History Characters / IntoTheWoods

->"''That boy stole our gold, our hen, and our harp. Then he killed my husband! I must avenge the wrongdoing.''"

* CoversAlwaysLie: The covers depicted Johnny Depp to play as one of the princes or at least a major character in the film, complete with the corresponding black leather jacket with studs, but is instead played only as the role of the Big Bad Wolf who only took five minutes of spotlight [[spoiler: before being killed off by the Baker right after he was successful in eating Red Riding Hood]].

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: [[spoiler: He's almost identical to the Beggar Woman in ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'', another Sondheim musical--they both seem detached from reality, run around offering strange advice and cryptic words to the main characters, and turn out to be beloved relatives thought long dead (the Mysterious Man is the Baker's father, and the Beggar Woman is Sweeney's wife and Johanna's mother.]]

* DraggedOffToHell: One interpretation of the end of "Last Midnight." Especially clear in the 2012 version in which a body reaches up and grabs her, pulling her underground.

-->'''Played by:''' Ben Wright (OBC), Richard Dempsey (Original London Cast), Daniel Huttlestone (2014 film)

-->'''Played by:''' Danielle Ferland (OBC), Tessa Burbridge (Original London Cast), Lilla Crawford (2014 film)

-->'''Played by:''' Barbara Byrne (OBC), Creator/PatsyRowlands (Original London Cast), Creator/TraceyUllman (2014 film)

-->'''Played by:''' Pamela Winslow (OBC), Mary Lincoln (Original London Cast), Creator/MacKenzieMauzy (2014 film)

-->'''Played by:''' Tom Alredge (OBC), Nicholas Parsons (Original London Cast). Role omitted from the film version.

-->'''Played by:''' Chip Zien (OBC), Ian Bartholomew (Original London Cast), Creator/JamesCorden (2014 film)

-->'''Played by:''' Joanna Gleason (OBC), Creator/ImeldaStaunton (Original London Cast), Creator/EmilyBlunt (2014 film)

-->'''Played by:''' Kim Crosby (OBC), Jaqueline Dankworth (Original London Cast), Creator/AnnaKendrick (2014 film)

-->'''Played by:''' Creator/BernadettePeters (OBC), Julia [=McKenzie=] (Original London Cast), Creator/MerylStreep (2014 film)

-->'''Played by:''' Robert Westenberg (OBC), Clive Carter (Original London Cast), Creator/ChrisPine (2014 film)

-->'''Played by:''' Chuck Wagner (OBC), Mark Tinkler (Original London Cast), Creator/BillyMagnussen (2014 film)

* LoserSonOfLoserDad: [[spoiler: The major plot of the story, as the Baker along with Jack, Red Riding Hood and Cinderella are stranded in the woods when deciding to fend of the giantess together. Becomes averted as his father tells him not to run away from his problems and faces it without him.]]

* StayInTheKitchen: This is the Baker's attitude in the beginning of the first act (both literally and figuratively), but he gets over it.

* DawsonCasting: He's rarely, if ever, played by an actual little boy in the play. Averted in the 2014 film where Daniel Huttlestone plays him.
** In the stage production he's said to be a newly-of-age young man, who can be played by teenage to adult actors.
* TenorBoy
* TookALevelInBadass

* AboveGoodAndEvil
--> "I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right."
* AdaptationalBadass: The character she's based on, the Witch from ''Rapunzel'', didn't seem to have any magic at all -- certainly not the power to teleport anywhere or resurrect dead cows.
* AdaptationalVillainy: She's surprisingly more evil in the film adaptation. Since she doesn't witness Rapunzel die and thus go into a BSODSong, she's left without motivation to want Jack handed over to the Giantess. Instead, the first thing she says to the Giantess in the movie is basically, "We'll get the boy for you, don't worry'.
* AntiVillain: She cursed the Baker's family, she was overprotective of her daughter, she wanted to sacrifice Jack [[spoiler:to make the Giantess go away,]] ''and'' she starts throwing beans around during ''The Last Midnight'' to summon more giants -- but she's not the villain of the play and is, in fact, just as hurt, uncertain, and human as everyone else in the woods.

