The Profound Lessons Within Disney’s "Tangled"

An Archetypal Analysis of the Modernized Myth of Rapunzel

About a week ago, I watched my first Disney princess movie. That might make you grimace or gasp. It should.

Growing up, my mother always had a passive disdain for the Disney princesses. I think she thought they would brainwash me and my sister with all the Prince Charming stuff. So Emily and I grew up sneering at the princesses, thinking of them as helpless, lazy, submissive, and of no true worth. In retrospect, this was the very beginning of my programmed rejection of the feminine nature. I’ve had to chisel past years of molten rock to find it again—gooey and simmering and threatening to explode.

The Mythic Power of Fairy Tales: Layers of Interpretation

The movie that profoundly moved me is Tangled, Disney’s take on the fairy tale of Rapunzel. Each Disney princess movie is a myth, already hardwired into the Collective Unconscious, rich with archetypal wisdom and spiritual lessons. These animated movies made for young girls are actually opportunities for deep metaphorical complexity and intrapersonal growth.

The most important thing to recognize about a myth, or “fairy tale,” is that the characters within them can be viewed from three major perspectives:

1. As is: each character represents a different person in relationships.

2. At large: each character represents an overall force in society.

3. Intrapersonally: each character represents a part within ourselves.

   
   

The last perspective is my favorite, and I find it to be the most fertile ground for discovery.

Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious

The characters that we are dealing with, in Rapunzel or elsewhere, are also referred to as archetypes in the world of analytical psychology. An archetype is a collection of characteristics that leads to a pattern of behaviors within humans. Archetypes are said to have existed since the beginning of humanity, spawning in something called the Collective Unconscious. Psychologist Carl Jung believed that this Collective Unconscious has been handed down throughout humanity in a weird sort of psychic evolution. This is why history repeats itself, or why the centuries-old lessons prevalent in literature and mythology still apply as deeply in the present as they did in the past. Straightforward examples of archetypes include the greedy tyrant, the fair leader, the loving mother, the powerful seductress, and so forth.

Tangled as a Twin Flame Allegory

The story of Rapunzel, specifically depicted in Disney’s Tangled, is an incredible portrayal of something otherwise known in contemporary society as the Twin Flame Journey. For those less familiar with this jargon, twin flames represent the spiritual concept of one soul being divided into two at birth. The two parts of this single soul manifest as two humans: the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine. The purpose of the notoriously painful Twin Flame Journey is for the two humans to spiritually evolve enough to come into union with each other and prosper as one ascended being. This pairing is completely balanced in divine masculinity and femininity and therefore able to lead and serve the Collective as a healing force.

The catch about the Twin Flame Journey is that it is actually an external projection of an intrapersonal process meant to take place inside of you during self-actualization. Thus, while the characters in Rapunzel are depicted as individual people—and you may even accurately relate them to real people in your life—more importantly, they represent parts within yourself. Each of us has a Divine Masculine part and Divine Feminine part that are actively trying to come into union with each other. As for the bad guys, we each have those within us too, and we are just as desperate to escape from them.

The Lost Princess and the Call to Wholeness

The journey of self-actualization for a female is seen through the point of view and plot of Rapunzel’s development. The journey of self-actualization for a male is seen through her masculine counterpart, Flynn Rider. Thus, some nuances within this analysis are specific to the masculine journey, and some to the feminine. However, each general character represents a part within ourselves. For example, each female has an internal Flynn Rider, just as each male has an internal Rapunzel. Each is crucial for the other’s process of healing and maturation.

The ageless archetypes for the Divine Masculine (DM) and Divine Feminine (DF) are the King and Queen. They represent the healed, fulfilled potential of the balanced masculine and feminine natures within us; they are active, kind, and just leaders of their kingdom. This explains why so many fairy tales begin with the origin story of the princess’s royal parents. The King and Queen represent the state of the DM and DF within the protagonist. Rapunzel represents the state of the immature Feminine. In Tangled, the princess is lost, and the King and Queen are desperately searching for her. Outwardly, she has no clue they exist, but something supernatural—her feminine intuition, perhaps—tells her that she belongs to something Higher, symbolized by the lanterns in the sky that she is infatuated with. The separated and curious princess represents our own internal urge for union between these parts within ourselves.

