W is for...Wicked Stepmothers and Witches!

Both wicked stepfamily and Witches are often used as villains in fairy tales. Both were depicted as very evil, and fairy godmothers were often shown as their opposites. In a lot of fairy tales, wicked stepmothers were initially wicked mothers, but were changed to stepmothers to make the stories seem less shocking and violent. The aim of the main hero character in fairy tales is to overcome the problems that the wicked stepmother or witch causes.
Taken from here
Cinderella has a wicked stepmother AND two wicked stepsisters, who all generally just treat her like a servant and live luxurious lives while she cleans up after them. Of course, we all know that Cinderella overcomes this with the help of her Fairy Godmother and the love of her Prince Charming!
Taken from here
Snow White's stepmother actually attempts to have her killed, because a magic mirror told her that Snow White was "the fairest of them all", and she was jealous! Again, Snow White overcomes this problem with the help of her Prince Charming.
Taken from here
Then we have the stepmother who sent her stepchildren Hansel and Gretel into the woods to starve, so that she and her husband could live. Hansel and Gretel eventually find their way home to realise that their stepmother is dead and their father regrets letting her abandon them (as he should!)
Taken from here
And now, for the Witches! The witch in The Little Mermaid 'helps' her by giving her a pair of legs, but can it really be called helping when she takes her tongue for payment, gave her pain whenever she steps with her new legs, and gives her no guarantee of her prince? In the original version, the Little Mermaid doesn't actually defeat the witch, as she dies because her prince didn't choose her. In the Disney version however, she lives happily ever after with her prince.
Taken from here
The witch in Hansel and Gretel lures children to her gingerbread house (I think I'd have to visit, if I saw one) so that she can fatten them up and eat them. Hansel and Gretel defeat the witch by shoving her headfirst into her own oven, which is a little ironic!
Taken from here
In Rapunzel, you have a witch who kidnaps babies just because of pregnancy cravings! Rapunzel overcomes her problems when she finds her blind prince and cures him with her tears, leading them to live happily ever after.
I hope you all enjoyed my very rushed 'W' post!

Comments

  1. Miss H26 April 2012 at 21:15

    I never would have known this post was rushed if you hadn't said anything! Excellent as ever :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rob Z Tobor26 April 2012 at 21:17

    Time for a song
    Ding Dong the Witch is Read

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ghadeer26 April 2012 at 21:57

    Until today, "stepmother" is a word associated with evil in my mind, all because of those fairy tales! In reality, I know many examples of brilliant stepmothers with good relationships with their step-daughters, but the word association never goes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura Clipson27 April 2012 at 16:21

      I know, I always think step-parents will be evil now, thanks to fairy tales! They hardly ever are, though :)

      Delete
  4. Anonymous26 April 2012 at 22:16

    I wonder why stepmothers are always portrayed as evil in fairy tales.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clint27 April 2012 at 13:49

      I was thinking the EXACT same thing. Is because the father married again and that is why the step-mum's are EVIL.

      It is was a great post Laura.

      Delete
    2. Laura Clipson27 April 2012 at 16:23

      Thank you! Maybe it has to do with the idea of 'replacing' the mother that the main character loved so much? I have no idea, but they certainly make good villains! :)

      Delete
  5. beccabooklover27 April 2012 at 00:09

    Brilliant post! Nothing like a good evil step-mother to spice up a good old fairytale. I must admit the step-mother in Cinderella is just really creepy. I think it might be something to do with the eyes...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura Clipson27 April 2012 at 16:24

      I love stepmothers as fairy tale villains! They're always so evil! I see what you mean about the step-mother in Cinderella, it might be her facial expression too, just unpleasant!

      Delete
  6. Jackie27 April 2012 at 04:15

    It didn't seem rushed to me... great details! Awesome post!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Francene Stanley27 April 2012 at 14:00

    Well done with your subject, and beautifully illustrated too. Blog on!

    http://francene-wordstitcher.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WEP August - Change of Heart

Image
So I actually wrote this piece for April's WEP, but I was ill so didn't get to post it in the end. I'm quite glad, as it suits this month's theme so much more. Change of Heart ‘Are you ready for this?’ Paul asked. Brian nodded, trying to steady his shaking hands. ‘You’re the only one who can defeat him,’ Molly said. ‘We believe in you.’ She stepped back to join Paul. Brian balled his fists as he looked at the huge stone doors before him. He took a deep breath and pushed them open. Before the doors closed, Brian glimpsed Paul and Molly turn and begin to walk away. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness inside. With a whispered word he created light in the palm of his hand, raising it so it would light up the room. It was empty apart from another doorway, much smaller than the first, hidden away in the corner. Brian marched through it and found himself in a large chamber, lit by many flickering candles mounted along the walls. Someone stoo...
Read more

IWSG

Image
The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh as a place where writers can talk about their insecurities once a month, and receive encouragement and support from other writers. It's such an amazing group, it even has its own website now, which you can visit here . This week I'm a co-host! Be sure to go to Alex's page and visit the other people who are co-hosting.  I had such great plans for my writing this month, but not one of them came through. There were three short stories I wanted to get written, and I also wanted to get back to my NaNo edits, but none of that happened. I still have a little time for one of the short stories, though; it's for Kyra Lennon's cat anthology , and it's due Friday! Not much time to do it, but I made a commitment and I will follow through with it!  Even though I haven't got much writing done in the last month (or the couple before that!) I'm not going to let it get me down. I...
Read more

A is for Arachne and Arlee!

Before I get to my Greek Mythology part of this post, at the request of Alex J. Cavanaugh  (great idea by the way, Alex!), I'd first like to thank Arlee Bird for coming up with the challenge in the first place. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be taking part in this amazing experience every year. Thanks, Arlee! This is one of my favourite tales from Greek mythology, so naturally I chose it for my first letter. Arachne was the daughter of a shepherd, and was famous for the beautiful tapestries she weaved. Nymphs would travel from all over to see her work, and to watch her weave. One day, a nymph asked her if her talent was a gift from the goddess Athena. Arachne protested, saying her skill was all her own, and that her weaving was better than Athena's. Athena heard of this, and challenged the girl to a weaving contest. Both sat at their looms and began to weave, nymphs gathering round to watch. Athena weaved a tapestry based on the glories of the gods, showing the...
Read more