Has one ever realized how many different archetypes are found in movies? An Archetype is “a pattern from which copies can be made, also called the perfect example of something. They can either be characters or situations and symbols” (Lawson). The movie Tangled is about a lost princess named Rapunzel who was kidnapped by Mother Gothel. Rapunzel had a special gift, she had the power of magical hair. Mother Gothel raised Rapunzel as her own, so she could stay young by the power of Rapunzel’s hair.
Mother Gothel made Rapunzel stay in the tower, but Once Rapunzel turned eighteen, she wanted to go outside the walls of the for the first time. Rapunzel meets a boy named Flynn Rider. He helps her to achieve her dream of watching the floating lights that always appear on her birthday. Along the journey, Mother Gothel secretly follows her so she does not lose her. Finally’ Rapunzel realizes that she is the lost princess and is reunited with her real parents. For Flynn Rider and Rapunzel they eventually get married (Greno, Howard).
The movie Tangled, directed by Nathan Greno and Bryon Howard, demonstrates three archetypes: the hero figure, star- crossed lovers, and the shape shifter. The hero in Tangled is Rapunzel because she is “separated from the ordinary world and goes on a great quest” (“Unit 4: Traditional Archetypes”). There are many archetypes in history found in literature, take King Arthur as an example. He grew up as an orphan and was treated as a servant most of his childhood. He then pulled the sword from the stone and his life took a complete turnaround.
He was crowned king and ruled Camelot as a great ruler. He was then eventually killed by Mordred. To be a hero archetype, one needs to be able to demonstrate the qualities of a hero. In the movie Tangled, Rapunzel goes on a life changing quest and meets new people along the way. For example, before Rapunzel was sure she wanted to sneak out of the tower, she ran into some difficulties. A man that goes by the name of Flynn Rider climbed to the top of her tower to hide from the royal guards. Rapunzel didn’t know how to act because she had never met anyone other than her mother.
She quickly panicked and hit him over the head with a frying pan; just then Flynn Rider hit the floor and was knocked unconscious. When he awoke, Rapunzel had him tied up to the chair with her hair. She asked what he wanted and he told her he was only simply hiding from the guards. Rapunzel then came up with a clever idea; she told him she would give him back his precious satchel if he would be her tour guide around the city and take her to see the floating lights. At first he denied the idea, then after a while he finally accepted it. As they make their journey, Rapunzel learns many skills that she will keep for a lifetime.
Another example of Rapunzel being a hero archetype figure is when Flynn Rider takes her to a “restaurant” called the Snuggly Duckling. The Snuggly Duckling is not really considered to be a restaurant, it is more of a hang out place. Inside it is filled with what looks like dangerous men that are tough and very offensive. They make jokes towards her and Flynn Rider, but she lightens up the mood. She told the men that all she wanted was to go see the floating lights because that was her dream. Then all of the sudden, the head man started talking and soon singing about his dreams.
Eventually they all ease up and begin to respect Rapunzel and Flynn Rider; they even help them escape when the castle guards come look for Flynn Rider. Lastly, another example is when Rapunzel and Flynn Rider got trapped inside a tunnel when the dam broke. The tunnel was quickly filling with water and Flynn Rider was unable to find a way out. Rapunzel then mentioned, as the water was almost over their heads, she had magical hair. She then realized that they didn’t have much time and she began to sing. As she started to sing her hair began to glow, eventually her hair lead them to a way out.
Rapunzel shows great hero qualities throughout the movie, which makes her a perfect candidate for a hero archetype. The two star crossed lovers in the movie Tangled are Flynn Rider and Rapunzel. Star- crossed lovers are “engaged in a love affair, sometimes fated to end tragically”( Sweet Search), but in Rapunzel and Flynn Riders love it did not end tragically. In history, there have been many stories told that included star- crossed lovers archetype in them. Look at Romeo and Juliet, they were star crossed lovers that were never able to be together.
Romeo and Juliet’s families were in a feud and wanted nothing to do with one another. After meeting at a party and sneaking around day in and day out, they both decided to make plans to get married hoping then the feud would end’ but before any of that could happen, their plan took a turn for the worst. eventually, in the end, neither of them ended up getting married. They both ended up dying. For an example, in Tangled, Flynn Rider takes Rapunzel to see the floating lights because Rapunzel made an agreement with him if he took her to see the floating lights she would give him his satchel back.
Well in the meantime back in the tower when Mother Gothel was looking for clues to where Rapunzel might be, she found the satchel that Rapunzel had hid under the step. When Mother Gothel met back up with Rapunzel, she told her “ give him back his satchel and see if he really like you” (Greno,Howard). When Rapunzel and Flynn were finally sitting in the boat watching the floating lights, she hands him back his satchel. Flynn then take it and sets it to the side, so he can finish his evening with her not worrying about the satchel.
Another example is once Rapunzel decided to finally go back to the tower with Mother Gothel because Mother Gothel lied to her saying “Flynn left you” (Greno, Howard). The guards stood him up and attached him the ship and made it look like he was sailing away. When he came conscious again he realized his love was missing and went to find her. Furthermore, toward the end of Tangled, Rapunzel gives up her hair for Flynn Rider because Mother Gothel stabbed him in the ribs when he was coming to rescue Rapunzel. When Rapunzel goes to sing to him, he grabs her hair and cuts it off with a broken piece of the glass mirror.
Flynn only did this so she could be free! Flynn and Rapunzel are star- crossed lovers because throughout the movie they both begin to develop feelings for one another. The shape shifter in Tangled would be considered Mother Gothel because she misleads Rapunzel by hiding her true intentsions. A shape shifter is said to be “ someone who hides a characters loyalties”( Lawson). A good example from history is the King Arther story. In King Arthur, Uther dressed up as the duke and slept with his wife, Lady Igrane. The was right after Uther had killed her husband, the duke.
Lady Igrane was unaware of this event until the following morning, but overall she was pleased to know that the mystery man that slept with her on that night that looked like her husband, is now her actual husband. For an example, in Tangled, when Rapunzel was a baby’ Mother Gothel took her because of her magical hair. Rapunzel’s magic hair kept Mother Gothel young when she would sing and brush it for her. Mother Gothel would always say “ sing to mother”( Greno, Howard) when she wanted Rapunzel to sing her the song that made her hair glow.
Also, When Rapunzel had made up her mind that she wanted to leave the tower, Mother Gothel was very opposing of the idea. She would say, “skip the drama stay with Mama, Mother Knows best” (Greeno, Howard). This was Mother Gothel’s way of making Rapunzel feel guilty and convince her to stay inside the tower with her. Another example is when Flynn Reaches the top of the tower to save Rapunzel, Mother Gothel stabs him because she wants Rapunzel for herself to keep her young and alive. By this time she is holding Rapunzel against her will with chains trying to drag her down the tower.
This simply shows that Mother Gothel is not a very loving figure, instead it shows she is controlling and self centered because it is all about her. Mother Gothel shows many qualities that describes a shape shifter. In conclusion, the movie Tangled, directed by Nathan Greno and Bryon Howard is a great movie for finding multiple archetypes, such as the hero figure, star- crossed lovers, and the shape shifter. Next time challenge one’s self to look and see what types of archetypes can be found in different movies.
