When examining the Brothers Grimm’s Rumpelstiltskin from an archetypal perspective, it becomes clear that the fairy tale contains familiar motifs and ideas to illustrate the qualities of a protagonist, the negative nature of villains and the protagonist’s triumph over a villain. The story of Rumpelstiltskin is one that uses the archetypal format to show how bargaining can be used to pursue one’s greed but taking advantage of others can lead to an individual’s downfall.
Firstly, the miller’s daughter in the the fairy tale is established to be the hero in the protagonist in the story through the use of giving her certain characteristics and placing her in overwhelming situations. In the first paragraph of the the fairy tale, the miller’s daughter is described to be beautiful, shrewd, and clever. All of these trait are generally perceived to positive, desirable traits. By giving a character these traits, a character is perceived to be “good” and can be considered a hero. The miller’s daughter is also given the “damsel in distress” position.
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The story uses greed as a prevalent, negative motif throughout the fairy tale and the emotion is given to those who are to be antagonized. Rumpelstiltskin is given this characteristic when he insists on requiring a form of payment for helping the miller’s daughter. Rumpelstiltskin’s greed is fueled by his willingness to take advantage of the miller’s daughter’s situation. This action often perceived to be morally wrong and by having Rumpelstiltskin do this, his morals are questioned by the reader and his role in the story is considered to be a negative role. His role as the villain in the story is further established when he asks to have the daughter’s first child. The idea of taking away a child from its mother can be interpreted as cruel or inhuman, and the fact that Rumpelstiltskin wants to do this firmly establishes his role as a