Origins-Disney Version

Tangled

Tangled is based on Rapunzel, a fairy tale popularized by the Brothers Grimm. They took it from a German translation of the French Persinette by Charlotte-Rose de la Force, which was probably inspired by the folktale Petrosinella. The original name of the story and maiden is a reference to parsley, while the Grimm version is a reference to rampion. In both versions, before Rapunzel was born, her mother desired the plant so badly that without it she would die.* This was a problem because it was growing in the forbidden garden of an enchantress named Gothel.

Rapunzel’s parents were just commoners, so when Gothel catches Rapunzel’s father stealing the plant for his wife, he only gets her to spare him by promising their child to her. Gothel takes the girl when she is born, names her after the plant, and the parents exit the story. The enchantress doesn’t need the girl for any magical purpose. In Persinette, it’s suggested she locks her in the tower because she’s a loving, but seriously controlling, mother.

Disney’s Flynn is a big deviation from the male lead in the original – a generic, unnamed prince who hears Rapunzel singing when he’s wandering through the woods and falls in love. Rapunzel lets him up after hearing him call to her, only to be completely surprised when there’s a guy in her tower. But he charms her, and they make with the smoochies. Originally, Gothel discovers he is visiting Rapunzel because she gets pregnant. To make the story child-friendly, the Brothers Grimm edited their version so that Rapunzel reveals his visits with a brainless slip of the tongue instead. But they didn’t remove the part where she gives birth to his children, because babies come from storks.

Once Gothel finds out about their relationship, she cuts off Rapunzel’s hair and sends her and the children away, then uses the hair to trap the prince. He ends up falling from the tower and going blind. The Brothers Grimm knew that people don’t usually go blind from a fall, so they added some convenient thorns that get into the prince’s eyes. Then the prince wanders around for a long time, and by pure chance he comes upon the place where Rapunzel and their children are.

Rapunzel cries, her tears get into his eyes, and presto! they’re healed. It isn’t previously mentioned that she has any powers, but why not? In the Grimm version, they go to his kingdom and live happily ever after. In Persinette, Gothel hangs around tormenting them until she figures out that the prince actually loves her daughter, and then gives her blessing to the couple.