The Devil Figure
“Mother knows best, listen to your mother. It’s a scary world out there...” Mother Gothel is the main antagonist, who causes the main events to happen in the Disney movie Tangled. She starts off as an old lady, who only longed for a long life and the looks of a youth, and ends as a pile of dust. That was a result of all her selfishness and shrewdness. Her efforts of preventing Rapunzel from leaving the tower makes Mother Gothel the perfect portrait of the Devil Figure, because of her natural, shrewd abilities of deceiving people, her relationship with Rapunzel as a “mother”, and the irony that is included in every action she does to “protect” the girl.
The very first time Mother Gothel is encountered as the Devil Figure is in the very beginning of the story, as her identity is revealed. All those years, she kept a magical flower in secret, that had the capability to change anyone’s “fate design,” so she could remain beautiful and young. The witch becomes so addicted to the pleasure of the supernatural effects, that having the flower taken away by the royal guards did not prevent her from letting it go. Her treasure was given to the ill queen who was soon healed by consuming the flower, then she successfully gave birth to a fine baby girl who acquired the magic. Next, she finds herself kidnapping the princess, the main character, and raising Rapunzel as her own little flower. The act of kidnapping gives a clear clue that the old lady is going to be the villain of the storyline.
Within the unusual “mother and daughter” relationship that Mother Gothel and Rapunzel have, Gothel’s Devil Figure qualities reappear as she selfishly forbids and interferes Rapunzel from fulfilling her dream to go outside and see the floating light, just to keep the hair safe and secret. In order not to lose her precious flower, Gothel prevents her “daughter” from leaving the tower. She does that through her persuasive, tricking skills. She fills Rapunzel with...