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The Frog King : Good, And Values Of Fairy Tales

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Be kind. Be honest. Good works will be rewarded. Wickedness will be punished. Geared toward children, most fairy tales relate some message exhibiting the merits of virtue and price of malevolence. Storytelling in general originated as a way to pass on traditions, preserve history, and teach lessons. It is surprising to find that even with this innate purpose, the Grimm brothers’ The Frog King lacks a positive or applicable moral. First published in 1812 Berlin, this is a tale of a beautiful princess who turns to a frog for help when her favorite toy accidentally rolls into in a well. The frog agrees to help her if she will consent to having him for a companion. The princess accepts his offer, but goes back on her word and promptly …show more content…

This concentration on the princess stops just short of allowing for a conclusive lesson based on the princess’s thoughts and actions. Conversely, the prince is not a definable victim or antagonist, either. The prince’s actions throughout the story are somewhat contradictory, and it’s impossible to say his ultimate happiness is a result of one particular action or deed. The prince initially helps the princess, but he shows her no sympathy. Despite her obvious fear and aversion to the frog, he orders her around and forces her to comply with his wishes, finally threatening, “Lift me up or I’ll tell your father” (49). It is possible to furnish reasons for the prince’s actions – perhaps he is provoking the princess so she will set him free, perhaps he is selfish and cruel – but there is no supporting textual evidence for these claims. There is no background information available for the prince. It is given that the prince is forced to live as a frog due to an enchantment, but there is no mention of why he was enchanted or how the princess breaks the spell. Without knowledge of the prince’s motivations, it’s impossible to discern a clear lesson stemming from the prince’s actions. The prince’s thoughts and emotions are not displayed in the beginning of the story, either. All that is given is that, in the end, the

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