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Evil Queen

For the Disney version of the character, see Evil Queen (Disney).

The Evil Queen, also called the Wicked Queen or simply the Queen, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of "Snow White", a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. The most popular adaptation of the Evil Queen is from Disney's Snow White. The character has also become an archetype that has inspired unrelated works.

The Evil Queen
The Evil Queen with her mirror in an American illustration from 1913
First appearanceGrimms' Fairy Tales (1812)
Created byThe Brothers Grimm (adapted from pre-existing fairy tales)
In-universe information
OccupationQueen consort, witch (secretly)
SpouseKing
ChildrenSnow White (daughter in the original version, stepdaughter since the 1819 revision)

The Evil Queen is Snow White's wicked stepmother, obsessed with being "the fairest in the land". When the Queen's magic mirror reveals that the young princess Snow White surpasses her in beauty, she decides to kill her using witchcraft. After Snow White is rescued, the Queen is executed for her crimes. The tale is didactic, meant as a warning to young children against the dangers of narcissism, pride, and hubris, and showing the triumph of good over evil.

In some retellings of the fairy tale, the Queen has been re-imagined or portrayed more sympathetically. In some such stories, she serves as the protagonist, and has even been portrayed as an antihero or a tragic hero.

The Brothers Grimm tale

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Story

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The queen with her mirror, from the 1921 My Favourite Book of Fairy Tales (illustrated by Jennie Harbour).

The Evil Queen is a beautiful, proud, and arrogant woman who marries the King after the death of his first wife, Snow White's mother. The Evil Queen owns a magic mirror, which one day informs her that her young stepdaughter, the seven-year-old Princess Snow White, has surpassed her in beauty "a thousand times".

The Queen orders her Huntsman to take the princess into the forest and murder her, bringing back Snow White's lungs and liver as proof. However, the Huntsman takes pity on Snow White and brings the Queen the organs of a wild boar instead. The Queen has the cook prepare them and eats what she believes are Snow White's organs.

 
The Queen in disguise, offering lace to Snow White (a late 19th-century German illustration).

Upon questioning her mirror again, the Queen discovers Snow White's survival with the Seven Dwarfs. Intending to kill Snow White herself, she disguises herself as an old peddler woman. She visits the dwarfs' house and sells Snow White laces for a corset, lacing it too tight to suffocate her. When this fails, she returns as a comb seller and tricks Snow White into using a poisoned comb. After this also fails, she proclaims "Snow White shall die... even if it costs me my life!". Disguised as a farmer's wife, she gives Snow White a poisoned apple, which puts her into a deep sleep.

Snow White is awakened by a kiss from a Prince and they invite the Queen to their wedding. Driven by jealousy, she attends and is forced to wear red-hot iron shoes and dance until she dies.[1]

Alternative fates

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The Queen arrives at Snow White's wedding in a 1905 German illustration.

The classic ending of "Snow White" involves the Queen's death by torture. Alternative endings include the Queen choking on her own envy, her shoes becoming hot due to her anger, dying instantly of anger, dying in front of her mirror, falling victim to her own poison, dying by natural causes, being killed by the dwarfs, being destroyed by her mirror, disappearing into the forest, or being banished.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] As Sara Maitland wrote, "We do not tell this part of the story any more; we say it is too cruel and will break children's soft hearts."[11] Many modern revisions soften the ending, with the Queen being banished or dying accidentally.[12] For example, in Snow White: An Islamic Tale, Snow White forgives her stepmother, leading to repentance and redemption.[13] However, a 2014 UK poll found that while the Queen is considered the scariest fairy tale character, many believe stories are too sanitized.[14]

Origins and evolution

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A Polish illustration by Zofia Plewińska-Smidowiczowa.

