emes, Motifs
Archetypes
Hero as a Lover
A pure love motivate hero to complete his quest
The Prince in the story acts as this archetype because he has fallen in love with Rapunzel and wants to save her and be her "prince charming"
Romantic Gothic Hero
Hero/lover with a decidedly dark side
The evil witch poses as this archetype, because she does love Rapunzel as a daughter, but with evil intentions
Proto-Feminist Hero
Female heroes
Rapunzel is this archetype because she is the hero of herself, and ultimately saves herself when she escapes
The Super heroic
Exaggerates the normal proportions of humanity; frequently has divine or supernatural origins. In some sense, the superhero is one apart, someone who does not quite belong, but who is nonetheless needed by society.
Rapunzel is also this archetype because of her long hair
Hero as Scapegoat
Hero suffers for the sake of others
The parents are seen as a hero as a scapegoat because they have to suffer in giving their only child away to the evil witch
Theme
That true love will always prevail. You see this because after many obstacles, Rapunzel and the Prince are still able to live happily ever after.
Motifs
Her hair - locks of hair which can also be seen as locks of imprisonment in the tower.
Thief's - Husband steals Rapunzel, then the witch steals Rapunzel, and then the thorns from the bush steal the Prince's sight.