Mother Gothel: The Wounded Feminine 

There are two primary conflicts that initially keep Rapunzel from seeking out the lanterns:

1. The evil witch who claims to be her protective mother.

2. Rapunzel’s fear and ignorance of the outside world.

   
   

Mother Gothel, or the evil witch, is an archetype that pervades fairy tales. She represents the unhealed Feminine that overbears in a malicious way. Mother Gothel is the shadow of the feminine ego. In Tangled, the audience is aware that Mother Gothel is explicitly using Rapunzel’s magic for her own selfish benefit: beauty, youth, and immortality. Mother Gothel represents the part of ourselves that wastes our Divine Feminine magic on superficial, poisonous things. For females, this primarily manifests as an unhealthy focus on external appearance, pinpointing it as the pinnacle of our worth to society. This conflict typically begins extremely early in development (seen in Rapunzel’s age of capture) and, depending on the soul, rules over different periods of our lives. A huge part of the princess’s journey is escaping the evil witch so she can funnel her Divine Feminine nature into that which is personally fulfilling and serving to the Collective.

Mother Gothel is aware that if Rapunzel escapes and recognizes her true potential, she—our wounded ego—must die. Her fear of death fuels Mother Gothel to berate, devalue, and fear-monger the princess for the duration of her stay in the castle. MOTHER GOTHEL IS THE INHERENT PART OF OUR FEMININE PSYCHE THAT HATES US. MOTHER GOTHEL BELIEVES WE ARE NOT WORTHY OF TRUE HAPPINESS AND SELF-ACTUALIZATION. SHE BELIEVES THAT OUR FEMININE GIFTS SERVE NO PURPOSE BUT TO UPHOLD THE POWER OF THE EGO. MOTHER GOTHEL IS THE VOICE IN OUR HEAD THAT SHUSHES US, INSULTS US, AND DENIES US THE ABILITY TO BE TRULY FREE.

The scene in which the relationship between Rapunzel and Mother Gothel becomes glaringly evident is when Mother Gothel returns the day before Rapunzel’s eighteenth birthday. Rapunzel and her chameleon sidekick, Pascal (an archetype for her feminine intuition), have a plan to convince Mother Gothel to let her go see the lanterns. Before Rapunzel can even speak, Gothel requests she sing to her—a routine in place since birth that Rapunzel has no context to question. She mindlessly acquiesces, quickly singing to the witch, reversing her aging and saving her from death for just a little longer. The casual, thoughtless nature in which Rapunzel doles out her Divine powers is sobering and devastating. It shows how, as females, we are programmed from an early age to commit an act meant to be sacred and discerning for the sake of perceived obligation and convenience. The act in question? Our power to heal others.

Flynn Rider: The Immature Masculine

Shortly after Mother Gothel rejects Rapunzel’s proposition and gaslights her against the prospect of leaving, we are introduced to Flynn Rider, the story’s primary masculine archetype. Just as Rapunzel is naive and insecure, Flynn Rider is arrogant, money-driven, and morally unrooted. The young man striving for a quick life of luxury through indignant means represents the immature Masculine. Both Rapunzel and Flynn are blended with their own unhealed, egoic parts.

The Passive Feminine Without the Masculine

Before meeting Flynn and leaving the castle, Rapunzel is a perfect depiction of how the Feminine manifests without a healthy and balanced Masculine. She is stowed away in her tower, binging on feminine activities: painting, reading, baking, playing guitar, knitting, stretching, and brushing her hair are just a few in her opening song. She is a highly skilled, intelligent, talented young woman. However, without an active internal Masculine, her magnificent art is never seen, her wealth of knowledge is never shared, her array of skills never functionally used. The work of her Feminine essentially wastes away, perpetually leaving her with the lingering feeling of What is all of this for?, emphasized by the title of the song, “When Will My Life Begin?”