In the Grimms' 1812/1815 edition, the Queen is Snow White's biological mother. Later versions made her the stepmother.[15][16][17] This change likely reflects the Grimms' reverence for motherhood.[18] The wicked stepmother archetype, however, predates the Grimms. For example, Musäus' "Richilde" (1782) features a similar character. The Grimms also knew of a play, Snow White (1809), by Albert Ludwig Grimm (no relation), which treated the Queen more gently.[19] The wicked stepmother with magical powers is a recurring fairy tale theme. [20][21] Equivalents to the Evil Queen appear in Snow White-like tales worldwide, sometimes as wicked sisters, sisters-in-law, or the prince's mother.[22][23][24]

Interpretations

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Some scholars see the story as having ageist undertones.[25][23] The Queen's power is tied to her beauty, which makes witchcraft her only recourse as she ages.[23] Some interpret the story through the lens of female stereotypes and psychoanalytic theories.[26][27][28][24][29] The Queen's brutal punishment is seen by some as a necessary element for a satisfying narrative and moral lesson. [28][30][31][32][33][34]

Adaptations

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The Queen's character varies widely across adaptations. Several adaptations have explored her backstory, motivations, and even portrayed her sympathetically.[25][35]

Live-action films and television

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  • In the 1961 film Snow White and the Three Stooges, the Queen is portrayed by Patricia Medina. The character of the Queen is the same as in the fairy tale. When the Queen attempts to locate and destroy Snow White, the Three Stooges, who replace the Seven Dwarfs in the story, see her flying on a broomstick and kill her with a magical wish by causing it to crash and burn.[36]
  • In the 1997 gothic horror film Snow White: A Tale of Terror, the evil stepmother's backstory and personality is explored as a central character. She is not a queen, but a tragic noblewoman named Lady Claudia Hoffman, played by Sigourney Weaver. Unlike the usual character, she is obsessed with motherhood rather than her appearance, so after marrying the widower Count Frederick she tries to befriend his daughter Lilli, who rejects her.[37]
  • In the 1987-1988 television series The Charmings, a sequel to the fairy tale, Queen Lillian "Lily" White (Judy Parfitt) places a powerful curse on Snow White and her family. But this curse banishes them all, including the Queen herself, to the modern world, where Lily is forced to live with Snow White while she tries to return to her own world.[36]

Animated films and television

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Literature

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  • In the four-part comic book series Muppet Snow White from the The Muppets franchise, Miss Piggy takes on the role of the Evil Queen in the story.[41]

Other works

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  • In Mattel's Ever After High line of dolls and franchise, one of the lead characters is Raven Queen, the daughter of the Evil Queen, along with Snow White's daughter Apple White.[42] The Evil Queen herself is locked up in Mirror Prison and often insults the things Raven talks about, including Raven's father, the Good King.

See also

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References

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Bibliography

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  • Holston, Kim R. (2018). Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Film Sequels, Series and Remakes: An Illustrated Filmography, Volume II (1996-2016). McFarland. ISBN 9780786496853.
  • Schwabe, Claudia (2019). Craving Supernatural Creatures: German Fairy-Tale Figures in American Pop Culture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 9780814341971.
  • Smoodin, Eric (2012). BFI Film Classics: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Palgrave Macmillan (on the behalf of the British Film Institute). ISBN 9781844574759.
  • Slethaug, Gordon E. (2014). Adaptation Theory and Criticism: Postmodern Literature and Cinema in the USA. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781623560287.
  • Zipes, Jack (2011). The Enchanted Screen: The Unknown History of Fairy-Tale Films. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781135853952.
  • Zipes, Jack (2013). Why Fairy Tales Stick: The Evolution and Relevance of a Genre. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781135204341.
  • Zipes, Jack (2015). The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales. OUP Oxford. ISBN 9780191004162.
  • Zipes, Jack (2016). Grimm Legacies: The Magic Spell of the Grimms' Folk and Fairy Tales. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691173672.