* EvilMatriarch

* KnightTemplarParent
* LargeHam
* MyBelovedSmother

* StrawmanHasAPoint: DeconstructedTrope and In-Universe Example during ''The Last Midnight''. She brings up a valid point: Jack is responsible for the Giantess rampaging throughout the kingdom, so the best solution to the problem at the moment is to bring him to the Giantess. [[DesignatedHero The others]] are against this, knowing that this will get Jack killed -- even though more people will doubtlessly die if the Giantess doesn't find him soon. The fact that they are against her simply because she's [[DesignatedVillain the Witch, and therefore, not to be trusted]], drives her up the wall. She turns it against them, saying that by refusing to give Jack to the Giant at the expense doesn't make them good - "just nice" - and that while she may not be [[GoodIsNotNice good]] or nice, [[JerkassHasAPoint she's just right.]] It develops into a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to all of the remaining cast, calling them hypocrites, no better than her, and that the Baker's son will end up becoming just like them -- a liar and thief -- but at this point, the Witch is so frustrated she just says "Why bother? You'll just do what you do!" and [[spoiler: throws away the last of her beans, calling down her mother's curse on her, just to ''get away'' from them. When she vanishes, everyone realizes that she was right, and that their actions were - in hindsight - not great. This becomes reconstructed, with the Baker and Cinderella admitting that "Witches can be right", but that didn't mean that her option was the only solution in the end -- with the others deciding the rampage would end if [[TakeAThirdOption they killed the Giantess first.]]]]
* TokenEvilTeammate

* AbusiveParent: In the film adaptation, to some degree. She gets angrily very easily with Jack, and even hits him a few times; however, she still cares for her son, and just wants the two of them to have enough money and food to survive. She even keeps her MamaBear moment when she tells the Giantess that she will protect her son. (See AdaptationalJerkass above.)

* TheDitz

* FirstPersonSmartass
* InteractiveNarrator

* OnlySaneMan

* MenacingStroll

* AlcoholicParent

* UnnamedParent

* NoNameGiven

* AfraidToHoldTheBaby: After his son is born, he feels awkward about holding or caring for him and leaves it all to his wife. During his HeroicBSOD after [[spoiler: his wife is killed], he [[spoiler: feels so unsuited to single fatherhood that he almost abandons his son.]]

%%* CrusadingWidow: Is (reasonably) furious with Jack for mugging then murdering her husband.

* MrsRobinson: Implied in "Giants in the Sky", where Jack describes how she gave him food and rest during his stay.

%% * WellIntentionedExtremist: She explained her reasons when she was introduced. She had every right to be upset with Jack.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: [[spoiler: He's almost identical to the Beggar Woman in ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'', another Sondheim musical--they both seem detached from reality, run around offering strange advice and cryptic words to the main characters, and turn out to be beloved relatives thought long dead (the Mysterious Man is the Baker's father, and the Beggar Woman is Sweeney's wife.]]

* HurtingHero: During the second half of Act II.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: [[spoiler: When the characters try to offer the Narrator to the Giantess as a sacrifice, the Narrator reminds them that the story would be lost if he was obliterated. Regardless of this, however, the Witch gives the Narrator to the Giantess anyway, and as soon as the Giantess sees that the Narrator isn't Jack, the Narrator is dropped from the Giantess' hand and killed. Possibly concerned with the subsequent events of the story without the Narrator, the Baker's Wife points out: "We might have thought of something else."]]

* LampshadeHanging / LeaningOnTheFourthWall: In "Moments in the Woods", the Baker's Wife sings "I'm in the wrong story". According to WordOfGod, Sondheim added this line after he realized that the story of the baker and his wife feels much more contemporary than the others. Joanna Gleason, who played the Baker's Wife, felt like her character was in the wrong story, and so did Sondheim. He felt like this needed acknowledgement.

* TeamMom
* TookALevelInBadass

* TheCasanova: Depending on the production, he's a (slightly) more sympathetic version of this than his elder brother. The trope is averted entirely in the 2014 film.

* DiesDifferentlyInTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:In the show, she is crushed by a falling tree the Giantess pushes over. In the film, she falls off a cliff.]]

* AmbiguousDisorder: Possibly postpartum depression.

[[folder: Jack's Mother]]
!!Jack's Mother
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ddb344cfca6f0fcdab8c5a5890254607.jpg]]
-->'''Played by:''' Barbara Byrne (OBC), Creator/PatsyRowlands (Original London Cast), Creator/TraceyUllman (2014 film)

-> "''I wish my son was not a fool. I wish my house was not a mess. I wish the cow was full of milk, I wish the walls were full of gold, I wish a lot of things!''"

Jack's browbeaten single mother determined to make their lives better.

