The Troubled Minds of Fleet Street Multiple Choice Quiz | Humanities

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Dear Agony Aunt, I'm a young lad working in a top pie shop on Fleet Street. Me problem, see, is with me employer. She's a real good sort; she's ever so lovely to me, like a real mum. But she fancies this barber fellow, and I think he's up to no good. I don't think she sees what he gets up to. I never seen him do nothing bad meself, but he is pretty fond of this fancy chair he has - and his razors. What's got me really concerned, though, is that I saw ma'am with a coinpurse me old employer had, and she told me that it was a present - that the barber had got it from a pawnshop. What should I do? Signed, _________

Answer: Tobias

Dear Tobias,
You need to watch your step. Your suspicions about the barber seem grounded, so keep an eye on him. I would, however, be a bit more wary about your employer -- I suspect she knows more than you think. The coinpurse is a little fishy ... incidentally, have you seen your old employer recently? If not, I'd definitely be concerned. Also, stay away from the bakehouse.

2. Dear Agony Aunt, I'm having trouble with my relationship with my father. He's always taught me the value of being modest and obedient, but I'm getting a bit worried. He's started looking at me strangely and telling me how pretty I look, even when I'm just wearing old dresses. I also hear strange noises outside my bedroom door sometimes - like someone's being whipped. Finally, there's this lovely sailor who I've seen a few times, but my father refuses to let me see him. Why? What can I do? Signed, _________

Answer: Johanna

Dear Johanna,
If I were you, I'd be extremely worried. This is not good. Your father seems a bit too involved in your life for your own good -- and if you don't watch out, I'd say he's about to get even more involved. Keep your wits about you. As for the sailor, well, one could put your lack of permission to see him down to fatherly protection, but I suspect it could have more to it. Go with your gut. Oh, and the whipping? That is disturbing. Very disturbing. If you don't know what it is, I wouldn't start guessing.

3. Dear Agony Aunt, The past ... it's coming back and it's going and ... I've forgotten. Wait, no, it's back. I keep seeing this man around and ... I think I know him from somewhere, but I don't know, I ... I'm miserable, and the pie shop owner is always kicking me out. I just ... I just ... I've an odd sense about that place. There's an awful stink and I swear there's some sort of mischief going on ... What do you think? Signed, _________

Answer: Lucy

Dear Lucy,
First of all, I'd say that you're probably right about the pie shop. Someone obviously doesn't seem to want you around, if you're always being thrown out, and the stink ... that could be any number of things. I wouldn't worry too much about that, though, as they'll probably send someone around to do a routine inspection sooner or later. As for the man ... approach with caution. Extreme caution.

4. Dear Agony Aunt, Me business partner and I have just found a new way to make pies together, and my pie shop is up and running nicely. Business couldn't be better. But me partner ... well, I do fancy him a bit, but whenever I tries to talk to him about anything important, he won't have nothing to do with me. He's becoming obsessed with ... involving ... two certain people in our little enterprise and won't think of nothing else, unless it's his wife and daughter. Also, I have to say I'm sort of keeping something from him. I ... implied that his wife was dead, and he believed me - but she's really alive, hanging around, making a right old nuisance of herself, and she's a lunatic. It don't matter though, if he don't find out, right? If you ask me, she's as good as dead, anyway. What can I do to make him notice me a bit more instead of brooding all the time? Signed, _________

Answer: Mrs Lovett

Dear Mrs Lovett,
I don't know what your little enterprise is with your pie shop and, judging by your unwillingness to discuss it, I'm quite sure that I don't want to know. As for your partner, that's difficult. It's good that you've tried communicating with him, but if he's not receptive to that, you may have to try something else. Maybe you could wait until whatever's bothering him has passed by. Oh, and while I think you should probably clear up the whole wife issue now, make sure you do it away from an oven.