Admittedly, I felt triggered by this mockery of Rapunzel. When we are stuck in an unbalanced Feminine, we can enter a maladaptive state of passivity, dominated by the feeling that we are waiting for something to arrive: the perfect partner, the perfect career, the perfect life. Alas, we eventually recognize and learn that these things most often do not appear on our doorstep; we must integrate the Masculine part of ourselves to go out and conquer them.

Mutual Initiation into Self-Actualization

The timing in which Rapunzel is introduced to Flynn Rider is no coincidence. For females, the masculine part of ourselves, or animus, is responsible for our relationship with the external world. Our animus allows us to navigate relationships, challenges, and pursuits of passion. As Rapunzel begins to desire life outside the castle, she must meet and cultivate a relationship with her masculine counterpart. Flynn’s expertise in traversing landscapes, fighting off bad guys, smooth-talking mates, and acquiring resources are all necessary for surviving and thriving in the external world. Despite his annoying and superficial qualities, he is an invaluable resource in her dream of seeing the lanterns. Women stuck in an unbalanced Feminine will resonate with this feeling of inconvenience when forced to utilize their own animus.

Of course, Flynn Rider is not emphatic about the prospect of helping Rapunzel either. He stumbled upon Rapunzel’s castle by chance while lost within the woods during his ego’s extensive journey. Flynn very clearly communicates to Rapunzel that his only motive to climb her walls was sheer curiosity, and upon meeting, he is only temporarily interested in entertaining her for the prospect of sex (implied by his laughable attempts to woo her with his infamous ‘smolder’). 

Luckily, while Flynn is unconscious, Rapunzel has the strategic intuition to hide the stolen crown she finds in his satchel. The crown is symbolic of the immature Masculine’s egoic desires—sex, money, glory, etc. She uses it to barter for his compliance, and he nonchalantly assents with a condescending eye roll, as if to say, What else do I have to do? So begins the involuntary initiation of the immature Masculine into his pilgrimage of spiritual evolution. Ironically, it is always the ego that sentences itself to death.

It’s important to note that the relationship between the immature Masculine and immature Feminine is dynamic, complex, and two-sided. As Rapunzel needs Flynn to navigate the external world, Flynn needs Rapunzel to navigate the internal one. They are each using the other to fulfill a wish: she desires the lanterns (communion with something otherworldly), he desires the crown (fame and fortune). They are both oblivious to the fact that in their pursuit of egoic dreams, they are actually working to come into union with each other—the true, unconscious, fated mission of the soul.

The Shame and Uncertainty of Healing

Once Rapunzel accepts and begins the integration of her animus, she is able to come to terms with the fact that Mother Gothel may not have her best interest at heart, and she ultimately uses deception to escape her. As Rapunzel’s feminine nature matures, we see her naivete dwindle as she becomes increasingly aware of malevolence (something that Pascal, her intuition, is always annoyingly conscious of). Now, the process is not without a lengthy montage of Rapunzel grappling with the decision of silently leaving Mother Gothel. The relatable duality of individuation is shown between alternating episodes of ecstatic freedom and shameful remorse. Her unhealed animus tries to use her uncertainty as a means of his own escape, pleading with her, “You seem really unsure, maybe we should just give up and go home.” But Rapunzel’s dream of seeing the lanterns is too strong, and she continues onward anyway. Gothel is seen discovering their escape and stalking them for the majority of their journey, a relentless reminder of how she has not yet been eliminated from the princess’s psyche.