* AdaptationalJerkass: She's a lot rougher towards her son in the film than in the play.
* AbusiveParent: In the film adaptation, to some degree. She gets angrily very easily with Jack, and even hits him a few times; however, she still cares for her son, and just wants the two of them to have enough money and food to survive. She even keeps her MamaBear moment when she tells the Giantess that she will protect her son. (See AdaptationalJerkass above.)
* AngerBornOfWorry: She acts rather harsh to Jack, and makes it known that she thinks he's a fool, but she worries that his carelessness will get him into danger. After the giant falls into their backyard, she tracks down her son in the woods to make sure he's okay... and give him a DopeSlap.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: She wishes to better her and Jack's lives. Jack slays the Giant and steals their treasures, making him and his mother wealthy -- but spurs the Giantess' anger.
* CloudCuckooLandersMinder: She's the one always keeping her idiot son in line.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:After the Steward accidentally gives her a fatal blow to the head, she shows an almost zen calmness as she gives her last request, knowing full well that she's "on death's door" and using her last breath to plead with the Baker for Jack's safety]].
* JerkassHasAPoint: [[spoiler: She's inconsiderate to the Giantess' feelings, but she correctly points out that the Giantess has killed a ''lot'' of people in her rampage against Jack, and people have good reason to be pissed with her.]]
* LastRequest: [[spoiler: To the Baker, to protect Jack.]]
* MamaBear: She was pretty brave (and stupid) for standing up to a giant, telling her that she will protect her son at all costs.
* MyBelovedSmother: She's always trying to control Jack's actions. Justified, though, as Jack can and will cause catastrophic damage if left alone.
* OnlySaneWoman: Her son is ''not'' that bright.
* TapOnTheHead: Deconstructed. [[spoiler:Her death -- needless to say, a blow to the head hard enough to shut someone up is not going to end well...]]
* ViolinScam: She orders Jack to carry Milky White for a very long distance out of their village, and find a sucker who's gullible enough to buy the cow for 5 pounds - or more - since their whole village knows how sick the cow has gotten. (This comes off as InsaneTrollLogic since whoever has that much money will inspect the cow first, and as she pointed out, the cow is clearly and visibly expiring being infested with parasites and open wounds.) [[spoiler: The scam was doomed to fail, since the cow died one day after the Baker bought it for beans]].

[[folder: The Wolf]]
!!The Wolf
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/b0a453f6e7c35bc3935bf5640fb60d0e.png]]
-->'''Played by:''' Robert Westernberg (OBC), Clive Carter (Original London Cast), Creator/JohnnyDepp (2014 film)

->"''Hello, little girl...''"

[[TheBigBadWolf The Big Bad]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Wolf]], a hungry and insatiable hunter on the lookout for his next meal.

* AdvertisedExtra: Plastered alongside all of the other main characters in promotional material, only to [[spoiler:be killed off within the first 29 minutes]].
* TheBigBadWolf: Unsurprisingly.
* CoatFullOfContraband: In the movie version, the Wolf opens his coat to show a display of candy when he is trying to lure Little Red Riding Hood off the path.
* CoversAlwaysLie: The covers depicted Johnny Depp to play as one of the princes or at least a major character in the film, complete with the corresponding black leather jacket with studs, but is instead played only as the role of the Big Bad Wolf who only took five minutes of spotlight [[spoiler: before being killed off by the Baker right after he was successful in eating Red Riding Hood]].
* DiscOneFinalBoss: The Baker and Little Red have no problem taking care of him. And then Act II happens.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Emphasizing the allegory of the original fairy tale, his VillainSong "Hello Little Girl" has various connotations of the Wolf being a ''sexual'' predator, Red Riding Hood being his chosen victim. The film runs with this angle by portraying him as a [[LittleBitBeastly wolf-like]], vaguely human man, having him try to tempt her with a [[CoatFullOfContraband coat full of candy]] like a [[PaedoHunt pedophile]]. The fact that some versions of the character have a visible penis, and he refers to Red Riding Hood as "little girl", certainly doesn't help.
* FanDisservice: He has a visible penis in some versions.
* MinorCharacterMajorSong: He sings [[LetsDuet most of]] "Hello, Little Girl", a song about how he [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything hungers]] for Little Red Riding Hood.
* MenacingStroll
* VillainLoveSong: His song, naturally.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Witch]]
!!The Witch
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/384550dd4b9abf110811c0e5a56f65d0.png]]
-->'''Played by:''' Creator/BernadettePeters (OBC), Julia [=McKenzie=] (Original London Cast), Creator/MerylStreep (2014 film)

->"''Sometimes the things you most wish for are not to be touched.''"