5. Dear Agony Aunt, I've just returned to London after escaping a transportation sentence to find my life in ruins. Since then, I've managed to set up my barbershop again, with the help of my neighbour, but I don't want to have my old life back - I want revenge. I was planning to avenge my late wife by killing her attackers when I shave them - I nearly had one, but this blasted boy ran in and said things (it's a long story) that made the other man get angry and leave, vowing never to come again! What can I do to entice them back? Signed, _________

Answer: Sweeney Todd

Dear Mr Todd, Um, is it absolutely necessary to kill? If so, that's okay, but I would suggest some anger management courses or alternatively a deal with a certain Broadway composer/lyricist. Anyway, if you must have your revenge, perhaps you could try enticing them back to your shop with an offer of a free shave? Or if that doesn't work, flattery never hurts, especially if you're able to do them a favour. If, however, you have any more interruptions or time-wasters, deal with them carefully and don't be tempted to kill them off, too, to get them out of the way. If you act rashly, it may come back to haunt you.

6. Dear Agony Aunt, It's wonderful! I've met the most beautiful and lovely girl a man could hope for, and we've agreed to become engaged. The problem is that her guardian found out and said he'd send her away somewhere else! How horrible! See, he wants to marry her, too, even though she doesn't want him. But she loves me, and I can't find her! Where should I look and what should I do? Signed, _________

Answer: Anthony

Dear Anthony,
It's slightly difficult for me to give you specific instructions where to look for this girl, but I can give you some general advice. If you're serious about this girl, you need to be serious about searching for her. Get inside the mind of her guardian -- where do you think would be the last place he'd think that you'd want to look? Also, I suggest you find her quickly. She's probably a bit distressed by this, and I would not suggest leaving her alone, even if it's only for less than half an hour.

7. Dear Agony Aunt, I'm a respectable man, but I'm having trouble with my ward and this horrible sailor boy. I gave the girl the happy news that we would be wed, but this vile boy has corrupted her and made her think that she's in love. I know he only wants one thing, though, and he most certainly won't have it! I have taken the wise precaution of placing the girl in a secure place until she comes to her senses, but I have just received word that this boy plans to elope with her! The news came from a certain man on Fleet Street, but I've seen him with the sailor boy before, and I'm worried they might be planning something. But even so, I presume it would be wise to see what he has to say? I can tell when there's trouble, and besides, what is the worst that could happen? Signed, _________

Answer: Turpin

Dear Judge Turpin,
Firstly, don't underestimate what people can do. If this boy really is as horrible as you think he is and if he is in league with this Fleet Street man, then it could turn out potentially nasty for you. But if you feel that you can handle it, then I guess that's your choice. As for your ward, she's probably going to need a lot more persuasion to be open to this marriage idea, if her eagerness to elope is any indication. Advise the owner of the place you've put the girl to beware of wigmakers.

8. How old was Johanna when her father was transported?

Answer: One

"So they merely shipped the poor blighter off south, they did/Leaving her with nothing but grief and a year-old kid." -- Mrs Lovett, 'Poor Thing'.
Johanna was then taken in as Judge Turpin's ward. She was sixteen when her father returned, as none other than Sweeney Todd himself.

9. What colour was Lucy's hair?

Answer: Yellow

"And are you beautiful and pale/With yellow hair like her?" -- Sweeney Todd, 'Johanna'.
Johanna is often referred to as having 'yellow hair', and Sweeney makes it clear that he remembers Lucy, his wife and Johanna's mother, as having the same trait.

10. What happens when four bells ring in the Tower of Bray?

Answer: Lovers must pray

"If four bells ring in the Tower of Bray ... Ding dong! Ding dong! Ding dong! Ding dong! Then lovers must pray!" -- Beadle, Mrs Lovett and Tobias, 'Parlor Songs'
Beadle Bamford gets hold of a songbook in Mrs Lovett's parlor, and they sing this together as they wait for Sweeney Todd. The beadle was there to investigate the stink coming from the bakehouse, and Mrs Lovett is stalling for time.

Source: Author daae_proctor

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Troubled Minds of Fleet Street Quiz

We all know that the characters of Sweeney Todd have a lot of troubles to deal with, and are probably all a little disturbed in the head. But do you know whose predicaments are whose? (Also some general questions.)

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>