In Stephen Stondheim's musical comedy Sweeny Todd, Sweeny Todd says, "These are desperate times, Mrs. Lovett, and they call for desperate measures." » Todd and Lovett decide to prepare and market meat pies. The catch to their plan is that the meat will be human. Sweeny Todd focuses on the decisions people make in desperate times. While normally no mentally stable person would consider making pies with human meat, the characters feel that they will be unable to overcome their financial situation by other means. Characters in other works may feel forced to make desperate decisions because they feel trapped not only by their economic situation, but also by their relationships, family, and social circumstances. When analyzing a character's actions, one may decide to use the psychological lens of interpretation, a form of analysis that is "based heavily on the idea of ​​the existence of a human consciousness – those impulses, desires and feelings of which a person is not conscious.” of but that influence emotions and behavior. Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory discusses the effect of human consciousness on a character's actions and can be used to understand the motivations behind a character's actions. Using the psychological prism of interpretation in Homer's epic The Odyssey, one can understand Odysseus' violent reaction towards the suitors of his house due to the fact that his instinctoid needs were not satisfied all throughout his travels and see how important it is for a man to feel respected by society. Instinctoid needs are the biological necessities that humans share with animals. Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs theory assumes that “needs are organized in a higher hierarchy based on their strength. ...The lower the need is in the hierarchy, the more powerful it is” (Hergenhan 477)....... middle of paper ......h physically and emotionally stressful. Many of his needs are only partially met. By the time he returns home and prepares to face the suitors, many needs remain unmet. For Odysseus, the murder of the suitors constitutes a final and desperate attempt to secure intimacy with his wife, security, family, and respect. He sees no other way to ensure his needs are met without alienating the people who are currently causing him stress. His actions, while certainly unacceptable, show what happens when a person is faced with a desperate situation. Works cited by Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. WHD Wake up. New York: A Classic Signet Ring, 1937. Print. Meyer, Michael. Bedford's Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 8th ed. New York: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2008. Print.