The Bar Scene: Connecting with the Masculine Collective

While on their journey, Flynn attempts to scare Rapunzel by bringing her into a bar with big, ugly, scary-looking criminals. Ironically, Flynn’s capture and return to the Kingdom is being offered a reward, and so the men at the bar attempt to kidnap him. Rapunzel is able to save him with her Divine Feminine powers by connecting to the feminine natures of the men in the bar. It is revealed throughout a humorous musical number that the burly, dirty men actually have very alive and integrated feminine parts, having aspirations of being pianists, florists, interior designers, bakers, seamsters, ceramic unicorn collectors, and falling in love. In attempts to vulnerably connect with Flynn and perhaps forgive him, the menacing men inquire about his ‘dream,’ to which the arrogant, immature Masculine summarizes that he wishes to be alone on an island surrounded by money. Despite their resentment of Flynn, the Masculine Collective (played by the secretly sensitive brutes) finds hope for its feminine dreams in Rapunzel, and it aids in their escape to reach the lanterns. This beautifully symbolizes the desperation of the Masculine Collective for integrating the Divine Feminine into the Kingdom.

Spiritual Awakening and the Death of the Ego

While trapped in a cave with rising water, Flynn faces death for the first time alongside Rapunzel. After failed attempts to escape the cave, Flynn’s ego cracks, and he admits to Rapunzel that his real name is Eugene, and that he is not who he claims to be. After this admission, Rapunzel remembers that she has magic powers and is able to use the golden light from her hair to show them a way out of the cave. This is the first occurrence of healthy integration between the Feminine and Masculine. It is even shown that although Rapunzel discovers how to save them, Eugene does the physical act of removing the stones and leading them out of the cave. This is a great example of how the Feminine and Masculine parts work together in times of inner conflict and stress: the Feminine uncovers salvation, and the Masculine takes the necessary steps to pursue that salvation. Neither part would be able to achieve salvation by themselves.

Of course, perhaps the most significant aspect of this scene is Flynn’s ego death and transformation into Eugene. This is amplified by Eugene’s spiritual awakening upon recognizing Rapunzel’s magical powers: “HER HAIR GLOWS?!” i.e., ‘God is real?!’ This sudden ascension of Eugene is all-too-familiar to those that have experienced a real-life spiritual awakening. What is a spiritual awakening? It is a sudden realization of one’s own inner Divinity. Like Eugene’s, it is often paired with significant ego death and a complete rebranding of identity and life outlook. In many cases, it involves a deep valuation of our inner Feminine, which connects us to the sacred and Divine aspects of being human. Now that Eugene understands the inherent power of the Feminine, or Rapunzel, he has a newfound respect and admiration for her. Likewise, Rapunzel has access to the Masculine in a more sensitive, authentic way. Therefore, this spar with death is an absolutely essential milestone in their relationship and completely catalyzes the beginnings of true integration.

Shadow Interference

That night, Rapunzel and Eugene stake out in the woods together beside a campfire. Eugene reveals more of his backstory to Rapunzel, explaining that his orphaned, child self had dreams of becoming a hero, and he came to believe that his only means of fulfilling that potential was through an unjust way. This is a perfect relation of the arc of a Masculine in his inherent quest to actualize from a boy to the mature male archetypes of Warrior and King. Somewhere along the way, external forces disconnect an individuating male from his own Feminine, resulting in the overbearing development of his ego from a wounded place. Thus, he is able to achieve the external image of success—money, attraction—but from a space that is barren, spiritually fruitless, and ultimately unfulfilling. It is only through the integration of his own Feminine that he is able to achieve what his soul truly wants: to dutifully lead a kingdom from a space of love.

Rapunzel once more reveals and utilizes the powers of her hair to heal Eugene’s injury. Witnessing this is still shocking to Eugene, and he even gets carried away in the discovery. Eugene nonchalantly asks Rapunzel, “Do you think you can use [your magic] to make me super strong?” This is a classic example of how the unhealed Masculine approaches the newfound powers of the Feminine. He wonders, “How can I use the powers of the Divine Feminine to serve my ego?” However, it has been proven time and time again that the sacred magic of the Feminine is not meant to be used for these superficial, egoic purposes. It is from this energy that we are exposed to Gothel and the Stabbington Brothers malevolently working together.

