Images of Characters

Images of Characters

Rumpelstiltskin





Authors' Biography (Brothers Grimm)

Authors’ Biography

Rumpelstiltskin was written by the most well-known authors of all time whom they called themselves as Brothers Grimm. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are almost without a doubt Germany’s most famous collectors of folktales. Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm was born in 1785 and he was the eldest of the six Grimm children. Three of his siblings were not so fortunate and died young. Wilhelm Carl Grimm was born in 1786 and he was the youngest child in the Grimm’s family. Carl and Wilhelm were very close and both of them decided to study law at the University of Marburg at the beginning of the 19^th century. Then, they began to collect folktales and they were interested in mythology, folklore and dreams by German Romantic literature, art and music. In 1812, they published Children’s and Household which also known as “Grimm’s Fairy Tales”. Their collections included the world’s famous stories of all time like Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Repunzel and Rumpelstiltskin. 

Synopsis

Synopsis

       Once there was a miller who was very poor and very boastful. He had a beautiful daughter named Lisa. The miller lied to the King about Lisa who could turn straw into gold. The King was so delightful and took Lisa to the tower room which full of straw and a spinning wheel. The King demanded Lisa to turn the straw into gold in three days or else she would be sentenced to death. Lisa was very sad as she would not able to grant the King’s whishes. Then, a stranger appeared suddenly and offered Lisa a help. The stranger was known as Rumpelstiltskin who spun straw into gold and in return Lisa gave him her necklace and ring. The King became so greedy and wanted more gold. Then, the King asked his servant to search for every last wisp of straw in the countryside so that Lisa could turn the straw into gold and promised her that she would become his queen if she granted his wishes or else he cut off her head. As Lisa was sitting sadly on the floor, Rumpelstiltskin appeared for the third time and offered his last help to Lisa. In return, Lisa had nothing to reward him. Rumpelstiltskin spun the straw into gold and for a promise Lisa would give her first-born child to him after she became a queen. After a year, the King and Lisa had a baby son. Rumpelstiltskin returned to claim his reward. The queen was frightened and offered him all the wealth she had if she could keep the child. Rumpelstiltskin refused and finally agreed to give up his claim to the child if the queen could guess his name in three days. At first she failed, but before the final night, her parents followed Rumpelstiltskin to the woods and they overheard him singing. While he was singing and hopping around the fire, they discovered his name as Rumpelstiltskin. When the dwarf came to the queen on the third day and she revealed his name, Rumpelstiltskin lost his bargain. He was so angry and stamped the floor so hard and vanished in a puff of smoke. Lisa’s father learnt his lesson and he promised her that he would never boast again.

Characters and Characteristics

Rumpelstiltskin

Retold by Angela Lanyon

Characters and Characteristics

1.              Rumpelstiltskin

a.                        Sly and Playful

b.                        He likes riddles

c.                         A mysterious magical character

d.                        Insincere

e.                         Lonely (He has no family)

2.              Lisa

a.                         A sensible and thoughtful girl

b.                        Obedient to her parents

c.                         She becomes the King’s wife

d.                        She loves her son

3.              King

a.                        A greedy and selfish man

b.                        Impatient

c.                         Arrogant

d.                        Ungrateful with what he has

e.                         Forceful towards Lisa

4.              Father

a.                         A rather foolish boaster

b.                        He lies to the King about Lisa in which she can spin straw into gold

c.                         Selfish

d.                        At last, he regrets to what he had done to his daughter (Lisa)

e.                        Clever (He and his wife followed Rumpelstiltskin into the woods)

5.              Mother

a.                         A kind  but rather silly person

b.                        She loves her daughter

c.                         She realizes about her own mistakes

d.                       Clever (She and her husband followed Rumpelstiltskin into the woods)

Setting

Setting

Place:

·        The King’s palace (Castle)

·        In a cottage in a village in a small country (The miller’s house)

·        In the woods (Rumpelstiltskin favorites place)

·        The tower (The King asks Lisa to stay in the tower and spin the straw into gold)

Time:

·        Long time ago in a place where there is an avaricious King

People:

·        A kingdom which is ruled by an avaricious King

·        Countryside people (The miller’s family)

·        The villagers

Plot

Plot

 

1.                Exposition

a.                          A miller had a beautiful daughter (Lisa) and lied to the King that she could turn straw into gold.

2.              Rising action

a.                          The King demanded Lisa to spin the straw into gold within three days.

b.                          If Lisa could not fulfill the King’s wishes, her head would be cut off.

c.                           A strange man appeared suddenly and offered Lisa a help.

d.                          In return, the strange man demanded a reward.

e.                           The first two nights, Lisa rewarded him by giving her necklace and ring.

f.                             The King became so greedy and wanted more gold.

g.                           The King would make Lisa his queen if she could turn all the straw into gold or else he would cut off her head.

h.                         The strange man appeared again on the third night but Lisa had nothing to reward him.

i.                             Then, the strange man spun the straw into gold and for a promise he would have Lisa’s first-born child after she became a queen.

3.              Climax

a.                          A year after, the King and Lisa had a baby son.

b.                          The strange man returned to claim his reward.

c.                           The queen refused to give her baby.

d.                          The strange man got so angry and gave the queen three days to guess his name.

e.                           Lisa’s parents followed the strange man into the woods and discovered his real name.

f.                             On the final day, the strange man returned and asked the queen to guess his name.

g.                           Finally, the queen mentioned his name ‘Rumpelstiltskin’.

4.              Falling action

a.                          Rumpelstiltskin was so angry and stamped the floor so hard.

b.                          Then, he vanished in a puff of smoke.

5.              Resolution

a.                          Lisa’s father learnt his lesson and he promised to her that he would never boast again.

Themes

Themes

1.              Selfish and greedy

a)          The King is selfish as he forces Lisa to spin the straw into gold and if she does not succeed, she would be sentenced to death.

(King: It doesn’t seem very likely but never mind, we can soon find out. My kingdom’s not very rich and I could do with some more gold. You can come back to the palace and if you really can turn straw into gold you’ll be well rewarded. But if not, I shall cut off your head.)

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b)          The King is greedy as he would ask Lisa to turn every last wisp of straw into gold for the third time.

2.              Boasting for own benefits

a)          Lisa’s father boasts about his daughter’s cleverness that she could bake the best pies in the world and turn straw into gold.

b)          In order to get noticed by the King, the miller lies to the King about his daughter who could turn straw into gold.

3.              Regret to ones mistake

a)          The miller and his wife regret their own mistakes as they have put Lisa into such troubles.