The
myriad characters in every fairy tale each contribute a great deal to the plot
structure, their slightest actions bringing forth a favourable or grievous
outcome. The overall sense of a
story lies almost entirely on what is included in their dialogue and
descriptions. In comparing the well
known Rapunzel, as told by the brothers Grimm, to a lesser known version Petrosinella,
by Giambattista Basile, a reader can distinguish each as unique based on these
elements. Further analysis reveals what all characters donate to create each
storyline, as well as a pair of equally distinctive endings.
The Grimm Rapunzel is remarkably descriptive when compared with the 1637 Basile variation. The Grimm’s introduce a man and wife that have long wished for God to grant them a child, going on to describe the beauty of the neighbour's garden and the wife’s long and intense yearning for the rapunzel. What takes the better part of a page in Rapunzel condenses into three short sentences in Petrosinella, which comes across as far more abrupt. The first character is introduced, sees what she wants next door, and craves it; no other clarification is provided.
The opening sentence states that “there lived a woman named Pascaddozia, who was pregnant.” Already there are three factors not present in the Grimm tale. Firstly, the woman is living alone-there is never mention of a husband. Second, she is named, which is very unusual in any fairy tale because the parent(s) often have a very small role overall and are not so important as to have names. Third, she is with child, and we are given no indication that there were the classic problems of conceiving. These points summon an image of a strong, single mother, more significant in the life of her child than the Grimm’s couple.
Rapunzel describes how the man yields to his wife and fetches her some of the herb from the witch’s garden. Pascaddozia, however, steals into the garden several times to indulge her cravings. This bravery shown by the mother again reflects on how different she is from the Grimm wife, a trait that is revealed in her daughter Petrosinella.
The witches also differ in each tale. Petrosinella portrays a rather slow-witted antagonist that behaves with more fury. Reacting to the theft in her garden, this one vows revenge if she catches the culprit. It takes her a long time to eventually figure out who has been in her parsley; in Rapunzel the witch stops the man the second time he tries. The Grimm’s witch has an initial soft side absent in the other version, apparent after she hears the husband’s explanation, calms down, and then encourages him to take all the rapunzel his wife needs. Basile’s witch, on the other hand, threatens to kill Pascaddozia immediately, ignoring all her excuses.
These interpretations hold true when the young girl in each tale is born. Rapunzel’s witch appears moments after delivery, names her, then whisks the child away to raise it as a mother until her twelfth year when Rapunzel is put up in a tower. The Italian story greatly breaks away at this point, for the witch does not contact Pascaddozia for seven long years, then waits for permission when she could have snatched her away at any time prior to this. That Petrosinella (“little parsley”) is named after a birthmark and raised by her natural mother is significant, for it illustrates that the time of greatest learning is with her mother, giving her an edge in out-witting the evil witch who locks her away at seven years old.
The symbolism in both tales of being taken into the woods is recognized as a rite of passage. Both Rapunzel and Petrosinella change from innocent babes to young women in the years with their respective witches. Their towers as phallic representations are appropriate, because each girl meets her prince and becomes a woman there. The circumstances in which they meet their future husbands, however, greatly differ in each version.
The Grimm’s prince hears Rapunzel singing, and watches her from afar for a while until he sees how to reach her. Upon climbing her braids, they meet for the first time, and immediately agree to get married. A little wiser and not as rushed, Petrosinella gets to know her prince through conversation, and gradually grows fond of him. Only then is Basile’s prince given permission to ascend. At this stage, Rapunzel is making a silk ladder, while Petrosinella and her fiancée consummate their love until dawn. Note also that this prince later brings a ladder, rather than the materials to make one. These distinctly different behaviors give the impression of Basile’s lovers as wiser.
Rapunzel is foolish enough to outright tell her ‘godmother’ about the prince, whereas Petrosinella goes so far as to drug the witch before meeting her lover. Here is some of the bravery shown by Pascaddozia, whose daughter is taking the same kinds of risks in order to escape. In Rapunzel, the witch simply cuts off the long plaits and banishes her to a desert after discovering the deception. Petrosinella’s witch, still dim, would never have found out but for her friend who tells her of the couple. This fourth character is not present in Rapunzel, acting here as the inverse of the old man archetype. This friend never actually does anything to stop the young lovers from escaping, instead just relaying her intelligence to the witch, who still does not act until they actually flee.
Rapunzel’s witch punishes the couple by chopping off her hair, banishing her, and blinding the young prince. In Petrosinella, the furious witch pursues them with intent to kill, far more severe than the alternate version. Next is an entire scene absent from the Grimm tale. The pair escapes with terror at their heels, and then Petrosinella begins to throw the magical acorns that held her in the tower. These can be viewed as coming from the archetypal tree of life, allowing the two a way to a new beginning. Each animal that comes from the acorns is a magical helper that also aids in their escape.
The Grimm witch remains alive in their version, unlike Petrosinella’s who has stupidity as her undoing; she is killed for literally “acting like an ass” as part of the happy ending. Rapunzel and her prince found each other after years of hardship, while Petrosinella fought her oppressor and won, achieving more in a shorter period of time. Basile’s absence of repetition when the witch calls to Petrosinella also reflects the slightly more serious tone overall in his rendition.
Thus, the two tales unfold, each with very unique characters who shape the story through their descriptions and actions. As described, the surface of each tale is widely different, yet the underlying elements that indicate coming of age for Rapunzel and Petrosinella are the same. The Grimm story had a much more wearisome conclusion for the young couple, while the quick and dangerous ending for Petrosinella led to happiness sooner. The important thing is that in both fairy tales, the lovers run away to live happily ever after, eventually, and no amount of variants change that, even with the major splitting of hairs.
Perrault, Charles. "Puss in Boots." Folk & Fairy Tales Comp. Martin Hallett and Barbara Karasek. 2nd ed. Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview, 1996. 94-97.