Ella Enchanted Analysis

Every great mythical tale consists of a Hero’s Journey as the backbone of the story. Yet the hero of Ella Enchanted strays far from the norm of most heros. An archetypal protagonist faces an ultimate antagonist or villain, yet Ella from Ella Enchanted battles a conflict within herself. Ella Afrell, born in the quiet town of Frell, qualifies as a normal baby until a fairy godmother comes along. Lucinda the fairy blesses the new born with a curse, despite her naming it a gift. The fairy godmother places upon Ella the gift of obedience. From that day on, any order or request given to Ella will be taken care of promptly with no objection. Ella’s Hero’s Journey guides her through many tests and trials in order to reach freedom of the horrible curse.

Ella’s eagerness from her new freedom is cut short when King Edgar abruptly throws her in jail for attempting murder on the Prince. During the Return section of a Hero’s Journey, this event would also be called the Magic Flight or Pursuit. Next comes Rescue from Without, where the hero seems helpless and almost on the verge of dieing, yet someone rescues the hero. Thanks to Slannen and his backup from the forest, Ella only spends a short amount of time in jail. The new troop break Ella out of the jail and rush towards Prince Charmont’s coronation, where King Edgar plots to place a poisonous crown on the Prince’s head. Before the King gets a chance to crown Prince Char, Ella busts through the heavy brass doors and shouts, “Drop that crown!”. In the following section of the movie, the hero challenges Resurrection. Resurrection, from the Hero’s Journey, includes the hero’s most dangerous meeting with death. This final showdown between Ella and Prince Char versus King Edgar results in a brawl with the King’s knights. In the end, the couple defeats King Edgar and strips him of his power over Frell. After the whole ordeal, the movie ends on a high note with the marriage between Ella and Charmont. Ella’s Return differs from a typical Hero’s Journey due to the fact she never physically returns home, though her accomplishments positively affect all the people of her home town. Ella freeing the people of Frell from King Edgar’s ruling ensures a happy life for her family and the residents of town. Also, Ella marrying a Prince provides enough wealth to supply her father. In one of the last parts of the Hero’s Journey, the hero becomes a master of two worlds. In Ella Enchanted, Ella masters her ordinary world by leaving her family and friends happy and by conquering her new world with her new husband, Charmont. Furthermore, by