The Story of Rapunzel's Hair From Into the Woods (2024)

FAQs

What is Rapunzel's story in Into the Woods? ›

In the original version of Into the Woods, the Witch has raised Rapunzel as her own daughter, keeping her locked away from the world in a tall tower in the middle of the woods, accessible only by climbing Rapunzel's long, golden hair ("Our Little World") however, on this day a handsome prince spies the beautiful ...

In "Beginnings", the reason behind the regrowth of Rapunzel's hair in "Before Ever After" was revealed. When she came into contact with the rocks, part of the Moonstone's powers went into her hair, causing it to grow back and become indestructible like them so she can be protected on her journey.

Twenty-seven wefts of real hair were woven together into a 30-foot braid. "We tested loose, flowing hair, but it got uncontrollable," says King. "Then we saw an Arthur Rackham illustration of Rapunzel [below] with a very neat plait, so we ended up doing that."

The hair as yellow as corn belongs to Rapunzel, a fair maiden locked in a tower, and it is the one thing that allows her visits from her beloved prince. The slipper as pure as gold belongs to Cinderella, whose fancy attire has gained her admittance into the royal life of her dreams.

After the sorceress tells the prince in a rage that he will never see Rapunzel again, he throws himself from the tower, landing in a patch of thorns. Although the prince survives, the thorns blind him. A month later in the wilderness, Rapunzel gives birth to her twin children with the prince – a boy and a girl.

In the original, Rapunzel doesn't simply reject the witch and cut her out of her life (as she does in the movie); instead, after her prince is blinded, she is banished to wander in the desert (where she gave birth to twins - also something that was cut).

While Disney fans may not know it based on Tangled's version of events, the fairytale version of Rapunzel does have children. In many versions, her pregnancy is how Mother Gothel finds out that she has been meeting up with her prince, and she gives birth to twins alone in the wilderness.

So her parents named her Rapunzel. In the movie, we don't know what her parents named her. I'd always assumed Gothel called her Rapunzel, and since that's what she's always been called, it's the name she kept when she was returned to her parents.

If Gothel, however, loved her back is debatable. Gothel may have once cared enough for Rapunzel enough to go out of her way to keep Rapunzel happy (such as making her favorite dinner and collecting rare paint colors) though this might just have been to keep on being able to use Rapunzel's healing hair to remain young.

Rapunzel's ultimate fate is also changed: rather than being killed by the Giant, she refuses to cooperate with the Witch and flees with her prince.

Does Rapunzel survive in Into the Woods? ›

Rapunzel doesn't die

Granted, it's still pretty dark, but this Rapunzel neither bears twins in the desert nor is crushed to death by the Giant, so she has that going for her.

Flynn Rider is 26 years old in Tangled, while Rapunzel is 17 turning 18, creating an age gap that raised some eyebrows.

Everything starts to go wrong for them. She and the baker decided to split up but then she meets Cinderella's prince and he kisses her, despite her hesitations.

Everyone seems to have a happy ending – the witch reversed the curse. Cinderella marries the prince. Jack and his mother now are wealthy after selling the golden egg. The Baker and his wife have a baby boy.

The baker's wife reflects on her adventure and tryst with the prince ("Moments in the Woods"), but stumbles into the giantess's path and is killed. The baker, Little Red, and Cinderella await the return of the baker's wife when the witch arrives holding Jack hostage, who is found weeping over the baker's wife's body.

The prince asked Rapunzel to marry him, and she said she would. Together, they hatched a plan for her escape. Every night, the prince visited her, bringing with him a scrap of silk. Their plan was that Rapunzel would gradually weave the pieces of silk together into a ladder.

Rapunzel lived alone in a tall tower and had long, beautiful hair. She was held captive by her grandmother, who came up the tower by climbing her long hair. The girl also wants to live alone in a tower as she would not have to care about anything as life in a tower would be tranquil, peaceful, and rare.

The Witch is seen as loving to Rapunzel in all versions of which Sondheim worked on with the exception of when she lashes out after "Stay With Me" and attempts to possibly curse Rapunzel but more likely her Prince before the Act 1 Finale.