- “Jealous, much?”
- ―Rapunzel.
Rapunzel is the secondary antagonist in the DreamWorks film, Shrek the Third and one of Princess Fiona's former friends.
Background[]
Personality[]
Unlike the rest of the princesses, she betrayed the group by siding with Prince Charming and assists in his evil plans. It is revealed in the end of the movie that she is actually bald and she's wearing a long braided wig. While unlikely, this could be a reference to the fairy tale when the witch cuts off her hair. It should be noted that she actually has a sympathetic side. This is evidenced when she reminds Charming to not hurt Fiona and the princesses and Queen Lillian as he promised. Also, as they are led to their dungeon, she turns back and gave a sorrowful expression on her face. She is snobby, opinionated, vain, and doesn't seem to get along with the bossy Snow White in particular.
Physical Appearance[]
Although Rapunzel is a blonde, she has blueish-grey eyes and pale skin. Her long blonde hair is fully styled into a long fancy braided wig going down to her entire body at the back, wears red lipstick. Rarely could she be seen with her head bald in one of the later movies that she appears in.
Her attire consists of a formal ochre gown (which almost looks like a nightgown) that reaches the ground with darker red (and white with tiny red polka dots on top of her gown) knitted details attached to it with a jewel necklace and red pierced earrings. She also wears a tiny gold crown attached to the middle part of her hair as well.
Appearances[]
Shrek 2[]
While Rapunzel doesn't physically appear, her star home is seen when Shrek and Fiona are going to the Far Far Away palace. In one of the pages Fiona’s diary, there is a drawing of the latter in a tower with Prince Charming climbing her hair, an allusion to the Rapunzel fairy-tale.
Shrek the Third[]
In Shrek The Third, she is first seen during Fiona's baby shower until Prince Charming invades the castle and the princesses and Queen Lillian escape secretly. Eventually, Rapunzel pretends to find an exit and runs all the way to where Charming really is. The princesses and the Queen follow but are cornered by Charming's knights. Rapunzel then reveals her nature that she is actually on Charming's schemes and his girlfriend and shows off her love and affection towards him and the ladies are imprisoned in a dungeon.
While they are imprisoned, Rapunzel is practising for her role in Prince Charming's play. In the final performance, she sings and acts as a princess on top of a tower (mimicking Princess Fiona, whose situation itself was a mimick of Rapunzel's) but the play was interrupted by all of Shrek's friends and wife. Gingy enters the stage by holding on to her hair as he quickly gets down. He accidentally pulls all of her hair and Rapunzel gasps in horror (when it is revealed that she is actually bald). She later runs away from the stage due to the embarrassment.
Swamp Talk[]
Rapunzel is referenced in the episode "Celebrity Fairytale Couples", being paired with Lancelot where there couple name was "Rapunzelot".
Trivia[]
- Prior to Rapunzel's debut in Shrek the Third, she was referenced in the queue for Shrek 4-D where she had a personal ad that said "Single shut-in princess seeks anyone with a romantic spirit and a ladder. Must like big hair."
- It is revealed that she is bald at the end of Shrek the Third when Gingy jumps down the tower and pulls her hair with him.
- The possible reason why Rapunzel was bald is because the witch in the original Grimm's fairytale cuts her hair.
- Considering the franchise mocks fairytales by subverting a characters notable aspects, in this case Rapunzel’s hair, it makes sense to make her bald for comic and parodic effect.
Gallery[]