Citations

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  1. ^ Brothers Grimm (2002). "Little Snow White". The Complete Fairy Tales. Routledge Classics. ISBN 0-415-28596-8.
  2. ^ Anderman, Gunilla M. Voices in Translation: Bridging Cultural Divides. p. 140.
  3. ^ Gikow, Louise. Muppet Babies' Classic Children's Tales.
  4. ^ Carruth, Jane. The Best of the Brothers Grimm. p. 19.
  5. ^ Heitman, Jane. Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tales in the Library and Language Arts Classroom. p. 20.
  6. ^ Ruth Solski, Fairy Tales Using Bloom's Taxonomy Gr. 3-5, page 15.
  7. ^ Van Gool, Snow White, page 39.
  8. ^ Nelson Thornes, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, page 32.
  9. ^ Richard Holliss, Bedtime Collection Snow White, page 82.
  10. ^ Elena Giulemetova, Stories, page 71.
  11. ^ Sara Maitland, From the Forest: A Search for the Hidden Roots of Our Fairy Tales, page 195.
  12. ^ Zipes 2011, p. 116.
  13. ^ "Snow White: An Islamic Tale". Siraj Islamic Lifestyle Store. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  14. ^ "Snow White 'favourite fairy tale'". News.uk.msn.com. 2014-05-23. Archived from the original on 2014-05-29. Retrieved 2014-05-28.
  15. ^ Terri Windling, "Snow, Glass, Apples: the story of Snow White[usurped]".
  16. ^ Cay Dollerup, Tales and Translation: The Grimm Tales from Pan-germanic Narratives to Shared International Fairytales, page 339.
  17. ^ Diane Purkiss, The Witch in History: Early Modern and Twentieth-Century Representations, page 278.
  18. ^ Adam Uren. "Miserably ever after: U of M professor's fairy tales translation reveals Grimm side". Bring Me The News. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  19. ^ Zipes 2015, p. 262.
  20. ^ Oliver Madox Hueffer, The Book of Witches.
  21. ^ Kenny Klein, Through the Faerie Glass, page 124.
  22. ^ Tatar, Maria (2020). The Fairest of Them All: Snow White and 21 Tales of Mothers and Daughters. Harvard University Press.
  23. ^ a b c "The Evolution of Snow White: 'Magic Mirror, on the Wall, Who Is the Fairest One of All?' | Cultural Transmogrifier Magazine". Ctzine.com. 2012-06-01. Archived from the original on 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2013-07-31.
  24. ^ a b Maria Tatar, The Hard Facts of the Grimms' Fairy Tales, pages 233-234.
  25. ^ a b Berkowitz, Lana (27 March 2012). "Are you Team Snow White or Team Evil Queen?". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2014-01-11. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  26. ^ Donald Haase, The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and Fairy Tales, pages 777-778, 885.
  27. ^ Henk De Berg, Freud's Theory and Its Use in Literary and Cultural Studies: An Introduction, pages 102, 105.
  28. ^ a b Sheldon Cashdan, The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales, pages 11, 15, 35-37, 61.
  29. ^ Tatar, Maria (8 June 2012). "A Brief History of Snow White". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 2014-01-10. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  30. ^ Bruno Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales.
  31. ^ Betsy Cohen, The Snow White Syndrome: All About Envy, pages 6, 14.
  32. ^ Jo Eldridge Carney, Fairy Tale Queens: Representations of Early Modern Queenship, page 94.
  33. ^ Mary Ayers, Mother-Infant Attachment and Psychoanalysis: The Eyes of Shame, page 97.
  34. ^ Sara Halprin, Look at My Ugly Face!: Myths and Musings on Beauty and Other Perilous Obsessions With Women's Appearance, page 85.
  35. ^ Cutler, David (2012-03-29). "Snow White's Strange Cinematic History - Scott Meslow". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  36. ^ a b c "Snow White through the years - Timelines - Los Angeles Times". Timelines.latimes.com. March 30, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  37. ^ "Special feature: Popular screen adaptations of 'Snow White'". mid-day. 2014-12-22. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  38. ^ "Special feature: Popular screen adaptations of 'Snow White'". mid-day. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  39. ^ "'Snow White' Lands Julia Roberts As Evil Queen, So How Does She Stack Up Against Charlize Theron?". MTV Movies Blog. 2011-02-08. Archived from the original on February 11, 2011. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
  40. ^ Dave Smith (2008-08-14). "Disney Archives | Evil Queen Villains History". Disney Archives. Disney Enterprises. Archived from the original on April 1, 2010.
  41. ^ Pinar Noorata (April 26, 2012). "The Muppets Recreate Classic Fairy Tales". My Modern Network.
  42. ^ "Character Bios – Student Cards & Character Bios – Raven Queen". everafterhigh.com. April 8, 2015. Archived from the original on June 20, 2016.
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