Neighbor to the Baker and his wife and foster mother to Rapunzel. She's the one who cursed them to be barren, but cannot undo the curse until they complete her FetchQuest. While vain, self-serving, and sarcastic, as the show goes on the viewers see that she's insecure, lonely, and ultimately just as human as everybody else.
----

[[folder: Cinderella]]
!!Cinderella
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/c125598ece8b5c717e2a5f9db912f043.png]]
-->'''Played by:''' Kim Crosby (OBC), Jaqueline Dankworth (Original London Cast), Creator/AnnaKendrick (2014 film)

->"''Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor.''"

Kind, gentle, earnest, and downtrodden by her stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella's greatest wish is to attend the royal family's festival. There, one of the princes falls in love with her, but she fears that he will not love her should he realize she is a peasant.

* ActionGirl: She becomes this in Act II. She TookALevelInBadass, with Cinderella venturing [[AccidentalPun into the woods]] on her own and dumping her "Prince Charming" (who actually turned out to be a douche); in addition, she's [[spoiler: one of the only four survivors at the end of the musical and helps defeat the BigBad.]]
* ActionSurvivor: She is not particularly adept at fighting off all the craziness that comes her way in the musical. Nonetheless, she proves to be extremely resourceful, determined, and surprisingly courageous. Along with three other characters, she successfully manages to overcome and defeat the BigBad in the end, after [[spoiler: everyone else dies]].
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Her recurring theme of "I wish" kickstarts both acts. In Act I, she just wants to go to the festival; in Act II, she suggests hosting a festival as the Princess because it's time for one. At the least, her second wish never gets a chance to come to fruition.
* BeingGoodSucks: Cinderella points out in her singing that the only reward she gets from her kindness is continuing abuse and slaps in the face.
* BookEnds: She starts and ends the musical with "I wish."
* ButtMonkey: She's the toilet paper of her family. Very near literally, since she's always covered in dust, dirt, and possibly food stains from her cooking and cleaning duties.
* CinderellaPlot: [[TropeNamer Naturally,]] she's put upon by her stepmother and stepsisters.
* CoolBigSis: She serves as a guiding feminine influence to Little Red.
* CuteClumsyGirl: While wearing the gold slippers -- they're terrible to walk in. Lampshaded by the Baker's Wife:
-->'''Baker's Wife:''' My, you do take an awful lot of spills, don't you?
* TheDitherer: Highlighted in "On the Steps of the Palace", when she can't decide whether to let the Prince catch her or to run away back home. She decides ''not'' to decide, by leaving a shoe on the stair smeared with pitch.
* ExtremeDoormat: Starts off as this, but later [[GrewASpine Grows A Spine]] when she [[spoiler: stands up to her Prince and dumps him for his philandering ways.]]
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Her sidekick birds.
* GrewASpine: See the ExtremeDoormat entry.
* LovingAShadow: [[spoiler: She admits that she will always love "the prince at the ball".]]
* MissingMom: However, she can still talk to her mom's spirit at her grave. [[spoiler: Until the Giantess crushes the grave, anyway.]]
* NiceGirl: She's kind, friendly, and tries her best to remain hopeful and goodhearted in spite of her stepfamily's abuse. Part of her character development is learning that this doesn't mean she has to be a doormat.
* NotSoDifferentRemark: When Little Red reveals her mother and grandmother are dead, Cinderella's expression changes as Red talks about how they would be disappointed in her. She knows what it's like to grow up without a mother, and sings to Red that it's hard when you don't have a parent to guide you.
* PimpedOutDress: But of course. It's created by magic.
* ThePratfall: Cinderella has a tough time running in those shoes...
* PrincessClassic: {{Subverted|Trope}} in that she is better developed in the musical, with more of her own flaws.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: PlayedWith in that Cinderella tries to help, but has to dress as a commoner to do so.
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Can communicate well with birds. The absurdity of this is lampshaded by Little Red.
* SwissArmyTears: The tears Cinderella wept at her mother's grave helped grow the tree that allowed her to meet her mother's ghost (or reincarnation as an angel; either might be true).
* TakeAThirdOption: Her choice is to flee from the prince a third time, or stay and be caught. Her decision is "not to decide" and run away - but she leaves her shoe behind as a way for him to find her.
* TeamMom
* TookALevelInBadass
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Had she not thrown away the bean that the Baker's Wife traded her for her slipper, the Giantess would have had no way to climb down and wreak havoc. Of course, all the main characters are - ultimately - to blame in one way or another.