The Stabbington Brothers represent the ambitions of the immature Masculine’s shadow ego: dreams of money and glory via unjust means. They do not believe “Eugene” is capable or worthy of achieving happiness in any other way. It is by no mistake that this wounded shadow of the Masculine pairs with the wounded shadow of the Feminine to sabotage the union of the Divine Feminine/Masculine. The unhealed shadow parts hate them and wish to continue using the pair to their own selfish, dark advantages. These shadow parts within ourselves create maladaptive behaviors stemming from deep insecurity and self-loathing, manifesting as anything from abusive self-dialogue to addiction and toxic relationships.

For example, in the heat of vulnerability and connection around the campfire with Eugene, in a moment where he is distracted, Gothel makes her official reappearance. She rises strongly from the shadows with strategy, attempting to convince Rapunzel: 'He doesn’t actually like you. You are unworthy of love. He is using you. I can prove it.' Although Rapunzel denies Gothel and sends her away, she has not fully healed from her shadow self. She is seen internalizing the self-doubt and insecurity, and does not put her Masculine to the test. It is this doubt that eventually hurts both her and Eugene, as Rapunzel refuses him the opportunity to prove his loyalty prior to the completion of the deal. This lack of trust feeds into the difficulty of their future separation.

Maximus the Horse: Protector of the Mature Masculine 

The next morning, we are reintroduced to a major archetype: Maximus the horse. Maximus represents the part of the male psyche that wishes to uphold healthy masculinity through a high standard of morals, values, and duty. Throughout the story thus far, Maximus is in constant battle with Flynn, attempting to forcefully capture and return him to the Kingdom to be punished. The morning after Flynn’s ego death and intimate exchanges with Rapunzel, Maximus finds Eugene once more and nearly achieves this. However, it is Rapunzel, or Eugene’s actively integrating Feminine, that convinces Maximus of his pure heart and potential to be good. Although there is still high tension and wariness between Eugene and Maximus, the horse ultimately trusts and loves the Feminine, so he makes an effort to help them. For males, Maximus is the equivalent to Rapunzel’s sidekick Pascal; he is the internal protector of Eugene’s inherent value and Divine potential. It is worthwhile to note that Maximus is never able to capture “Flynn” through brute force; he is always outsmarted and outran. It requires the compassion and charm of the Feminine to convince the two to work together for a greater good. It takes a while for Eugene to finally earn back the trust of Maximus and prove his evolved intentions.

The Lanterns: A Fleeting Glimpse of Union

The next day, Rapunzel, Pascal, Eugene, and Maximus spend a day in the Kingdom. For the first time, Rapunzel’s hair is tied up, and she is seen delivering her beauty to the world in an aligned way. That night, Eugene helps fulfill Rapunzel’s dream of seeing the lanterns, and she returns the satchel to him. Their egoic wishes have been mutually fulfilled. However, Eugene states that he no longer cares for the crown because he has experienced the profound beauty of a life with the Feminine.

Yet, just before they kiss, Eugene sees the Stabbington Brothers. He has not yet fully healed from his immature ego. Until he is released from karmic ties with it, he cannot enter sacred union. Thus, despite pure intentions to serve the Feminine, he must leave her to finish this process.

Rapunzel, too, has not completed her healing, and when Eugene does not return, she assumes she was abandoned. Gothel appears and convinces her of her unworthiness. Rapunzel believes her only option is to return to her old life, hiding away in the castle with her shadow. The princess returning to Gothel marks the beginning of Rapunzel and Eugene's separation. Both parties, having briefly experienced the beauty of union with the other, enter a state of despair.

The Importance of Separation

This pre-climax is a profoundly accurate display of how true Divine Union cannot occur until both the Masculine and Feminine are fully aware of and healed from their shadow egos. The Fates will simply not allow it.

This may look like not succeeding in your dreams the first time around; instead of believing in your worth, maintaining resilience, and continuing on your journey to successfully integrate your Masculine or Feminine, you give up and self-sabotage. For the Feminine, this looks like returning to the castle with Gothel, continuing to keep her dreams private and comfortably squander her Divinity. For the Masculine, it looks like succumbing to temptation and being knocked unconscious—spiritually unconscious—by the Brothers.

