Tangledis among a roster ofDisney movies that explore more serious issues. Like these other Disney classics, it conveys its message using a plucky hero and her equally compelling villain counterpart. These villains range from envious uncles to voodoo magicians to straight-up war criminals. They often look the part, too — Scar has glowing green eyes, Maleficent has literal devil horns and a raven for a sidekick…But where doesTangled’s Mother Gothel fit into all of this?
To review, Mother Gothel is the vanity-obsessed older woman who steals baby Rapunzel from the king and queen and raises her as her own. Rapunzel possesses magical hair that not only has the power to heal but also acts as a cure for mortality and aging. Gothel doesn’tlookevil. In fact, she looks great, thanks inpart to Rapunzel. She doesn’t even really seem that evil, either, if you’re sort of half-watchingTangled, half-cooking dinner or something. She delivers her lines in this campy, theatrical lilt. She is constantly reassuring Rapunzel that she loves her. The totality of this picture, though, is exactly whyMother Gothel is one of the scariest Disney villains. She’s able to slip by unnoticed because she knows how to keep up appearances. And she’s done it to all of us.
How Mother Gothel Lays the Groundwork for Manipulation in Tangled
Gaslighting is an insidious form of control wherein the gaslighter gets their victim to questiontheir own sanityor judgment. The goal is for them to get what they want and for you to think they are the only reliable source of information.They lay the groundwork for this by creating an environment of confusion and intermittent positive reinforcement.
For instance, when we first flash forward to the present inTangled, we get a glimpse of the dynamic between Mother Gothel and 18-year-old Rapunzel, and Mother Gothel demonstrates exactly this. Rapunzel pulls Gothel up the tower by her hair, who arrives and says, “How you manage to do that every single day…it looks absolutely exhausting, darling.” Rapunzel replies, “Oh, it’s nothing,” and Mother Gothel responds, “Then I don’t know why it takes so long!”
Why Tangled Still Deserves a Sequel
Though the film ended on a happily-ever-after note, taking Tangled’s adventure to new lengths through a sequel should still be realized. Here’s why.
This manipulative compliment sandwich is just the tip of the iceberg for ourTangledvillain.She routinely makes Rapunzel feel like a burdenand like she should feel lucky to accept the crumbs her kidnapper throws her. The song “Mother Knows Best” is the ultimate example of this, as whole stanzas are devoted to belittling Rapunzel.
Mother knows best, take it from your mumsy
On your own, you won’t survive
Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy
Please, they’ll eat you up alive
Gullible, naïve, positively grubby
Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm, vague
Plus, I believe, gettin' kinda chubby
I’m just saying ‘cause I wuv you
Mother understands, Mother’s here to help you…
Mother Gothel Tailors Her Lies to Her Audience
Rapunzel isn’t the only character who falls victim to Gothel’s nefarious ways. After Rapunzel makes her first outing and really takes to the outside world, even starting to fall for her first crush, Gothel racks her brain for a way to reel Rapunzel back in. Capturing Rapunzel by brute force is out, so instead, she attempts to orchestrate a way to get Rapunzel to come crawling back into captivity herself.This, by far, is her scariest superpower.Other Disney villainsshow their hand, commit violent acts, and coerce — but how many villains get their heroes to submit willingly?
Where Have The Disney Villains Gone?
Disney has created some of animation’s most memorable villains, but it’s been a while since the last great one.
So, Gothel plots to break Flynn/Eugene and Rapunzel up. Turning others against you, according toPsychology Today, is one of the 11 red flags of gaslighting. She persuades Eugene’s enemies, the Stabbington Brothers (yes, that’s actually what they’re called), to help her because it’s a surefire way for them to get revenge against Eugene. Here, like with Rapunzel and the short drunk outside the tavern,she adjusts her facade and her language to get what she wantsout of her intended audience. If she can’t get away with embellishments, she simply lies. She lies about Eugene’s intentions, the reality of the outside world and the existence of the floating lanterns, and even about Rapunzel’s own birthday…
And she almost gets away with it! Fortunately, Rapunzel has had nothing but time to acquire skills and knowledge (like charting the stars to prove that the lanterns aren’t them). She doesn’t realize it at first, but her whole life has essentially been leading up to her being able to one day back up her instincts about her destiny and Mother Gothel’s true intentions with proof. This, coupled with the support of someone who can be trusted, can help her come out on top.Tangled, which reportedly has alive-action remake underway,is available to stream on Disney+.