[[folder: Rapunzel]]
!!Rapunzel
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/f0950d55c66de7ef4374e3ed3c3c3a83.png]]
-->'''Played by:''' Pamela Winslow (OBC), Mary Lincoln (Original London Cast), Creator/MacKenzieMauzy (2014 film)

->"''I am no longer a child. I wish to see the world!''"

Protagonist of ''Literature/{{Rapunzel}}''. The Witch's ward, a beautiful but unstable maiden whom the Witch has had locked in a tower for her entire life.

[[folder: The Princes]]
!!Cinderella's Prince
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6caa326e991bcee6d5522b8d841cbdc6.png]]
-->'''Played by:''' Robert Westenberg (OBC), Clive Carter (Original London Cast), Creator/ChrisPine (2014 film)

->"''I was raised to be charming, not sincere.''"

Cinderella's prince, who falls in love with her after dancing with her at the ball.

* AfraidOfBlood
-->''But even one prick - it's my thing about blood!''
* AmazonChaser: A subtle example. He spends Act I intrigued about Cinderella because she's defiant and determined enough to keep running from him. In the second act, he doesn't give the Baker's Wife a second thought - until he hears she's interested in fighting the Giantess, and is even defying her husband's wishes to do so. Once he hears this, he immediately switches from ignoring her to dialing up the charm. [[spoiler: And then it's subverted; the story makes it clear that he's not interested in determined women as a character trait, he simply finds them mysterious and exciting. Once he gets to be with them, he loses interest immediately.]]
* TheCasanova: Associated by his character quote.
* DistractedByTheSexy: Off to bring down the Giant... and who's this lovely thing?
* FakeUltimateHero: Says a lot but does nothing against the giant.
* LargeHam: Oh, very VERY much so. Especially in "Agony" and the reprise.
* PrinceCharmless: After he [[spoiler:engaged himself with the Baker's Wife,]] he immediately told her that it was just a moment in the woods, meaning it's something that was never to happen again. His womanizing ways result in [[spoiler:the Baker's Wife staying in the area where she dies and Cinderella leaving him because of his brief affair. And then, he learns nothing and goes on to pursue a relationship with Sleeping Beauty.]]
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He never actually ''finds'' the Giant, but besides Cinderella herself, he's the only member of the royal family to actually get off his ass and go looking for her.
* WantingIsBetterThanHaving: Moreso than anyone else in the story; after finally finding his runaway maiden in Cinderella, he grows bored with her and more intrigued with the mysterious Sleeping Beauty. If you pay attention, the IWantSong he shares with his brother are not about the actual ''women'' they're trying to woo, but entirely about the ''feeling'' of wanting something but not being able to get it.
-->"The harder to get, the better to have."

!!Rapunzel's Prince
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/db03dd540f632cac65f0618396e6f12f.png]]
-->'''Played by:''' Chuck Wagner (OBC), Mark Tinkler (Original London Cast), Creator/BillyMagnussen (2014 film)

->"''Near may be better than far, but it still isn't there.''"

Cinderella's prince's younger brother, who falls in love with Rapunzel.
----
* AdaptationalHeroism: He remains faithful to Rapunzel in the 2014 film. What's more, when Act II starts to go to hell, he says they should leave. Thus, they both survive.
** In the 2022 revival, [[spoiler: his heart does stray from Rapunzel enough for him to sing the "Agony" reprise and pine for Snow White but he's seen at the end raising Rapunzel's twins indicating he did grow into his fatherly responsibilities.]]
* TheCasanova: Depending on the production, he's a (slightly) more sympathetic version of this than his elder brother. The trope is averted entirely in the 2014 film.
* EndearinglyDorky: In the film, Rapunzel is charmed by his bumbling attempt at a swing out of her tower. It helps that he's no longer a womanizer in that version.
* EyeScream: He's blinded by falling into thorns after the Witch pushes him from the tower. He gets better.
* LargeHam: Engaging in HamToHamCombat with his brother.
* PrinceCharmless: In the play. He's nicer in the 2014 film.
* WantingIsBetterThanHaving: Along with his brother, this is his main character flaw. After rescuing Rapunzel from her tower, he quickly grows bored and strays toward Snow White. [[spoiler: In the 2014 film he manages to stay with his (still living) wife, letting him grow out of this.]]
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: He's evidently terrified of [[InsistentTerminology dwarfs]]. Unfortunately for him, [[spoiler: they're the only thing standing between him and his next fling, Snow White]].