Thus, Rapunzel enters a state of hopelessness in the castle. In the depths of her depression, Rapunzel has a sudden epiphany—provided through proof subconsciously incorporated into her art—that she is the Lost Princess. It is at this point that Rapunzel realizes the malevolence of Gothel, defends her true Fate, and denies her future usage of her powers: 

  “I have spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power, when I should have been hiding from you! … You were wrong about the world, and you were wrong about me, and I will never let you use my hair again!”

Yes, it is this realization that we must come to: that we are not victims of the people in our lives that use us, but victims to the part of ourselves that believes we will only be loved and accepted by them if we allow them to. A mirror is also seen breaking—perhaps representing the necessary forgoing of the Divine Feminine devoting excessive attention into her appearance.  

Dark Night of the Soul: The Gateway to Ascension

Gothel has no other choice but to literally chain and bind Rapunzel to the wall. This extreme response is emblematic for how the unhealed part will resort to severe abuse to keep the Feminine from ascending. It is clear that the princess cannot conquer Gothel by herself, and she is stuck in this state until she is able to utilize her animus to completely free her from the grips of her shadow.

Meanwhile, the Masculine is unconscious until he eventually wakes up to the severity of the situation: the Feminine is in danger, and he is approaching his own impending decapitation. In other words, the Masculine’s Higher Self is fighting from complete spiritual oblivion and lifelong submission to the ego. It seems as if the Masculine is doomed until he receives help from—guess who?—the sensitive brutes from the bar; the Masculine Collective! The parts of the Masculine that have been yearning for Union with the Feminine come together to rescue Eugene from beheading. However, it is ultimately Maximus, the part of the male psyche that values a life of honor and goodness, that hungrily delivers Eugene to Rapunzel. Despite Eugene’s past, this part believes the Masculine worthy of the Feminine, and does everything in its power to catalyze their Union.

Almost immediately upon his entrance to the castle to rescue Rapunzel, Eugene is lethally shot by Gothel. It is clear that despite the Feminine’s epiphany, her shadow has been dominant without the presence of an integrated Masculine. Chained to the wall, Rapunzel promises that she will remain indefinitely loyal to Gothel as long as she can use her powers to rescue Eugene one final time. 

Gothel agrees, but on his deathbed, Eugene refuses to sacrifice Rapunzel’s fate as the Lost Princess to save himself. He recognizes that the return of the Feminine to the Kingdom is more powerful than his aimless life in absence of her. So, Eugene saves the Feminine by impulsively cutting off her hair. Rapunzel’s hair symbolizes her connection to her shadow self; it is her ability to compulsively use her Divine powers to heal others, including him. Once he does this, Gothel immediately shrivels and ages, and she is pushed off the castle to her death by Pascal. Eugene is seen dying in Rapunzel’s arms. 

Rapunzel’s former relationship to her Masculine must completely die alongside the death of her shadow ego. There is no way for both of them to survive. It is in these moments of complete death of her former self, when Rapunzel has neither Gothel or Eugene, that she locates her own Divinity. Her tears from this grief and transformation revive her Masculine back to life, to which they share their first kiss, finally consummating true Union. 

Divine Union 

By reintegrating her Divine powers in a way that is not accessible to manipulation or insincere means, and is only available upon authentic relation to her own soul, Rapunzel’s animus is revived. Likewise, the Masculine has healed to the point of literally sacrificing and killing his former ego-dominated self to rescue his Feminine. With both Rapunzel and Eugene finally defeating their shadow selves, they are able to ascend and come into Union with each other. 

Rapunzel is returned to the Kingdom, symbolizing the reintegration of the Divine Feminine into the Kingdom. Her parents rejoice and welcome Eugene, the Masculine who enabled her return. The four of them are seen hugging, symbolic of the ultimate maturation and ascension of the Masculine and Feminine; each has passed a sacred initiation of the soul. The Divine counterparts’ union is officiated by holy matrimony. 

 You live happily ever after.