Keywords: THESIS3

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# Act II

The second act opens in Mrs. Lovett's pie-shop. Due to her accrued prosperity, she has been able to open an ''eating garden''. Tobias, who lost his job since his master, Pirelli, has ''mysteriously'' disappeared, has found new employment as a waiter. Upstairs in the Tonsorial Parlor Todd is pacing restlessly. He awaits for the new disappearing chair to be delivered. When finally delivered, he must test it, Mrs. Lovett assists him in this.

Todd now really put his plan to work. Whenever the opportunity arises he slits his customers' throats. At the same time Anthony is desperately looking for Johanna. The Beggar Woman, who seemingly to be the only outsider aware of what is happening at the pie-shop, and who warns the passers-by.

As they sit down, after a day's ''hard'' work, Mrs. Lovett tells Todd about her future plans. She would like to live ''by the sea''; they get quite cozy as Anthony comes barging in with the announcement that he has found Johanna in Fogg's asylum.

The plan Todd conceives to rescue Johanna is quite ingenious. First of all Anthony has to get to the asylum, pretending to be a wigmaker. In that guise he is able to free Johanna from the madhouse. He must then bring her back to Todd's Tonsorial Parlor. What Anthony does not know is that Todd writes a letter in the meanwhile to the judge informing him that Johanna is safe at his Parlor. Todd can now lure the Judge into his Parlor for a second time; this time he succeeds. However before he is able to do this, the Beggar Woman enters and he murders her, as she would betray his plans and make them go wrong. The bodies of the judge and the beggar woman, all go down to Mrs. Lovett's pie-shop. As Todd enters the shop, Mrs. Lovett will not allow him to look at the Beggar Woman. When he finally manages to look at her, he realizes that he has killed his own wife, the mother of Johanna. He gets mad, but realizes soon enough that this will not help in getting on Mrs. Lovett, who never told him that his Lucy was still alive. He then pretends that all is forgiven and forgotten, and then pushes Mrs. Lovett into the oven, and shuts the doors. Tobias, who finally worked out what has really been happening the pie-shop, enters, and kills Todd himself.

Next: The Historical Truth, or Up: Synopsis Previous: Act I Contents