Into The Woods Hero's Journey

The Hero’s Journey in Into the Woods The world is an objective place. Yet, each person’s individual world is extremely subjective. Mythology gives life meaning; the way in which it affects each person depends on their views of the world. In the musical Into the Woods, the Baker and the Baker’s Wife go into the woods to complete their quest. The Baker is the hero, and his journey integrates those of several other fairy tales. Each fairy tale character in this show has their own reason to go into the woods, but the Baker and his wife seem to be the most prominent storyline-- the one that ties all of the others together. This pedagogical story teaches the audience that the only way to get your wish is to cross the threshold into the woods. At

As the Baker sends his wife home, he also comes into contact with Little Red Riding Hood. After failing to get her cape from her once, he continues to seek her out and eventually saves the little girl from the Wolf. As a reward, Little Red Riding Hood gives the Baker her “cape as red as blood”. When the Baker returns to his wife, she informs him that she has lost the cow and they still have three items to find. The two work together to find the cow, which has now died. The two continue their search and, eventually, the Baker’s Wife runs into Cinderella. The two bond over how charming the prince is and how he leaves Cinderella wonderstruck. Ironically, the Baker’s Wife feels this same awe for the prince later in the story when the two have an affair that causes Cinderella to leave him. The second time the Baker’s Wife runs into Cinderella, she gets the third item-- a slipper as pure as gold. The Baker got two items and his wife also got two items. While this detail may seem insignificant, it is actually essential to the story’s message. This illustrates the importance of teamwork in getting through any struggle. If the Baker were on his own, he never would have found all of the items in time. The help that he received from his wife, both with finding the items and with his inner struggle, is ultimately what got them through the woods. Without this approach, the couple’s wish would not have been