral Turpitude

Chapter

The Ethical Exculpation of Moral Turpitude

DOI link for The Ethical Exculpation of Moral Turpitude

The Ethical Exculpation of Moral Turpitude book

Representations of violence and death in Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods

The Ethical Exculpation of Moral Turpitude

DOI link for The Ethical Exculpation of Moral Turpitude

The Ethical Exculpation of Moral Turpitude book

Representations of violence and death in Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods
ByTim Stephenson
BookTwenty-First Century Musicals

Click here to navigate to parent product.

Edition 1st Edition
First Published 2017
Imprint Routledge
Pages 17
eBook ISBN 9781315626123

ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the myth of Sondheim's purported isolationist and auteristic approach to his art by considering the creative genesis and subsequent cinematic transformation of two of his most established theatrical triumphs, Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods, through a focus on the disambiguation of the moral rectitude inherent in both narratives. The adaptations from stage to screen of both Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods were successful because of their homogeneity with horror and adult fantasy conventions, their familiar narrative structure and the cleverness of the musical adaptations. Sondheim explores themes of loss, morality and fate, providing 'ephiphanic justification' for the violence and death within his narratives. The Sondheim voice may have been modified, yet the rhythms, rhymes and recurrent motifs are all maintained within another almost through-composed, re-orchestrated score that is 'a puzzle-master's trove of overlapping motifs, internal rhymes, and psychological nuance'.

T&F logoTaylor & Francis Group logo
  • Policies
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Cookie Policy
  • Journals
    • Taylor & Francis Online
    • CogentOA
    • Taylor & Francis Online
    • CogentOA
  • Corporate
    • Taylor & Francis Group
    • Taylor & Francis Group
    • Taylor & Francis Group
    • Taylor & Francis Group
  • Help & Contact
    • Students/Researchers
    • Librarians/Institutions
    • Students/Researchers
    • Librarians/Institutions
  • Connect with us

Connect with us

Registered in England & Wales No. 3099067
5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG © 2021 Informa UK Limited